Landscapes, Architecture and Film Photography with @virgile76

Architect and new Lomography community member Virgile (@virgile76) designs homes for a living, crafting spaces where life can be lived to the fullest and where ecosystems can thrive harmoniously. Extending this approach to his film photography practice, his visual eye and the camera act as an extension of his multidisciplinary perspective — with him opting to focus on the timeless nature of photographing life in black and white on 35 mm and 120 film formats.

Speaking on his early beginnings in analogue film, his reasons for moving out of the city and into the countryside, and creating a routine that caters to his passions in film and architecture, Virgile gives us a glimpse into how these parts of himself intertwine and hold meaning in his creative life.

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

My name is Virgile Roger, I'm an Architect Designer and I set up the MAC-Architecture agency ten years ago. I divide my time between my passion for architecture and my passion for film photography.

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

I've been living in Barbizon for about ten years, next to the Fontainebleau forest, about fifty kilometers from Paris. Three years ago I also moved the agency from Paris to Barbizon on the edge of the forest. It's the perfect place to shoot film, with the magnificent forest and the slower pace of time.

When were you first introduced to film photography?

I discovered film photography while studying architecture in 1998. We had a big film laboratory in the basement, which was a bit of a mysterious cellar, and an incredible photography teacher who taught me everything I knew. I remember the first time I made a print and the image appeared on the paper in the bath, it was like magic and a revelation. Since then I've always practiced film photography. I remember that what intrigued me at first was the relationship between light and the chemistry of silver salts

What film cameras do you currently own? Which of the film formats do you enjoy engaging with the most?

I photograph with all types of camera, from 135 to 4x5 and 6x7. Today I have a Leica M7, an Alpa 9D, a Nikon 35ti, a Plaubel Makina 67, an Ebony RW45, and a Linhof Master Technika 4x5.

I use different cameras depending on my mood and the projects I'm working on. I really like free-standing photography; the relationship with time. This summer I went to Swedish Lapland for a 110km trek with a Plauble Makina 67 for black and white and a Nikon 35ti for color. But last year I did a hike with a 4x5 camera and a 120 back. I suffered quite a bit from the weight but it was beautiful.

When did you first learn about Lomography?

I discovered Lomography in September 2024 while surfing the internet. I started by looking at photos and getting interested in some photographers' accounts. So I decided to create an account too, so that I could share my photos and enjoy new ones every day.

As someone who was based in Paris for quite a while – a city full of life and color – what prompted you to mainly photograph in Black and White film?

I lived in Paris for almost 20 years and then moved because I felt the need for a calmer, more open environment with nature. I love trees and the great outdoors and I can go walking in the woods every weekend and take photos.

I also do color photography, but I feel I have more control in black and white, there's less information to take into account than in color, I know more how to treat the subject.

An album that stood out to me was the KUNSLEDEN SWEDEN 110km analogue album. Can you walk us through the photographs you captured during that time? Why were they memorable to you and why did you choose to capture them on 120 film?

I do a big hike every summer, and this year we set off to do part of the Kunsleden hike in Sweden, between Abisko and Nikkaluokta over a distance of 110km. As I knew the scenery was going to be fabulous, I wanted to at least take some medium-format photos for the quality of the shots. So I took the Plaubel Makina 67 and a second small 135 for color.

Do you have a favorite photo from that album?

It's difficult for me to choose a photo, because each one reminds me of an incredible moment, whether in terms of the landscape, the light, the shot, or because I was with my children and my wife.

I think that if I had to choose one (in spite of myself) it would be the photo with the mountain in the mist revealing just the summit. It was almost at the end of the hike and as I turned around I saw the mountain we'd just come from disappearing slowly into the mist, as if to say goodbye.

What do you like best about film photography?

What I love most about film photography is the way it relates to time. The fact that in 200 years time, someone who doesn't know me will find my negatives and make prints with them. That makes me happy.

What kind of moments and experiences do you enjoy photographing?

My favorite moments are when my camera is on a stand, I'm in the middle of nothing with no noise and I take the time to admire, frame, and press the shutter release.

How would you describe your photographic style?

My style is rather graphic, and I'm very attracted to landscapes, although I do like to take portraits from time to time.

How has your perspective on film photography changed since you first started?

It hasn't changed. Right from the start I was fascinated by photographers like Ansel Admas or later Lee Friedlander and now Jacob Aue Sobol. I've only photographed in film and I'll always photograph in film, because I like the immediacy of it. I prefer to take my own photos and have the downtime of developing and printing to discover new things.

Anyone you’d like to give a shoutout to who has been invaluable in your film photography journey?

All the photographers I've admired since the beginning, but the article would be too long to mention them all. There are many photographers I'd love to meet and thank like Raymond Depardon, Jacob Aue Sobol, Pentti Sammallahti, Michael Kenna, Yukichi Watabe, but above all I'd like to thank the two people and photographers who taught me everything; Bertrand Miniou and Wojtek Korsak.

Thank you to @virgile76 for sharing his film journey with us! See more of his analogue photographs over at his LomoHome.

Looking to join a global community of creatives and artists who all share a love for film? Join Lomography and create your own LomoHome here.

written by macasaett on 2024-11-06 #people #black-and-white #120 #landscapes #france #35-mm