Hooked on film with Giovanni Cardenas
"Film forces me to slow down and think about each shot before I release the shutter"
Tell us about yourself.
My name is Giovanni Cardenas, I'm 23 years old from Fontana, California (just an hour away from Los Angeles) and I am currently working at a warehouse pushing boxes while finishing my AA in Photojournalism.
When and how did the film journey begin for you?
My film journey began in my third semester at community college, I was then a Film major and was required to take an intro to photography class. The process of film is what got me hooked, film forces me to slow down and think about each shot before I release the shutter.
Also, I love the uncertainty of film, I always have an expectation for my images and most fall short, but there's always that one frame that exceeds my expectations.
That feeling I get after seeing what I created is an unbelievable feeling, it never gets old.
What type of film do you usually shoot and what made you choose it?
I am very inconsistent with the film I shoot, I started out in cheaper film like Fuji Superia for color and Tri-x for black and white which are both great films, but I mainly shoot HP5 and Portra 400. I love HP5 for it's grain and contrast, and Portra 400 has brilliant color and it's versatility at 400 ISO.
What camera makes you click?
The camera that makes me click is my Nikon FE2, it reminds me of my first slr, the Nikon FG-20 (I sold it and forever regret that decision). I also shoot with a Nikon L35AF on occasion, usually when I don't feel like putting in the extra effort.
Between black and white and colour film which would you choose?
I am so indecisive , I always go from one to the other, but I guess I would have to choose color simply because the world is in color and I dream to photograph Cuba, no way do I want to shoot there in black and white.
What lenses do you use?
I have a 50mm but I found that to be to tight of a crop when shooting street photography, so I stick with my 28mm on my FE2 as it gives me all the room to work with, and forces me to get closer to my subjects.
Do you make any experiments on film?
I would experiment with double exposures when I began to use color film, and I had a time where I bought different kinds of black and white film to see their characteristics first hand.
