Dreamy world on film, by Fabio Sabatini
"I love the surreal touch that brutally blurred background give to portraits and not only"
Tell us about yourself.
I'm 44, I live in Rome and I do scientific research for living. I am professor of Economics at Sapienza University of Rome and I collaborate with the Higher School of Economics in Moscow and Saint Petersburg. Here you can find my CV and other information on my activities: socialcapitalgateway
I love my academic work and to date I am not interested in making photography a source of income. Tomorrow... who knows?
Rome, Italy. Olympus OM-2n + Zuiko 50mm f/1.2 + Ilford HP5 Plus 400
When and how did the film journey begin for you?
My film journey began three years ago, when I bought a Hasselblad. Put simply, I noticed how much more beautiful, suggestive, and poetic film photos are, and I wanted to get similar results.
What type of film do you usually shoot and what made you choose it?
I shoot virtually any type of film. When I shoot portraits, I have a predilection for black and white Ilford film, especially Pan F Plus 50, Delta 400, and HP5 Plus 400. I also love Kodak Tri-X 400.
When travelling, I bring a bunch of reversal films with me, namely Fujichrome Velvia RVP 50 and Agfa Precisa CT 100, for my 35mm cameras, and several Kodak Portra 400 for my medium format cameras. I was a passionate user of Kodak Ektachrome E100VS and Elite Chromes. It's so sad they were discontinued.
Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Olympus OM-2n + Zuiko 50mm f/1.2 + Ilford Delta 400
What camera makes you click?
I currently shoot with an Olympus OM-2n mounting a Zuiko 50mm f/1.2, an Asahi Pentax Spotmatic SPII mounting a Zenit Helios 85mm f/1.5, a Hasselblad 501cm and a Rolleiflex 2.8 K7 C, both mounting a Planar 80mm f/2.8.
Between black and white and colour film which would you choose?
I usually prefer black and white for portraits and indoor photography and colour for outdoor shootings. But the film I shoot ultimately depends on my state of mind.
What lenses do you use?
I always use fast lenses and I always use them at their maximum aperture, no matter what. I love the surreal touch that brutally blurred background give to portraits and not only to portraits.
Maybe this is because most of the time I don't like reality and I prefer building an idealized, dreamy and surreal representation of it.
Sometimes I shoot portraits to depict my states of mind, so I ask models to interpret my feelings through their body language.
Poses in this jours tristes series, for example, faithfully represent one of my most frequent states of mind: les-jours-tristes
The best model in my photos is my wife Alessandra, who knows what I'm thinking in the very moment it comes across my mind. Shooting with her is the most lovely and amazing side of my photographic journey: Alessandra (beware, there are a few, old, digital photos inside this set).
She's my wife Alessandra, portraited a few days after we discovered we were waiting for our daughter
Mia. It was taken on Kodak Portra 400 with Olympus OM-2n and Zuiko 50mm f/1.2
Rome, Italy. Olympus OM-2n + Zuiko 50mm f/1.2 + Ilford Delta 400
Hanoi, Vietnam. Olympus Om-2n + Zuiko 50mm f/1.2 + Fujichrome Velvia rvp 50
Siem Reap, Cambodia. Olympus OM-2n + Zuiko 50mm f/1.2 + Fujichrome Velvia rvp 50
Rome, Italy. Hasselblad 501cm + Carl Zeiss Planar 80mm f/2.8 + Ilford Delta 400
Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Olympus OM-2n + Zuiko 50mm f/1.2 + Ilford Delta 400
Bangkok, Thailand. Hasselblad 501cm + Planar 80mm f/2.8 + Kodak Portra 400
You can find Fabio Sabatini here:
fabiosabatiniphotography
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