Joey Breeding is a Film Club Member and recently tagged us in a photo of his on Instagram. The photo caught our attention so we decided to reach out to him. Scroll down to read the interview and see some of the photos he has taken.
PL: What got you interested in film photography?
JB: We always had a lot of photo albums in the house when I was a kid. My mom documented just about everything and got me that one slim Kodak camera that everyone had in the 90s. About 7 or 8 years ago it became more of a hobby of mine when I picked up what I’ll call my first “serious” camera which was an Olympus XA2 and have been taking pictures fairly regularly since then. I like tangible things and the reward that comes with a photo turning out the way you hoped. Capturing and preserving moments in time is important to me.
PL: What type of camera do you shoot with, and what kind of film do you usually use?
JB: I still use the XA2 which will probably always be my favorite, but my main camera right now is an Olympus Stylus Epic Zoom 170. I like point & shoots a lot so I try to keep one with me most of the time, but occasionally I’ll use a Pentax K1000. I’ve experimented with many types of film with varying degrees of success, but I typically shoot with Kodak Ultramax 400 or Ilford HP5 because I keep more of those around.
PL: Several of your photos are of a car or truck. What draws you to this type of subject?
JB: Vehicles can have a lot of personality. I went to a lot of car shows with my dad as a kid, though I’m still not really a car person at all. I just really appreciate ones that are distinct or imperfect in some way. Flat tires, cool paint jobs, neglect, rust, being hidden under a tarp. Plus, they’re a great subject because they can stay perfectly still.
PL: Some of your photos are of people. These photos also have a great deal of action in them as well. What do you enjoy about capturing people? What is challenging about it?
JB: I like taking candid photos of people. I wish I could say this is entirely on purpose, but I actually struggle with asking people for their photo! Two of my favorite things to shoot are pro wrestling and the Mummers parade. Both can be polarizing in their own ways, but undeniably have a lot of characters and things happening all at once. The unpredictability of people in these situations can be challenging. It takes a little bit of calculating what’s going to happen next and a little bit of luck.
PL: Alternatively, there are also many photos within this collection of photos that are still and calm scenes. How would you describe your style of photography? What do you look for when you are out photographing?
JB: Most of my photos are of still moments with traces of life. I’m drawn to things that are being consumed by their environment in some way. I also like pops of color and pockets of light. A lot of times when I am thinking of taking a photo, I ask myself “If I don’t take this photo right here right now, will I have another chance to see it this way again?”
PL: Out of all of these images, which photo is your favorite and why?
JB: My favorite photo I’ve ever taken is the Cadillac against the orange brick. At the time, I was coming up on being featured in a photo show and was walking around my old South Philly neighborhood seeing if I could finish out the last few shots in a roll so I could get some things printed. Around this time I had read a quote by William Eggleston that stuck with me saying, “I only ever take one picture of one thing. Literally. Never two. So then that picture is taken and then the next one is waiting somewhere else.” Ever since, that has been my approach and I did it with this photo. When I got it back, everything about it felt right - the contrast of colors, the lighting, the car vanishing into the shadows. I got a print of it right away and featured it in the show. I still look at it like “I took this???” haha. I’m very proud of it.
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