1. Can you please introduce yourself, tell us where you’re from, and how long you’ve shot on film?
Hi! I’m Balázs Varga, from Hungary, Budapest. I shoot film since 2014. Before I was shooting a lot of digital, than I tried film and it seemed like magic. 🙂 Altough it took at least a year to get comfortable using it. Now I use it just as easy as digital, but the feeling and the result is different of course.
2. Why do you like to shoot on film?
There are many reasons. First is that, I don’t look at the shots immediately, so there is nothing to distract me, and take me out of the moment when shooting. Second is, there’s a certain time beetween shooting and developing, and it helps to make better choices in editing. The later I see them, the less I’m attached to them emotionally, so I can make better choices. Third is the beautiful organic look, texture and colors film has.
3. What’s your favorite gear to use (camera, lens, film) ?
Most of the time I use Nikon Fm2, with 35 or 50 mm lenses. I also love medium format, I’m using Yashica mat 124G. (pictures in the interview were shot with this) I also really like Fuji instax. For film, if black and white I ususally use Ilford HP5, cause it can be pushed greatly (even to 1600). If color, than I love expired transparency films (Kodachrome, Fujichrome, etc.) I adore experimenting. 🙂
4. Among your works, which one is your favorite? Why?
It’s really hard to find a favourite. I work on many projects, at the same time. Sometimes I go to shoot with models and creative people, for kind of small “fashion stories”. For example the pictures in this interview were shot in a limestone mine in two different years, with Flóra Németh, Eszter Anna Marosi and Tekla Pekarek. I like to work with people from other fields, for example they are interior designers. This project is close to my heart.
5. Exactly what it is you want to say with your photographs?
It always depends on the project, but I’m very much intrested in human nature, dreams, and the subconcious. i don’t like pictures that are too obvious. If they make me say: “what is going on here” that’s pretty good. I also belive that series can say much more, than a single photograph, that’s why I’m working on series, sometimes for many years. During a long term project many layers of meanings can be created, and realized.
You can follow Balázs on instagram @luxurycapacitor
