1. Can you please introduce yourself, where are you from, how long you shoot on film?
My name is Ksenia, I currently live in Moscow and I’ve been shooting on film for long on and off, but I started to carry the camera in my backpack about 11 months ago. I developed my first roll in 2014 and it was an unforgettable experience. Then I had some life problems that kept me away from any hobby, including film photography. In May 2018 everything became better and I got my new camera – Nikon FG-20. That’s how my film way started!
2. Why do you like to shoot on film?
Since I like to walk a lot, I usually notice some things that I’d like to remember. Unfortunately, you can’t keep in mind some warm moments of your life forever, that’s why I like analogue photography. With a film camera, you capture a true image of the world. For me, analogue photography is like the second memory — I relish looking through photos after the development and later, which gives me a new lease of life.
3. What’s your favorite gear to use (camera, lens, film) ?
When I go on photo walks I usually take my Nikon FG-20 with Nikkor 50mm f/1.8 so I can manage all the settings manually, which is a little bit time-consuming, but necessary for making a great shot. When I’m just out, I always carry my Nikon F65, which is a pretty simple amateur camera with lots of fast functions, so I quickly can take a fast shot while I’m in a bus or, for instance, when I don’t have much time to catch a shot. I usually use simple film, something like Fuji Superia x-tra for colour pics and Fomapan of Ilford PAN for black ones.
4. Among your works, which one is your favorite? Why?
It’s difficult to highlight one work because they differ greatly. Anyway, there is a pic I’m proud of. In November 2018 I travelled to Toskana, Italy and stayed in a hotel high in the mountains. The view from my balcony was awesome — I could see lots of little towns and villages far below bent by mountains. Every morning those towns were covered with white clouds so you could accidentally mix them up with a huge lake. One evening I went to the balcony just to abstract from work for a while and saw this. The sun was going down and the last beams of light were cuddling one of the towns above. I was lucky to take this shot because the sun went down in a couple of minutes. I appreciate this work because it represents the simple beauty of the nature around us and in that particular time it helped me to catch fire.
5. Exactly what it is you want to say with your photographs?
Through my photographs, I want to show something, that the majority ignore on their way to work/university/etc. It’s the beauty of commonplace things in our world, that usually make the whole picture. People can see the beauty in everything, they just need to wish for it.
You can follow Ksenia on instagram @xiu.film