Luvleen Singh is an active Film Club Member within the community. You may have seen some of her work on display in our gallery. Her use of double exposure is engaging and the vibrancy of her photos make them stand out. This week we interviewed her so scroll down to see her photos and learn more about her photography style.
PL: What got you interested in film photography?
LS: I’ve always been drawn to the colors, textures, and timelessness of photos provided through film photography. One of my favorite things to do when I visit my parents’ house is to skim through old film photos and appreciate the tangibility of old, precious memories. I was given my first film camera by a friend who found it on the street in excellent condition. When I got that, I couldn’t stop shooting. I eventually took it everywhere and now I cannot leave the house without it. I relish in the feeling of delayed gratification of seeing photos taken a month or even a week ago.
PL: What type of camera do you shoot with and what kind of film do you usually use?
LS: I shoot with a Minolta Maxxum 5 and my go-to film is Kodak UltraMax. I do admire the grain and warm tones seen with expired film so I am interested in possibly trying that out soon.
PL: Can you describe your process when it comes to capturing double exposures?
LS: Honestly, not a lot of intentionality goes into taking most of the double exposures I capture. I usually see something that catches my eye, whether it be because of the color or shape, shoot it, and then double expose it with the next thing that catches my eye. I’m not a tech savvy person and don’t know how to use most photo editing software, so double exposing gives me an outlet to create more interesting and dynamic photos.
PL: What would you say is challenging about creating double exposures? What is also rewarding about it?
LS: The most challenging part of creating double exposures for me would definitely be the lack of control over which aspect of each exposure will take predominance. There are plenty of double exposures I’ve taken where the parts of both images I liked gets completely drowned out by the other. With lots of trial and error, I have gotten better at playing with the settings on my camera to have better control over what aspects will come through in a double exposure. By the same token, some of my favorite double exposures are the ones that come out super unexpectedly or completely by accident. The unpredictability of double exposure definitely fuels my excitement towards my photography.
PL: When taking pictures, what are some objects or elements or feelings within a scene that inspire you to take a photo?
LS: I have a penchant towards fun, goofy and colorful things. I love exposing something very silly over what would alone be a pretty decent, more intentional photo. Philly is quite an amazing place because of the mix of historical, elaborate buildings mixed with modern skyscrapers. Even the things that aren’t considered “good” are made perfectly poorly. I enjoy photographing the city itself, the emptiness, the crowds, the buildings, and any silliness I see along the way.
PL: Out of all of these photos, which one is your favorite and why?
LS: This is a more recent double exposure I took at Coney Island. It was a really pretty day outside which I feel is conveyed well through the colors and lighting in the photo. Summer is my favorite season and this photo screams pure nostalgic summertime fun to me.
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