Interview with HELENE MAJ KILDELUND, DENMARK

In film photography, I’ve never felt more alive.

Glad to have met you, Helene. Please tell us a bit about yourself and your photography.

Helene: It was actually sort of a coincidence that I fell in love with film photography. I was in the

middle of a tough break-up and I needed to focus on something completely new and unlike

things I had done in the past.

I started on a 6 months photography course, with the idea that I could learn new things

about my digital camera. I was introduced to a darkroom within the first couple of weeks

and that was instant love from the very first moment I stepped into the room. Ever since,

I’ve mostly been shooting with my grandpa’s old SLR film camera.

What type of film do you use and what camera do you use it with? Why do you prefer these?

Helene: I prefer to shoot photos with ‘Ilford ISO 400 color’ films and that’s mainly because

they present the best results if you ask me.

These are my favourite cameras for film photography:

Mamiya ZE Quartz + Tamron SP 28-80MM f/ 3.5-4.2.

Minolta AF-E

Fujifilm Instax Wide

What do you think film has that digital doesn't have?

Helene: What I like most about film photography is the fact that it forces me to be much

more deliberate and profound when I’m working.

I can easily shoot over 100 photos of the same object, if I do it digital. I’ll probably

only use one of them, but it’s different with film photography. I’ll take approximately

2-5 photos of the object and put a lot more effort into each photo.

Do you print your own photographs or are you comfortable having them printed in a lab?

Helene: I’m totally comfortable with having them printed in a lab. I would love to have the

time and facilities to print all my photos in a lab myself, but unfortunately that’s not

possible (yet!). Usually I scan the negatives and develop them in Adobe Lightroom

and then have some of them printed at the local printer’s.

What motivates you to continue making photographs with film? Have you learned anything about yourself through film photography?

Helene: I’ve never felt more alive. I always make sure to have a film camera with me

everywhere I go, because let’s face it; you’ll never know where to find the perfect

time for the perfect photo. That way, I’m always somewhat prepared if any photo

opportunity comes along. It motivates me to get out there, to do my best and to be

proud of my work.  

Are there any photographers that influenced your way of making pictures?

Helene: There have been many extremely talented photographers who have influenced me

on my journey. One of the biggest inspirations has been Luis Paredes, who is a

well-known film photographer from Mexico. He taught the photography course I was

a part of and he really turned my thoughts about photography upside-down. He

made it possible for the students to play with photography as a big format with

endless opportunities and that was really an eye-opener to me.

Do you see any value or merit shooting with film? 

Helene: For me personally, it’s basically like therapy. Working on a film can be a week-long,

sometimes a whole month-long project. And then other times I shoot 3 films in one

day. It depends on mood, inspiration and where I’m finding myself in the present

moment. But the feeling of shooting a film, processing the photos and seeing the

results, is absolutely amazing.

What do you think your future is like with film photography?


Helene: I’m pretty sure that we are going to see a lot more film photography in the future.

People are starting to see the charming and beautiful touch that only film

photography accommodates. Most smartphones are able to take pretty reliable

photos, which is definitely outmatching the digital camera. But the smartphones are

not able to come any close to what film photography provides.

- Spørger de ikke havde din fremtid bliver? xD

Any dream film photography project in mind?

Helene: I’m planning to go on a trip in Denmark this summer. I’d like to set up a tent on the

beach of Western Denmark and make a reportage of the nature’s sight and its true

beauty. That must be my next film photography project for the summer. But I’d also

like to experience more with the polaroid format and explore what actually happens

while the photos develop.

Would you like to offer some good words to those who want to try film photography for the first time? What must they learn before venturing into this format?


Helene: Be patient. Stay focused and don’t hesitate with getting to know your camera. Take

your time. It’s not like digital photography where you easily can make the changes

while shooting. You have to be patient and try out different things before you’ll get

the perfect shot. And most of all, accept that you might have a ton of overexposed

and underexposed photos in the beginning (I still do that), but that’s part of the

experience.

Check out Helene's remarkanle work on Instagram and please don't forget to follow her there.

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Be considerate. All photographs shown on this page are the sole property of Helene Maj Kildelund. She devoted her time, and worked hard making these photographs. You know very well it's wrong to copy, download, reproduce, reprint, modify, distribute, publicly display, license, transfer or sell content retrieved from this page in any way, for any public or commercial use or to any commercial source, including other websites, without prior written permission of Helene Maj Kildelund. Be good. You don’t want to go to jail, do you?

Well now, if you are a passionate film photographer and would like to be interviewed? I’d love to hear from you. Send me an email at mapamelvin@gmail.com with the subject, "Interview me", and share your story, thoughts, and work related to film photography. I’ll get back to you as soon as I receive your request for an interview.

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Cheers!

Mel