Film escapes by Jaume Montané
"Photography gives me the opportunity to create and go by myself capturing the reality around me"
Tell us about yourself.
My name is Jaume, I’m 39 years old and I live in Barcelona. I work as a director and creative in Copilotos VideoAgency, a film production company that creates video contents for fashion and luxury brands: www.copilotos.com
When and how did the film journey begin for you?
My roots are cinema and I got into photography because it was one of the subjects I studied at film School. I have always been very visual and kind of "voyeur" and I love observing what happens around me. So when I discovered photography I fell in love. Cinema is something more about team work and photography gives me the opportunity to create and go by myself capturing the reality around me.
However even if I consider photography as a different way of expression, my perception comes from my cinematographic/director point of view and my favorites photographers are filmmakers specially Japanese.
At this moment, photography is a hobby, an escape from the commercial work I do as a director. It keeps me in touch with creativity and my eye trained. A way to keep being inlove with the visual arts.
Why film? I love the process of traditional photography and how film surprises you when developed. It’s magic.
Sometimes I also shoot digital ;) Sorry guys.
What type of film do you usually shoot and what made you choose it?
I love B&W film because one of my favorite things is to capture the light and the atmosphere of the situations. My favorite B&W film is Kodak T-MAX 400 in 35mm or 120mm, I love the level of contrast and grain. With color I have no favorite film but it has to be Kodak for sure. I don't like Fuji.
What camera makes you click?
My answer would be the last I have bought ;) a Contax G1, because I am a collector. But for sure I have my favorites.
In medium format I love the Mamiya M645 and Voigtländer Perkeo I and 35mm I love to shoot with the Olympus XA2 or XA and the Contax G1. But anyway I love all kind of cameras, I enjoy a lot using all of them.
Between black and white and colour film which would you choose?
B&W because it has the essence of what I’m looking for in photography. The atmosphere. There is a book that I really love and it’s one of my last main inspirations: “In Praise of Shadows” by Junichiro Tanizaki. It’s a kind of an essay on aesthetics and a description about the different uses of light in
Japan and Eastern world.
When I was reading the book I was imagining everything in B&W. Really advisable. Inspiration in photography not always comes from what you see.
What lenses do you use?
I never shoot with more than 50mm or 80mm in medium and nothing less than 28mm but for sure my favorite focal length goes between 35mm/45mm. I like to get close to the things, having quite an open look still.