Spaces of Feeling: An Interview with Film Photographer @karadobsonfilm

What are the photographs that pull you back in time? For Kara (@karadobsonfilm), a self-confessed “nostalgic at heart,” it’s photographs of her hometown in Pennsylvania.

With 35 mm as her chosen film format, she leans into the quiet and unbothered moments of life, away from any and all kinds of distractions, and visually crafts spaces as forms of feeling through her images of American landscapes and the places she lived in.

Here, Kara shares more about why she continues to glimmer for the grain and the anticipation that comes with the practice of film photography.

Hi! Welcome to Lomography Magazine! Can you introduce yourself and tell us what you do?

Hi! My name is Kara and I’m currently a PhD student studying climate change effects on plant communities. In my free time, I love to get outside and hike, travel, and of course bring my camera along.

Where are you currently based and how’s the analogue photography scene there?

I’m currently based in Lansing, Michigan and the analogue scene here is great! There are some awesome local shops around that provide lots of film services, such as The Camera Shop in Lansing and CameraMall in Ann Arbor.

When were you first introduced to film photography? How many years have you been shooting on film?

When I first got interested in photography around 2012, I only shot digitally. At that time, I was really inspired by fine art photographers like Brooke Shaden and Brittney Panda. I did a lot of whimsical portrait photography back then but ended up taking a few years hiatus while I was in college. I had a Canon AE-1 Program that I bought at a yard sale sometime around 2012, but I never tested it out until 2021 after I had graduated college and had time to think about creative endeavors again. I got a roll of Fuji Superia from Walmart to test out the camera with, and once the pictures came back from the lab, I was hooked.

You shoot on 35 mm and 110 film formats. Do you favor one or the other? What purpose does each film format serve in your photography practice?

I prefer to shoot 35mm mostly due to the quality and size of the images. I also love using my Canon AE-1 as it's easy to travel (and backpack!) with, and I love the functionality of that camera.

I like to bring a 110 camera on walks as it's such a quick and easy way to capture cool shots of everyday sights.

What do you like best about film photography? What kind of moments and experiences do you enjoy photographing?

The anticipation is my favorite part about film photography. I love not knowing how a shot will turn out until days, weeks, or even months after the shot is taken. I also often forget all of the photos I shot on a roll of film, so it's always a surprise to get scans back.

You have a series of photographs that visually catalogue spaces in smaller towns and focus on quite a mix of mellow, hopeful, and inspiring feelings as found in your LomoHome albums: Around Town, Erie, Pennsylvania and Nighttime. What inspired you to document these specific moments in time on analogue film?

I am an extremely nostalgic person. A lot of my photos are centered around capturing memories for myself and documenting important things in my life. I focus a lot on places that hold meaning for me, such as my hometown and places I have lived. When taking a photo, I always aim to capture the scene in a way that will invoke meaning for me. I would describe my photography style as nostalgic glimpses of fleeting moments.

You also have a series of photographs that highlight wide open spaces and American landscapes as found in Great Smoky Mountains, Pictured Rocks, Isle Royale, Olympic Wa, Sleeping Bear Dunes Mi, and Mount Rainer Wa. You capture a lot of scenic and expansive locations, framed with a lot of negative space. What about landscape photography compels you to photograph them on film?

I initially began taking landscape film photographs to capture travel memories in a unique, more personal way. By using film, I’m able to let go and not care as much about having the “perfect image.” When I shoot digitally or take pictures on my phone, I often take multiple shots to ensure I get the best composition or lighting. However, I love that shooting film allows me to leave the final result up to chance a bit more. If the image doesn’t turn out great, oh well, but if it does, it's a pleasant surprise.

One film technique you frequent is the use of Multiple Exposures. The images you’ve shared focus on portraiture exposures matched with flora and fauna. What’s your process like when photographing in this specific way? Do you plan which images would go together beforehand or are you completely spontaneous?

For the portrait double exposures, it was somewhat planned and somewhat spontaneous. I was going on a girls trip with four of my best friends and I knew I wanted to take some portraits while we were all together, so I first shot a roll of all flower and plant pictures, occasionally taking a picture of the same flower five times so that each of us five girls could have a picture with that flower. When shooting the portraits, I used a mix of lighting and poses to have a variety of exposures in the final product.

What are you looking forward to photographing this summer on film?

I really want to get more experimental with my photography this summer. I’m trying out new techniques such as landscape double exposures, using fun films like LomoChrome Purple, and maybe trying out some film soups!

Thank you to @karadobsonfilm for sharing her film journey with us! See more of her analogue photographs over at her LomoHome.

written by macasaett on 2024-09-22 #people #interview #nostalgia #hometown #landscapes #35-mm