This week’s Member Moment features work by Film Club member Kyle Mosman, who experiments with black and white and long exposures. Scroll down to see his pictures and to read the interview!
PL: What got you interested in photography?
KM: I owe credit to two people for getting me interested:
When I was in 9th grade, there was an older guy I knew from another school. He would use his Nikon DSLR to take photos with friends, edit them in Photoshop, and then share them online. Seems run-of-the-mill today, but this was years before iPhones and Instagram became ubiquitous, so at the time this was just SO cool – I had to try it out myself. I started out with your typical around-the-house macros and eventually started to develop my own style.
In 11th grade, around the same time that I first started with film and the darkroom, I began following online yet another budding photographer from a different school. This guy was really pushing the limits of what I thought was possible with photography. He was going to the most interesting locations (by far), using a wide array of cameras, and experimenting with a ton of advanced and highly technical processes, both digitally and on film. While I never actually met him (I think we had some mutual friends), just following his feed was my inspiration to push my own boundaries, which ultimately produced better results and cemented my love for the art.
I have no idea if they still shoot – the feeds I used to follow so closely are long dormant – but I certainly owe them for getting me into photography.
PL: What type of camera do you shoot with?
I have several other cameras but I don’t use those quite as much. Honorable mentions: Yashica Mat-124G (medium format), Nikon L35AF (point and shoot)
PL: When taking pictures, what are some objects or elements or feelings within a scene that inspire you to take a photo?
KM: When I’m out and about, I like to keep my eyes open for what I call “points of interest.” A point of interest could be a factory, railroad tracks, a city overlook, or a unique building – just anything that catches my eye. I keep a running list that I slowly work through. I’ve never gotten anywhere near the end!
Distinct geometry, such as intersecting lines, parallel lines, or symmetry, is something that always jumps out at me.
I also love landscape photography and the great outdoors. I shoot a lot of that too, especially when traveling. Occasionally when I’m with close friends I bust out my point-and-shoot for candids.
PL: Of the pictures you submitted, can you share an interesting story about one?
KM: In the pre-dawn hours of Christmas 2024 I posted up with my camera in the parking lot of the Philly IKEA. Across the thoroughfare sat the ominous figure of retired ocean liner SS United States. A barbed wire fence and roving security patrol put any closer inspection out of the question, but luckily I brought along my telephoto lens for some closeup shots of this nautical behemoth. In the resulting photo, I love looking at the mooring lines, the imposing bridge, and the way the light is scattered across the massive, chipped-paint hull. I wanted to go back again for another round of photos, but unfortunately let time slip away: A few weeks later, I watched from my office building as she was towed down the Delaware River and out to sea. I rendered her a final salute and posted the above picture to my photostream with the following caption:
On February 19th 2025, the SS United States, record holder for the fastest transatlantic crossing by ship, departed Philadelphia for eternal patrol. She is being towed south and will eventually become a reef.
PL: What do you enjoy most about digital/film photography and what is challenging about it?
KM: What is challenging: It is disappointing getting a roll back and seeing that I clearly did not execute the vision or “capture the feeling” that I was going for. Maybe the photos are poorly framed, the lighting is bad, or everything just looks too far away. The challenge is that I don’t always know what went wrong other than the results are just not “it.” The solution is usually to grab another roll and try again! Mixing up the time of day (lighting) helps too.
As far as what I enjoy most – I’m a glutton for nostalgia. I like to pore over old albums and reminisce about the past. I love how film captures who we were and where we’ve been and creates these sort of ghosts of the long ago... To me it all comes down to a feeling. I first felt it 15 years ago and have been chasing it ever since.
PL: How would you like to grow this collection of photographs?
KM: I would like to expand my photos of people. I really love candid photos of people in action, but my work tends to focus on places rather than people. As just one example I’ve always wanted to do a series on skateboarding. I personally do not skate but would love to take photos of people who do.
Beyond that I want to get back in the darkroom. A lot of my best work has come from processing silver gelatin prints.
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