Last Updated on 02/21/2018 by Mark Beckenbach
All images by Victoria Nazarova. Used with Creative Commons permission.
Film is very much alive, and in fact remains the photographic medium of choice for many portrait projects. Nothing compares to the mood, look, and image quality of film for this purpose, especially in black and white, and when exposed correctly. If you’re not convinced, we think the portrait portfolio of Russian photographer Victoria Nazarova will drive the point home.
But first, allow us to make a case for film photographers. We’ve been getting a lot of buzz about analogue in the last few years; the cry for more films and film cameras getting stronger and stronger. There are short documentaries exploring why it’s still alive. There are new books being published to guide today’s generation of analog photographers. Then, there’s the case that film photography matters because black and white still matters.
Sure, the ratio of film photographers to digital photographers will probably not level anytime soon. Still, there are certainly more and more younger photographers who are discovering this alternate medium and are doing great using it for their personal projects.
Case in point is this impressive collection of portraits that Saint Petersburg-based Victoria has amassed, over a period of two years. She used some equally impressive cameras and iconic emulsions to take these as well: Rolleiflex Xenotar 2.8 and Pentax 67 loaded with Kodak Tri-X 400 (and a stray Kodak Portra 400 shot).
Going back to the argument mentioned earlier, her black and white portraits are especially stunning. The contrast is really great all throughout the collection. The blacks are black and there’s a great tonal range that brings out the grays and whites to create a great mood in each photo. The set is also brimming with the timeless look that only film can create. If you’re fond of shooting in black and white and haven’t given monochrome films a try, it’s not yet too late to get started!
Do check out Victoria Nazarova’s website and Behance portfolio to see more of her beautiful film photography.