Film feels right for Nikola Škarec

"It just feels right shooting on film!"

Tell us about yourself.

I'm Nikola. I was born in 1998 and grew up, surrounded by nature, in a small village near Zagreb, Croatia.

What was the first thing that interested you in film photography?

I always wanted to capture the things I thought are worth keeping. Now I use photography as a way to express myself. My recent work is based on portraits, even though I would like to do more nature and minimalist schemes.

The thing that got me into film photography... Well I always loved the subtle pastel film tones. My go-to films are Fujicolor pro 400h, Kodak Portra and Delta Ilford 400. Overall I love the whole process of having full control over the way your photographs come out... It just feels right shooting on film!

How did the first roll of film come out?

The first roll came out blank, I didn't know how to unload the film, so I opened the back and overexposed everything. Funny days.

What camera makes you click?

I loved my Olympus OM-1, perfect optics in Zuiko lenses. And the camera is a real poser! My second love is Sonnar design Carl Zeiss Jena lens for my Pentacon Six. It's my new favorite gun.

What inspires you most?

My favorite season is summer because everything becomes more bright, but yet so peaceful. I love listening to the waves at sunset. It brings joy to me and I feel free. I lunge for inspiration in every piece of nature, art and music.

Do you have any film photographers or websites that you follow?

I do follow some photographers... The photographer I look up to is Neil Krug, I discovered him by accident after he did a cover for Lana Del Rey, album named Ultraviolence. He has a nostalgic, yet futuristic note to his photos, it's hard to explain his style... His narrative technique is out of this world!

Also, I like Annie Leibovitz's portraits, my favorite shot made by her is a portrait of Leonardo di Caprio holding a swan around his neck. Other photographers that I like and support are Michael Kenna, Chuck Grant, Lee Towndrow...

You can find Nikola Škarec here:
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