Interview with TIEN SHENG HUANG, TAIWAN

I see pleasure in the beauty of film photography.

Welcome, Ten! Tell us a bit about your background and how you got into film photography?

Ten: My name is Ten and I’m from Taiwan. I work in a retail camera shop in Tokyo, Japan.

Taking pictures is one of my favorite hobbies. When I came to Japan as a student 9 years ago, I didn’t have much money to buy a full frame DSLR. So instead, I bought my first camera, a Canon FTB with FD 28mm F3.5, from a flea market near my school.

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

Ten: I love to try out all kind of films, and learn how they "behave". But Agfa APX 100 is my favorite 135mm film. I use it with my Leica M3 with Summicron 35 V1. It is not pricey, I like the grain and the tone it produce, and it's flexible as far as process and developing are concerned.

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


Ten: It's the process. Film forces you to think creatively. It also slows you down, compelling you to think about the photo you're about to take. For me, film is simple and not tricky.

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

Ten: Yes, I do develop and print my photos in my place. Colors are the only ones I send to a lab for printing.

What motivates you to continue making photographs with film?


Ten: I saw pleasure in the beauty of film photography after attending a printing workshop..

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

Ten: The artist, Borut Peterlin, for his wet plate collodion photos.

Do you see any value shooting with film? 

Ten: Film is one of the best ways to showcase a photograph because of its flexibility in making art.

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

Ten: I’ll keep shooting with film until I die.

What’s your dream photography project?


Ten: To travel to Cuba and Paris to shoot with film as well as to have an exhibition.

Any advice for those who want to try film photography for the first time? What must they learn before venturing into this format?


Ten: Think of film photography like learning a new musical instrument. Enjoy it and have fun! It will be good to try, at least once, to print your own photo in a darkroom.

Ten was right when he said "film photography is like learning a new musical instrument". Because film photography takes time and effort, which really teaches us patience and perseverance.

Follow Ten on Instagram and Flickr.

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Be considerate. All photographs shown on this page are the sole property of Tien Sheng Huang. He devoted his time and worked hard on these photographs. You are not allowed 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 Ten Sheng Huang. 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