Eli Zarzecki is a Film Club Member whose work caught our attention on Instagram. This week we interviewed him about a collection of photographs that he has taken over the past few years. Scroll down to read his responses and to see his images.
PL: What got you interested in film photography?
EZ: I had an introductory photography class in college that I think naturally lead me to get interested in film photography. I can’t remember the specific moment, but once I got interested into film I haven’t looked back since!
PL: What type of camera do you shoot with and what kind of film do you usually use?
EZ: Recently I’ve been using a Canon F1 that I got gifted from a friend’s family. As far as film I’m always excited to try different types of film, but Kodak Gold or Portra 400 would be my most used.
PL: When taking pictures, what are some objects or elements or feelings within a scene that inspire you to take a photo?
EZ: Outside of stumbling upon an environment with very vivid colors, I get the most inspired to take photos when I’m in nature. Whether traveling, taking a walk, or going for a hike, the peace I find in nature really drives me to bring out my camera.
PL: Many of your photos capture people. What do you enjoy about photographing people? What is challenging about it?
EZ: I love bringing a film camera to supplement client work, but what I most enjoy about photographing people is capturing a moment that they can cherish and look back on. Outside of a client setting, I always bring a film camera when my girlfriend and I travel and my rolls of film seemingly end up being more than half photos of her. I tend to capture more candid photos, and with that there still is a challenge in quickly framing and composing a moment that I’ll never be able to recreate.
PL: Several of your photos have a strong composition. When photographing, what are you thinking before you click the shutter?
EZ: With film photography I love that it gets me to slow down and really focus on the composition, rather than having the ability to take a near-unlimited amount of shots with digital photography. It’s easy to fall in that trap and ignore composition or other important aspects of photography more than you should, so for me film photography reinforces that.
PL: Out of all of these photos, which one is your favorite and why?
EZ: It’s always a challenge for me to choose, but right now this photo resonates with me the most. It’s also of my most recent rolls that I had developed, from a paddle boarding outing in Stone Harbor. When I first got my scans back, it reminded me of a painting. And it also was done with an old point and shoot camera that once belonged to my grandpa, which made it even more special.
