Photography, the memory of a feeling. By Marcus Åberg

"Certain colours correspond to certain feelings, places, people, seasons or objects"

Tell us about yourself.

I’m Marcus. I live in the Stockholm region of Sweden, and I’m just another middle class drifter.

When and how did the film journey begin for you?

I would say it began in 2011, when inspired by all the interesting film photography I had encountered online, I decided I wanted to journey down that path myself and see where it might lead me and what it might yield. At first I used an Olympus Trip 35, but soon got a Minolta SRT-series SLR, and ever since I’ve been journeying down that path.

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

I’m generally restless when it comes to such things, so I tend to shoot different films just for variations sake. I usually keep a small stock at hand and load whatever feels right in the moment, when it’s time to begin a new roll.

What camera makes you click?

I have a handful of different cameras I use, but if I had to choose only one it would be my Minolta XD. This camera has been with me in places and times that have given it a special significance none of my other cameras have.

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

While I enjoy the look of black and white film and the experiences I’ve had with developing and printing it, I use all colour as it stands. While I don’t reject ever using black and white in the future, I tend to think in terms of colour even when not in the process of photography. Certain colours correspond to certain feelings, places, people, seasons or objects, and they mingle and merge constantly, while always having an identity. Perhaps a colour I recognize from a dream will appear in a photo. Then a circle is completed, even if it’s only inside of me, that imbues a work with certain connotations, essential because they are my own, and thus part of my expression.

What lenses do you use?

I use 50mm lenses for all my cameras, and have seldom felt the need for anything else. If it’s somehow physically impossible for me to “get the shot”, then that’s the way it is. More often than that happens one usually has several options to consider when creating a photo.

Do you make any experiments on film?

I can’t say I do. I’ve only used expired films, but have seldom seen any radical difference from fresh stock.

But I have to say that whether it’s cameras or lenses of types of film, these are all secondary. These are the tools of the craft, just like the paintbrush or the chisel. They are meant to aid the artist in expressing a subjective vision, but they are still only mere tools. The creative person will ultimately express themselves regardless of them having certain tools or not.

So it’s not about the tools. It’s not even about creating keepsakes, or about nostalgia. It is something wholly subjective. It’s the intangible remaining intangible, remaining dynamic.
Photography is the memory of a feeling.

You can find Marcus Åberg here:
Flickr