1. Can you please introduce yourself, where are you from, how long you shoot on film?
My name is Kat Swansey and I live in Austin, Texas. I grew up in a small, rural town in Texas and I have been shooting film for 13 years now. When I’m not working or shooting film, I love traveling, road trips, and watching the NBA.
2. Why do you like to shoot on film?
I prefer to shoot film because it’s how I was introduced to photography. There is something organic about film that draws my attention; the grain, the need to have the right lighting, and having to stop and plan the shot I want.
3. What’s your favorite gear to use (camera, lens, film) ?
I shoot with a few different cameras, but all are Canon. I have a Canon AE-1 Program, Canon Elan 7NE, and my first camera which was a Canon Rebel K2. My favorite films are anything with vibrant color. I love Kodak Ektar, Kodak Portra 400, and the generic Lomography films. A lot of my photos are taken on road trips and there are days I am shooting film for nearly 8 hours. If it’s a long day I will choose to shoot on one of my newer cameras since they are lighter and easier to manage. For a quick trip, I will usually shoot with my Canon AE-1 Program since it’s quite heavy.
4. Among your works, which one is your favorite? Why?
My favorite photo that I have taken would be one of an abandoned truck riddled with bullet holes that I found nestled in the Chinati Mountains in far West Texas. My boyfriend found a one lane dirt road through the Chinati’s that we were dying to take. We knew it was treacherous and we were trying to beat a thunderstorm, but we went for it anyway. We were rewarded with some of the most beautiful views of Texas and it remains one of my favorite trips we’ve ever taken. I still think about it all the time.
5. Exactly what it is you want to say with your photographs?I
want people to be able to see the beauty in the mundane. My photos are often of abandoned buildings left to fade with the elements, but at one point it meant something to someone. Though it’s an inanimate object, I feel the need to document these places and arouse curiosity in people. What were these places? Were happy memories made there? We may never know, but we can let our imaginations run wild. We would like to thank Kat for this interview!
You can follow Kat on instagram @katswanseyphoto