Anthony Christie

Travel provides rich subject matter for Anthony’s Christie’s photography and gives him inspiration that feeds back into his creative work and other aspects of his life. Using rolls of film with only 10 exposures forces him to focus more intensely on his surroundings and feel more deeply in the moment when he shoots film.

When and why did you start shooting pictures?
I first started taking pictures back in 2005 after I bought my first digital camera to use while traveling around Europe. I found that capturing the everyday moments of a big group of 17 and 18 year old guys on the road, visiting new and exciting destinations to be a really enjoyable and rewarding time. But it wasn’t until the summer of 2010, after living and travelling through Canada and the US, that I started to take it more seriously. I decided I wanted to get a film camera and really learn the basics of photography.

What is it you love about film photography?
I like the look and warm feeling that film gives off, which I find is hard to replicate digitally, especially with the combination of the camera and lens I use. I also enjoy the way film makes you shoot as a photographer. It’s hands on and was largely trial and error when I first began. But the learning process helped me to understand the basics of photography and forced me to slow down and compose properly. My Mamiya 7 with one roll of 120 film only has 10 exposures so you have to make every frame count. I also find that I am more present in that moment while taking a photo with film, rather then constantly checking a screen to see if I got the right shot. All round, it’s an enjoyable and fulfilling process which is why I continue to shoot film.

What are you passionate about – interests hobbies outside of photography – an how does this inform the images you take?
Aside from photography, traveling is another passion of mine. I’ve recently moved to from Australia to London and spent three months traveling through the USA, Canada and Europe with my brother before arriving in the UK. Travel really inspires me and drives me venture to new parts of the world that I haven’t seen with my camera, which complements my style of photography. One week I was capturing the rich red colours of Monument Valley in the Utah desert and the next I was in Iceland photographing a glacier. I’m already planning plenty of trips over the next year to places I haven’t seen yet.

Who or what inspires your work? Any other photographers?
My work is mostly inspired by my surroundings. I get motivated to shoot by any number of things including interesting contrasts of light and shadow, architecture, landscapes or just someone walking down the street. I now tend to focus more on specific themes that interest me, then create series of images from these, which I find extremely rewarding.

Jonathan Canlas is one photographer who really inspired and helped me to understand film when I first started. He explained his method of shooting film in simple terms that I could understand and this helped me develop my own style. Derek Henderson is another highly inspirational person. He is a commercial photographer from New Zealand who uses professional digital camera and lighting gear most of the time but in his spare time takes some amazing large format pictures in natural light.

What do you do for a living and how does photography fit into your life?
I’m a graphic designer and have previously working in photography so my personal photography fits into my life quite easily. I find it to be a great artistic release when I’m not working and also a source of inspiration which can cross over into graphic design work or other parts of my life.

How do you share your work? Zines, books, exhibitions, blog etc? And what’s the editing process like for you? Are you trying to tell stories with your images? What are those stories?
I mostly share my work on my website or via social media. I enjoy posting my photos and interacting with fellow film photographers and seeing what they are producing. I’m now looking towards doing more prints or a small zine to share my series-based work. There is nothing better then holding and enjoying your photos in a physical form.

The editing process for me is really simple. For the past two years, I have been sending my film to the fantastic guys at Richard Photo Lab in Los Angeles. I have a profile set up with them for the look I want and they do all the hard work (develop, scan, adjustments). Once I get my images back, I may quickly take the photos into photoshop to make any slight adjustments if necessary but that is it really. It makes it easier for me to concentrate on taking photos and telling a story rather then spending long periods of time editing on a computer. The stories I portray through my images totally depend on the subject matter. It could be a beautiful location or someone holding their dearest possession.

Are your photos staged/posed or documentary? Can you describe why you choose to shoot in this way?
With every photo taken, I attempt to capture my subject matter in a natural setting, using the available light present. The majority of my photos are not posed, except for some portraits but even then I keep it simple and natural as possible. I choose to shoot this way as I feel it best reflects the stories I am telling through my photography and they way I see the world.

If you had to take one photo that summed up your view on life, what would it capture?
If I had to take one photo that would sum up my view on life, it would be a portrait of my family or close friends. It’s the relationships that you have and make throughout your life that makes it truly special.

To see more of Anthony’s work check out his website.

Are you a film photography fan? To be considered for a slot on the Huck site, send a folio of 10 analogue images to hello@tcolondon.com using the subject line MY LIFE IN ANALOGUE.

Submissions made before December 20, 2013, will be entered into a competition to win a Lomography camera. See competition for further details.