Serena Salerno: Chase away anxieties!

"I began to experience something using 35mm film and then I passed to 120mm film. Since then I fell in love."

Tell us about yourself.

I’m 24 years old, I’m from Torre Annunziata, a province of Naples. I studied fashion photography in Naples and now I do different jobs but my dream is to work full time as a photographer.
Serena Salerno

When and how did the film journey begin for you?

I approached photography with a digital SLR, but I felt there was always something missing, I did not feel satisfied, I started to get closer to analog with my father's old analog cameras. I began to experience something using 35mm film and then I passed to 120mm film. Since then I fell in love.
Serena Salerno

What Could we always find in your gear bag?

In my gear bag you can find my cameras, a prism and my films. I'm really simple.
Serena Salerno

What camera makes you click?

When shooting on 120mm I use a Zenza Bronica ETRS for black and white and a Seagull TLR for color, for 35mm I use a Zenit 12XL and I take snapshots with a Fujifilm Instax 210.
Serena Salerno

Who are your models? How do you interact with them before shooting?

My models are common girls, I see in them a particular beauty , most of the time i see them on facebook and I ask them if they want to be my models for a day. I don't do anything special before shooting, I talk to them like I was their friend and so we known each other. I try to take everything in the most natural way possible, I don't want them to feel uncomfortable and afraid of the camera. I try to give precedence to peace and chase away all anxieties.

What inspires you most?

What inspires me most is the special beauty, the defect that makes it unique, the detail that you can't see.

Do you have any advice for film photographers out there?

The simplest advice: experiment. Don't be afraid to make mistakes because it is precisely the mistake that teaches us more.

Do you think you will still be shooting film in 20 years?

Absolutely, the film will never die and I can never live without it.

Serena Salerno