The Exceptions

March 10, 2019 by Phil Kneen Photography

“You shouldn’t focus on why you can’t do something, which is what most people do. You should focus on why perhaps you can, and be one of the exceptions.” – Steve Case, Co-founder of AOL I’m experiencing problems with my inner ears at the moment, which explains the extreme seasickness I’ve been encountering. So, until it’s sorted out, I’m concentrating on a land-based project to document people who live in less than conventional homes, such as caravans, van conversions, boats, […]

Categories: film photography, photojournalism • Tags: analog, analogue, black and white photography, Ilford hp5 400, pentax 67, vanlife

Push it real good…

February 12, 2019 by Phil Kneen Photography

I think a few people read my last article and assumed I was ditching film photography to pursue a digital path, but I can assure you this is not the case. If anything, I feel more invested in the analogue medium since using digital again – I don’t want the sterile detail of a 30-megapixel RAW file, I want film, with all of its inherent imperfections…I just expect those imperfections to be perfect. When I read this excellent Johnny Patience article […]

Categories: film photography • Tags: 35mm, black and white, bronica, Ilford HP5, johnny patience, pentax

Dilemma

February 7, 2019 by Phil Kneen Photography

Over the last few weeks, I’ve been reviewing my ongoing fishing boat based project and I’ve concluded that it isn’t going the way I want. I’m not unhappy with the images I’ve made, so far, I just feel that the photos aren’t connecting with people or conveying the story I have in my head. There are a few reasons for this, and if I’m honest, most of the issues I have are down to me. From the start, I got […]

Categories: film photography, photojournalism • Tags: photojournalism, trawlermen

Six by Six

January 17, 2019 by Phil Kneen Photography

All the images here were made using a Bronica SQa and 50mm 3.5 lens. Film stock is Ilford HP5 400 pushed to 800. I made the mistake of putting 4 rolls of film through an untested camera, I got the negatives and realised that the rollers on the film back were jammed and dirty, which has scratched the emulsion quite badly. I’ve given the camera a good clean, so hopefully this has sorted the issue.

Categories: film photography, Photography • Tags: 6x6cm, analogue, bronica, bronica sqa, Ilford hp5 400, medium format, square

That was 2018…

December 29, 2018 by Phil Kneen Photography

At the end of last year, one of my goals was to be less erratic and casual with the things I chose to photograph, to avoid flitting from one subject to another with no real consistency. I think, to a point, that I managed it – quality over quantity. The career highlights of 2018 were my white squatter camp project, ‘Plakkerskamp’, and a two-week autumn trip out into the North Atlantic on a fishing trawler – both projects took me […]

Categories: film photography, photojournalism, woman • Tags: 35mm, analog, analogue, black and white, colour, film photography, kodak portra 400, Olympus mju II, pentax 67, portrait, review 2018, trawler life, trawlermen, women

The womb

December 10, 2018 by Phil Kneen Photography

Once my sea sickness had disappeared, I found sleeping on a fishing boat to be very comfortable. A little bit too comfortable, in fact… ‘Tuesday 13th November 58°57.195N/6°59.510W Course – 228° Moderate-rough Rain 09:00 – The battery on my phone died – It’s taken me nearly half an hour to figure out whether it’s Monday, or still Tuesday… I’m not sure if it’s an advantage or a disadvantage, I suppose it depends on how you look at it? But sleeping […]

Categories: film photography, photojournalism • Tags: 35mm, analog, analogue, film, fishing boat, trawler, trawlermen

Go West…

November 16, 2018 by Phil Kneen Photography

I’ve just returned from a two week trip with the Inverness  registered fishing boat, Reul na Mara. Most of the fortnight was spent in the North Atlantic, off the NW of the Outer Hebrides. I’ll be publishing photos as they are developed and scanned, and sharing diary entries of this, the first of a few trips in the project, over the next few months. I haven’t done a technical type article for a while, so I thought it would be […]

Categories: film photography, photojournalism • Tags: 35mm, analog, analogue, nikon f100, scotland, trawlermen

Ballagroove

October 26, 2018 by Phil Kneen Photography

Gypo, sound engineer and owner of the Ballagroove Recording Studio, was uncharacteristically late, so we stood out in the rain and waited (I don’t know why we stood outside when we could have stayed in our dry cars?). I’d contacted Gypo the previous evening to confirm, he replied to say he was on the side of a hill, ‘slightly tipsy’, we assumed he’d been ‘slightly more than tipsy’ the night before and was still asleep. Or worse. He had, in […]

Categories: film photography, photojournalism • Tags: analog, analogue, Ballagroove, Biskee Brisht, black and white, Ilford HP5, Matt Creer, music, nikon f100

Aloe Vera

October 12, 2018 by Phil Kneen Photography

All images made using a Polaroid SX-70 Polasonic (autofocus) and Polaroid Originals film.

Categories: film photography, Photography • Tags: instant film, polaroid, sx-70

VM

October 8, 2018 by Phil Kneen Photography

Images from a recent shoot for Veronika Mikan Nightwear. All the photographs were made using the same camera, lens and film combination with natural daylight – Pentax 67, 105mm and Fuji Pro 400H film. 400H is a very versatile emulsion and various looks can be achieved by deliberately over or underexposing it. I rate the film at 250 ISO and work around that. Overexposure gives a very ‘clean’ fresh look, whereas underexposing creates a distinct magenta cast in the shadows. […]

Categories: fashion, film photography • Tags: fuji 400H, pentax 67