Tell us a little about yourself to start with
I study at the National Academy of Fine Arts and Architecture, in my second year, Faculty of Architecture. I have been passionate about photography in its various forms since childhood.
How long have you been interested in analog photography?
Since about 10th grade. My interest in film photography, for example, started when my dad brought his old film cameras Zenit and LOMO LC-A from the garage. I saw them and immediately wanted to figure out how they work. I still continue to shoot on film. Now it’s a Nikon FM2.
How did the instant camera Fujifilm Instax Mini 90 Neoclassic come into your life?
At some point, I saw the Instax Mini 8 and thought that instant photography is really great and cool. Diving deeper into the topic of modern instant cameras, I realized that the Instax Mini 8 probably wasn’t the right camera for me because it didn’t leave much control to me. The camera has no settings or additional adjustments, and I wanted everything to depend more on me, more manual control, more creativity. That’s why (and also because of its cool look) I chose the Fujifilm Instax Mini 90 Neoclassic.
Tell us about your first instant photo
It happened on March 23, 2015. It was very cold. For some reason, I wanted to go to the pedestrian bridge. I had already taken a photo of the pedestrian bridge with the LOMO LC-A, and I wanted to photograph it at night with the Instax Mini 90. Armed with a tripod, I went to the bridge at night. I had no idea then that the maximum exposure time on the Mini 90 was 10 seconds, nor did I know about the development time depending on temperature (the colder it is, the longer the photo takes to develop). I took several shots, and to my surprise, they didn’t develop immediately (it was quite cold outside)...
That’s so cool! You already have a whole photo album of instant photos. Does that mean you enjoy shooting with the Instax Mini 90?
Maybe it sounds cliché, but I catch the moment and preserve it this way. Looking at the photo, I immediately remember the circumstances under which it was taken, what motivated me to take that shot. Most often, I photograph while traveling and often duplicate the same shot on film and on Instax. With film, I can’t see the result immediately, but with Instax, I can instantly see how it turned out. Sometimes the film shot doesn’t come out as I want, but I still have the instant camera shot, which always makes me very happy.
You say you mostly photograph while traveling. What trips have you taken recently?
Recently – Portugal in summer, Austria and Krakow in winter.
This is my favorite shot from the trip.
I remember it was very hot that day. We were supposed to arrive at Cabo da Roca, but the navigator took us through some forests. We stopped to take pictures because we saw what you see in the photo. You just can’t miss that!
Portugal turned out to be quite productive in terms of photos.
Lisbon train station. This station is the work of the very famous Santiago Calatrava
Next was Austria. I struggled there because I hadn’t skied for about 2 years, and to shoot, I had to carry a backpack. I could have fallen and broken everything, so I had to choose – either take the risk or not shoot. I chose the risk :) In the end, I didn’t fall once. Another problem was the low temperature. I had to quickly tuck the shots into my jacket so they would develop.
This was one of the first shots; I took it in my hand and put it in my pocket. Due to the temperature difference, my fingerprints remained on the photo. So these Austrian “palms” of my fingerprints stayed on the photo card.
How many rolls do you usually take with you on a trip?
Usually one roll per day, but I try to take a bit extra just in case. I try not to photograph everything indiscriminately, only what I really like.
Where to next? And what will you shoot?
I want to go on a trip to Iceland, with a tent and a medium format camera.
Shooting geysers?
Not only that. Waterfalls, glaciers, black volcanic beaches – it’s really amazing there!
Also, soon, if I get a visa, I want to go to France.
Do you have a favorite photo or a few favorites?
This is a photo of my studio from my first year. The photo was taken in the morning when no one was there. The studio is like our group’s workspace where we work, design, and draw.
