LomoGuru of the Week: marta1901
35 45 Share TweetOur LomoGuru spotlight turns to this lovely lady from Madrid, Spain popular for her exquisite portraiture. Meet the passionate and extraordinary Marta Huguet Cuadrado, or marta1901 in the Community, our LomoGuru of the Week!
Name: Marta Huguet Cuadrado
LomoHome: marta1901
Location: Madrid, Spain
Number of years as a Lomographer: 4
Number of years in the Community: 4
Tell us something about yourself.
Currently, I am about to finish my architecture studies, but to be honest over the last few years I realized that this industry will not be fulfilling enough to me. I believe there is a more interesting area for me in the ephemeral architecture sector and I might work in this field from time to time since it’s very dynamic, but I feel film photography is my real passion.
From shooting analogue myself to browsing other talented photographers’ galleries… anything related to this world fascinates me. This is why a couple friends and I started the Whattaroll Magazine Project. We believe that there is a large number of talented individuals who are fighting to be exposed, whose work might not be displayed in other platforms which favor digital work. We just want to help spread the film photography love.
Tell us something about your LomoHome’s name. Why did you decide to have that username?
This story won’t be too interesting I’m afraid. When I created my LomoHome, I was in a hurry and I typed the first thing that came to my head.1901 comes from my birth date which is the 19th of January. After awhile, some friends asked me about it, I thought I’d play it cool and say it’s because of the Phoenix song. But let’s face it, it’s not the most creative ending I could have added.
Share with us your most memorable experience in the Lomography Community.
I have plenty! Every time I upload a new album, I always have great feedback from many of my friends and other users too. It’s really encouraging to have others that appreciate what you do and that see you grow as a photographer. Their support is really important to me. Another special moment I can recall is when Lomography Spain interviewed me some months ago. Many people from other countries that didn’t understand the questions and answers made the extra effort of translating it themselves before it was published in English! I felt so loved and grateful!
Have you actually met people in the Community that you now consider as close friends? If yes, name at least one of them.
Yes! Of course I do! I first met Mery (atria007) and she introduced me to many of my lomofriends in Madrid. I’m happy to say I meet them from time to time and many I consider to be close friends now. Willie (wil6ka) spent the last New Years Eve with me in Madrid and we did some fun excursions together. I also had the pleasure of meeting Kam (lostlittlekid), one of my Whattaroll colleagues/friends. He was here visiting some months ago and we totally rocked it!
I consider each and everyone one of them to be extremely special in my life. They are supportive, creative, and really talented friends. Adrian (tall_bastard), Marco (_haustor), Harun (mrmostarr). The list goes on and on!
And if I can add some more names to the list of people I would love to meet, it’ll be suizidekid, andrejrusskovskij, poepel, grazie, realrampage, clownshoes, hafenperle, ropi, bebopbebop, adi_totp and many others which I won’t name or it’ll be a pain in the ass to be read!
Do you think you’ll still be taking Lomographs in the next 5 years? Why?
Well, I do know for sure that I will be shooting analogue my whole life if I have the money to keep buying films!
It is the only way I feel that I’m being true to myself. I love the challenge of it, all the little details that a different camera with a different film can provide. The surprise factor, the tangible aspect of it, and above all, the way it makes me slow down to appreciate things that I didn’t notice before. Such as understanding the light or finding the composition that helps me create the stories I had in my mind. Don’t get me wrong, digital is awesome for many circumstances and works for most people, but my heart is fully analogue. Sounds cheesy but it’s how it is!
What is your favorite Lomo camera and why? Do you have any memorable experiences using this camera?
I love the results of my Horizon Perfekt so far. I’ve used it in the past year and the panoramic framing plus the great lens make it a great combo. Memorable experiences with it? Well, you might think it’s funny since it’s not a camera that’s used often for portraits, but I once took some pictures of my sister to finish a roll, and when I saw the results I was amazed and started shooting more and more portraits with it
I can say this camera helped me to understand which type of pictures fulfill me the most as an artist!
Please share with us your favorite lomograph and explain why you love that particular image.
This is one of the pictures I am most proud of. I think I got to capture the atmosphere that I had in my mind. I love the expression of both her face and body language. Her skin is glowing beautifully, too. Technically, I think the composition works great and the color combination is really appealing.
Please share a Lomograph you wish you had taken and explain why.
satomi took this picture a long time ago but I hadn’t come across it until some few weeks back. I find it’s fascinating. It’s a really powerful shot that hits you right away. It creates a story that works on itself. It doesn’t need to be included in any context or a set of pictures. I’m also jealous of how she used black and white film too! I normally don’t get such contrast in my pictures and in this one you can totally appreciate the light on her skin and still feel the darkness. Lovely work!
What’s the best Lomographic or photography advice you think you have given?
I must confess I still find that I’m not “photography-wise” enough to give any awesome advice but I have been given quite a lot and really good ones too! So I will make a little mix of the ones I’m using the most.
First would be “try to find out what kind of photography appeals to you the most and shoot non-stop." If you can’t afford it because trying new things is expensive with analogue photography, start shooting digital and once you feel strong enough, move back to film and try all the options until you find out what it suits you.
Second, “learn to see the light." It sounds a bit obvious but I wasn’t aware of all the different types of light and shadows we could find while shooting with natural light.
If there’s one song or movie that best describes your Lomo life, which one is it and why?
I will change the question a little if I’m allowed to, and I will answer to which song inspire me the most creatively. It would pretty much be the whole Funeral album from Arcade Fire, but especially track 1 “Tunnels“.
There is a line that says “Spread the ashes of the colors over this heart of mine” which is something I might even get tattooed on me one day. I feel it defines my approach to life and how creative eras come and go.
Is there any advice you can give to new analogue shooters?
Be fearless! It might be scary not to be able to control your results at the beginning. Even in some years to come, you’ll still get surprises but that’s part of the magic of shooting film. With time and practice, you’ll start to feel more confident and will be able to create your own visual style.
Go see things, be cheeky, and ask questions to learn. Get out of your comfort zone and experiment. If you are honest and respectful nothing will go wrong. The Lomography Community is a powerful resource and you need to learn how to use it!
written by icequeenubia on 2014-07-13 #videos #lifestyle #lomoguru #lomoguru-of-the-week
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