Lomography x Perimetro – 36 Shots, One Story: Interview with Elisa Norcini

This big open call attracted more than 250 submissions, and involved a network of 39 partners including cultural institutions, photography schools, magazines, labs and independent creative spaces who supported us by selecting the winning projects.

Seven photographers from seven Italian cities (Bologna, Florence, Milan, Naples, Palermo, Rome and Turin) told their own stories with a roll of Lomography film. The projects were all different from each other, without rules or themes to follow, for results that, in 36 shots, rediscovered the pleasure of surprise and the beauty of the unexpected. Today we present one of these projects by Elisa Norcini, entitled Città da Favola and shot on LomoChrome Turquoise.

Hi Elisa, welcome! Could you please introduce yourself to the readers of our Online Magazine?

Hello everyone! I am Elisa, I was born in Arezzo and grew up in Capolona, a small town in the Casentino area (Italy). I graduated in Intercultural Studies at the University of Florence. After some experiences abroad in international cooperation projects, I moved to Seville for many years where I worked in various projects concerning art and culture. In 2020, I returned to Italy to attend the three-year course in "Photography and New Media" at the Fondazione Studio Marangoni in Florence, where I have just graduated.

Can you tell us about your photographic background? When did your journey into photography begin?

My journey into photography started during my university years, when I managed to buy my first digital SLR camera. But, over time, I lost interest in photography due to the amount of photos I was taking. I was constantly looking for the perfect picture, but above all, due to my inability to select them and having to spend hours and hours in front of the computer. My real passion broke out in 2012 when I moved to Seville and discovered pinhole photography. I fell in love with the possibility of building my own photographic medium without depending on what was available in the market, of having to visualize everything in my head without being able to look through a viewfinder or a display, of being able to wait for the right moment and the right light even for hours, of being able to take only one photo at a time. Pinhole photography taught me to love even mistakes and to appreciate imperfect photos. It taught me that beauty lies in the process and not in the result.

Tell us about this fantastic project. How did the idea come about?

The idea came from the combination of various elements. I wanted the project to represent me as a photographer, to represent Lomography films and to represent Florence. I immediately thought of using the double exposure technique and as soon as I read the list of film rolls available I focused on LomoChrome Turquoise or Purple, because when I think of Lomography I think of very creative photography. I wondered how the combination of double exposures and the altered colors of the film could tell the story of the city of Florence, full of art and beautiful shapes. So I imagined a 'fairytale city', a world that seems unreal with fantastic places, people and objects.

In the end, you opted for our colour-shifting LomoChrome Turquoise film. Which features particularly impressed you about this film?

I had been very curious to try LomoChrome Turquoise for some time. I was really struck by the interesting aesthetics of the turquoise and orange tones, and I had a lot of fun trying to imagine how the film would represent those colours I could see in front of me at the moment of shooting. But most of all I was struck by the ability to transform things and to see them represented in colors we are not used to.

As you mentioned, you used the multiple exposure technique for these photos. When did you start experimenting with this technique?

I started experimenting with the double exposure technique with pinhole photography. The first box I built was a cube and almost immediately I had the urge to turn it upside down to shoot. I immediately fell in love with the possibility of combining several images to create a new one. So I kept experimenting trying to create not only a new image but also a new meaning. From that moment on, I haven't stopped, trying to transport it also to the 35 mm, 120 and view camera, which has now become a recognizable feature of my personal projects.

Do you have any advice for those who would like to try their hand at this unique technique for the first time?

For those who would like to try their hand at this wonderful technique, I recommend starting by first visualizing the image in your head, and then trying to understand how to create it technically. It is important to work with very sharp and contrasted images. Finally, I advise not to give up after the first mistakes. It is not an easy technique at the beginning, but when you understand how it works, it gives a lot of satisfaction. Each time, at the moment of development, it gives you a unique emotion, because you never know what might have come out.

What camera did you use to take these photos?

I used a Canon AE1. I have had this camera since I switched from pinhole photography to film photography and it is by far the camera I use the most, although I have other more valuable ones.

Was having only 36 shots available a stimulus for you or a limitation for your creative process?

Having only 36 shots available was definitely a stimulus. Knowing that you have a limited number of possibilities to develop a project and tell a story leads you to think more about the individual shots, as well as to make a more considered selection of which elements to use to tell the story. This does not mean you need more time. I shot the film in half a day around Florence, letting my instinct and chance guide me a lot, trying to have in mind what could work and what could not, leaving no room for uncertainties. If I had doubts about a shot I would decide not to take it and wait for the moment when I felt certain.

Would you change anything if you could shoot the same roll of film again?

Absolutely not, I am very happy with the project I was able to create, as well as personally surprised. Using the double exposure technique, I am never quite sure what the result might look like and I am always prepared for disappointment. It could have gone very well or very badly. I am very happy that it turned out very well in the end.

What role does analogue photography play for you in 2024?

Analogue photography in 2024 still has a very important role, I would say fundamental, but I might be biased because that is what I am dedicated to. In general, I think it will continue to have some relevance, although it is increasingly considered an art form or a creative approach that only interests a particular niche. I appreciate analogue photography for its unique visual quality, its engaging creative process, the magic of seeing the image appear among the chemistry and the tangible look of the prints, not to mention the hours in the darkroom where time stands still! What I wish for analogue photography in 2024 is that it can once again become more accessible to everyone.

Do you have any interesting projects or collaborations planned?

Yes, together with three other photographer friends we are planning to open a Community Darkroom in Florence soon, a place entirely dedicated to analogue photography, where we will have access to an equipped darkroom. We would like to be a meeting, exchange and reference point for all analogue lovers. Among the various activities planned, there are many courses dedicated to developing and fine art printing, but also courses on alternative processes or more experimental techniques, such as pinhole photography, cyanotype, instant photography, collodion, mordancage and, of course, double exposure.

Thank you Lomography for the interview and the opportunity! I hope to collaborate with you again soon!

Follow Elisa on her Instagram profile to see all her projects and get all the updates about her Community Darkroom and courses.

written by melissaperitore on 2024-02-29 #gear #35mm #pellicolelomography #perimetro #pellicolefotografiche #36shotsabout