Chicks by Menna Ismail

"I would say that I never actually knew how to shoot photographs, until I started to use film. "

Tell us about yourself.

I am 22, born and raised in New York City. I am student, studying Advertising and Marketing at The Fashion Institute of Technology.

When and how did the film journey begin for you?

I used to be a digital photographer. I embarked on the journey of film this summer, when i realized how much the advanced editing tools were depreciating the art of taking a picture. To me, photography is more than just elements, it's expressive and meaningful. Changing features of a picture removes authenticity, making it loose credibility. There is a beauty in film photography, you see. It's raw, natural, unexpected and yet, there is something about it that makes it dreamlike, expressive, and artsy. Film slows me down, it allows me to express my deepest thoughts and capture emotions with every shutter click. I've been shooting photographs on and off for about four years now. I would say that I never actually knew how to shoot photographs, until I started to use film.

What type of film do you usually shoot and what made you choose it?

I shoot 35mm film, color negative mostly. I have yet to experiment using slide but, it's on the list!
I've shot with Kodak Porta, Kodak Gold, Fujifilm Pro, Ektar, and IlFord.
I don't like to limit myself, every occasion has it's roll.

What camera makes you click?

Pentax K1000 and Yashica T4

Between black and white and colour film which would you choose?

I prefer color, brings everything to life!

What lenses do you use?

50mm lenses f/2.0

You can find Menna Ismail here:
mennaismail.com
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