Revisiting Film Photography

I've been experimenting with an Holga 120S plastic medium format film camera connected to my Profoto studio lights— I'm pleasantly surprised at how well they work together. I have not seriously shot film since first learning photography in the '90s on a 35mm Pentax K-1000. Memories—I used to print my images in a group darkroom and nobody had cell phones. Below are some results from a recent shoot at my studio, in collaboration w/fellow photographer Mariya Stangl who kindly offered to pose.

It's nice to be reminded of what felt possible then vs what feels possible now, to slow down intentionally, to see what can happen when limited to 12 frames, and to wait for the roll to be processed and scanned (I'm not set up to develop my own film again). Single exposures, double exposures, triple exposures, maybe some light leaks. I am thinking this is something I can offer as a fun add on to a digital portrait session.

APA Something Personal Exhibition 2023

My portrait of Varvara Liakounakou from the Mudhouse residency in Greece last summer was selected as one of the top 100 images for the San Francisco APA chapter’s annual Something Personal exhibition.

Portrait of Varvara Liakounakou at Mudhouse in Agios Ioannis, Crete, Greece.

This year was a return to print after a few years of doing everything virtually. It was great to be out in community with fellow photographers for the in-person show on December 2. See the full exhibitor lineup and online gallery here.

With Tether Collective studio mates at the Something Personal Exhibition at Left Space, 12/2/23.

Mudhouse 2023

In July I attended the Mudhouse Residency in Crete, Greece for the second time. The first time I went, in 2019, I rented a car and drove to nearby villages and towns to make pictures of architecture and surroundings.

Images from my 2019 Mudhouse Residency

This time I made environmental portraits of the other artists attending. Among us were painters, drawers, printmakers, intermedia and fiber artists, an architect, a musician, a cartographer, a dancer, and a playwright.

Film Process artist Lauren Oliver in her temporary bedroom at Mudhouse 2023

Mudhouse offers three, two-week residency sessions each summer in a small village called Agios Ioannis, where artists live and create for their session duration. The village is small and serviceable with a single Kafenion, owned by a sweet family who prepares and serves all of our meals. The village was abandoned at one point, and later some homes were reclaimed and renovated, so it is now a compelling and visually interesting mix of rubble and life. Each resident is assigned a unique living space and, since I am drawn to environmental portraiture, my project choice this year was a perfect way for me to collaborate with other residents and sneak a peek at all of their respective interiors.

Image of Mudhouse Co-Founder Jenny Carolin in her Studio in Agios Ioannis 2023

For the first week of the residency everyone presents a selection of work they’ve made leading up to now, which gives everyone a chance to know each other better and see the context for the work produced at the residency.

Mudhouse Co-Founder Varvara Liakounakou in her home in Agios Ioannis 2023

It is a priveledge to make art and dine with artists of other disciplines for two weeks straight (we did take beach breaks). I am glad to have documented this moment in time and to have had a reason to collaborate with all of these incredible people. We even had a group exhibition at the end, and my copy store prints weren’t half bad! View the full Mudhouse 2023 gallery.

My final exhibition presentation of 15 portraits