Ermanno Fissore - Sprocket Rocket Scans with the DigitaLIZA Max
Photographer Ermanno Fissore likes to capture action shots of BMX biking and other sports. He mostly uses film and also enjoys shooting with panoramic film cameras, so we thought he might enjoy testing out the Sprocket Rocket 35 mm camera. He also scanned the results using our DigitaLIZA Max for a fully analogue experience. In this interview he talks to us about the results and offers some valuable tips for others scanning their own negatives for the first time.
Hello Ermanno, please tell us a bit about yourself and your photography style.
I started photography during university and initially I was exploring a lot with the Diana Mini and Lomography Fisheye 1, focusing a lot on architecture and double exposures. Then I started documenting my hobbies such as longboard, skateboarding, BMX and cycling. That's where I’m focusing my main attention and work. I quite like to capture action sport and engaging between the rider/athlete and the tool (skate or bike) and the entire subculture around it that make these disciplines very interesting and different from more traditional sports. I do shoot predominantly black and white and in the last two years also started to enjoy developing and scanning film at home.
What did you choose to shoot using the Sprocket Rocket and how did you find the experience?
Panoramic format has something very unique and interesting. For skate and BMX it's very nice as you can frame the start, mid and landing position of the athlete very well and always give a cinematic look to the picture.
The Sprocket Rocket is super light and very easy to use, and that makes it easy to carry around and use it in various scenarios, also the lens is quite wide-angle making it good also for shooting while riding.
All these shots are scanned using the DigitaLIZA Max. What made you want to scan your own film and how do you find using this scanner for your panoramic negatives?
Scanning film was a direct next step after starting to develop film at home. I used to use a flatbed scanner ages ago, then after moving to the UK I didn’t bring it with me and decided to test camera scanning. It is actually much more simple and faster than the system I used in the past. The DigitaLIZA is very simple to setup and to use. With only a few setups, you can’t really go wrong with it. Personal tip – secure the base with some washy tape and you are ready to go with a very stable setup.
What tips would you give for anyone wanting to scan their negatives themselves?
Well, a tripod is definitely a must. If you can get one where you are able to set a vertical stem to place the camera (like one of those for still life photography), that would be perfect, otherwise a standard one will do the job well. A macro lens is another important part of the scanning setup. 55, 105 or 135 macro with 1:1 reproduction would be awesome, so you will be able to fill the back screen of your camera with the full negative size and not lose resolution. An additional step up ring for macro magnification might help as well in some cases. My last tip – to avoid having the DigitaLIZA moving a bit while advancing the film, just secure it with some washy tape (any tape will works, but washy tape will not leave glue residue) and you are ready to go.
If you'd like to see more of Ermanno's work check out his Instagram page.
