Member Moment: Rigers Qarri

Film Club
Rigers Qarri is a Film Club Member whose work is featured in our Member Show Seasonal Reflections: Fall. His images capture beautiful natural landscapes as well as the smaller details within nature. This week we interviewed Rig to learn more about his relationship with photography and share his photos with the community. 

 Photograph taken with Canon AE-1 Program camera on Kodak Portra 400 film of person on a trapeze

Photograph taken with Canon AE-1 Program camera on Cinestill 800 film of person walking next to a jetty

PL: What got you interested in film photography? 

RQ: I was visiting my hometown for the holidays, and my good friend Martin had bought himself a Pentax K2. The process made me rethink of how I saw photography, and I got my film camera as soon as I returned to the States.

Photograph taken with Canon AE-1 Program camera on Kodak Portra 400 film of foreign city street

Photograph taken with Canon AE-1 Program camera on Kodak Portra 400 film of sunset in west coast

Photograph taken with Canon AE-1 Program camera on Kodak 400TX of street

PL: What type of camera do you shoot with and what kind of film do you usually use?

RQ: My main camera is a Canon AE-1 Program, which is super versatile, easy-to-use, and would recommend to anyone thinking of starting with film photography. 

I tend to shoot in a variety of films; usually at the 200-400 ISO mark. I prefer warm midtones for color film, and fine grain for B&W. (Portra, Fomapan)

Photograph taken with Canon AE-1 Program camera on Kodak Portra 400 film of statue

Photograph taken with Canon AE-1 Program camera on Kodak Gold 200 film of flowers up close

Photograph taken with Canon AE-1 Program camera on Kodak 400TX of parking spot off of street

PL: There are a few black and white images within this collection. What are some qualities that you like about both black and white and color film? 

RQ: In my experience, B&W photography requires giving up some color composition, and focusing more on lighting, patterns, and shapes. This "limitation" often pushes me to explore new creative ways of composing a frame.

Photograph taken with Canon AE-1 Program camera on Kodak Portra 400 of spider web

Photograph taken with Canon AE-1 Program camera on Kodak Ultramax 400 film of bridge in the distance

Photograph taken with Canon AE-1 Program camera on Cinestill 400 film of Benjamin Franklin Bridge

PL: Some of your photos capture nature up close. What do you like about this type of photography? Is there anything challenging about it? 

RQ: I think macro photography is great because it allows one to, sort of, peek into another smaller world, where time runs slower. The most challenging thing, I found, is being smart in creating the negative space and bokeh effect, to really make your center subject stand out.

Photograph taken with Canon AE-1 Program camera on FujiC200 film of ocean and cloud bank

Photograph taken with Canon AE-1 Program camera on Fomapan 200 film of frozen window

Photograph taken with Canon AE-1 Program camera on Kodak Ektar 100 film of budding branches

PL: There are a variety of subjects within this collection such as natural landscapes and street scenes. When out photographing, what are some objects or elements within a scene that inspire you to take a photo? 

RQ: When out photographing, I prefer to shoot telephoto-like shots of normal perspectives, to achieve a different level of depth compared to the human eye. I apply the same principles to macro, where it doesn't matter if you're capturing a spider, or a gymnast, I always try to create depth in my photos.

Photograph taken with Canon AE-1 Program camera on Kodak Gold 200 of cloud between buildings

Photograph taken with Canon AE-1 Program camera on Cinestill 800 film of the inside of restaurant

Photograph taken with Canon AE-1 Program camera on Kodak Ektar 100 film of waterfall and frozen tree branches

PL: Out of all of these photos, which one is your favorite and why?

RQ: I'd say that I think often about the icy creek photo, I like how you can clearly see the dynamic nature of the creek alongside the ice stalactites. Playing with shutter speed is something I would like to do more in my photography, and that photo is a good reminder to do that.

Photograph taken with Canon AE-1 Program camera on Kodak Ultramax 400 film of moon in the sky

Photograph taken with Canon AE-1 Program camera on Kodak Gold 200 of person in field holding a camera

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