Back to square #1

January 13, 2017 by Phil Kneen Photography

Hasselblad; the legendary, Swedish medium format camera – every professional or serious amateur photographer has, at some point, owned one or wanted to own one, and I’m no exception. A few years ago I managed to lay my hands on a particularly fine 503cx, however, during a moment of temporary insanity I swapped it for a Canon lens, a decision I always regretted. Ever since that rather unwise transaction, about five years ago, I’ve shot various other medium formats – […]

Categories: film photography, Photography • Tags: 6x6, 80mm, black and white, camera, film photography, hasselblad, I shoot film, isle of man

Oh… Canada

August 3, 2015 by Phil Kneen Photography

As is fairly normal in my life, plans have changed – this September I was supposed to be going to France to shoot a project on the Atlantic coast, documenting migrant surfers for three months… however, I’ve changed my mind, I’m now going to Canada to finish a long-term project I’ve been working on for about four years now. This decision mainly comes down to money – last time I was in Canada I got $1.2 for my £1 Sterling, […]

Categories: film photography, Photography, photojournalism • Tags: 6x4.5cm, black and white, camera, canada, colour, Epson v700, film, film camera, film photography, fine art, fuji film, fuji GW690III, fuji instax 200, fuji pro 400H, I shoot film, isle of man, kodak, kodak portra 400, negative, personal project, phil kneen, portra 160, portrait, road trip, yellowknife

Spanish Retro

July 16, 2015 by Phil Kneen Photography

These images are an homage to my love of family run, independent, budget hotels, B&Bs, motels and guest houses. I’ve been staying in such establishments for years, for both business and pleasure. Years ago, I had a few commissions with The Times Newspaper – they’d give me £100 a day (which was a lot for a daily hotel allowance – even 15 years ago), I’d always find somewhere really cheap, never more than £30 a night, and spend the rest […]

Categories: Photography, photojournalism • Tags: 35mm, 6x9cm, Ainsa, camera, colour, film, film camera, film photography, fine art, fuji, fuji film, fuji GW690III, I shoot film, inventive, kodak, kodak portra 400, negative, Olympus mju II, personal project, phil kneen, portra 160, portrait, Pyrenees, spain, superia 400

Look into my eyes…

July 10, 2015 by Phil Kneen Photography

Categories: eyes, fashion, Photography, woman • Tags: 6x6, 6x7, black and white, camera, colour, digital, film, film camera, film photography, fuji film, fuji instax 200, fuji pro 400H, fuji X-pro1, I shoot film, isle of man, kodak, kodak portra 400, mamiya 645 pro tl, mamiya 7II, negative, nikkor 35mm 1.4, nikon D800E, Olympus mju II, Peak imaging, peel, personal project, phil kneen, portra 160, portrait, Simon Campbell, VSCO, VSCO FILM

“It’s not the camera…”

June 22, 2015 by Phil Kneen Photography

“It’s not the camera that makes the photograph, it’s the photographer” – or is it? I recently read an article in The British Journal of Photography… it was an interview with Magnum photojournalist, Raymond Depardon. The veteran French photographer – now in his early 70s – was asked, “What are your fears now?” His answer surprised me, considering he is rated as an A-lister in the world of photography… but, at the same time, I totally related to it. “As […]

Categories: model, Photography, photojournalism • Tags: 6x6, 6x7, 80mm, art, black and white, camera, colour, digital, Epson v700, film camera, film photography, fuji film, fuji GW690III, fuji instax 200, fuji pro 400H, fuji X-pro1, I shoot film, instant film, isle of man, kodak, kodak portra 400, mamiya 645 pro tl, mamiya 7II, negative, nikkor 35mm 1.4, nikon D800E, Olympus mju II, peel, personal project, phil kneen, portra 160, portrait, VSCO, VSCO FILM

The Wall

June 19, 2015 by Phil Kneen Photography

I like walls… I don’t know what else to say about that really? Walls are great for holding roofs up and putting doors and windows in, but on a more personal level, I like walls because they make great backdrops for portraits. Walls also prevent my subjects from running away in the opposite direction. Technical info – (top to bottom) – Fuji GW690III/Kodak Portra 400 Polaroid 600/IP Color 600 Pentax LX/50mm 1.2/Agfa Vista 200 Nikon D800E/35mm 1.4 Fuji GW690/Kodak Portra […]

Categories: Music, Photography • Tags: camera, colour, Epson v700, film camera, film photography, fuji film, fuji GW690III, fuji instax 200, fuji pro 400H, I shoot film, inventive, isle of man, kodak portra 400, mamiya 645 pro tl, mamiya 7II, negative, nikkor 35mm 1.4, nikon D800E, Peak imaging, personal project, phil kneen, portra 160, portrait, Simon Campbell, VSCO, VSCO FILM

Poles Apart

June 9, 2015 by Phil Kneen Photography

I believe that the genre of ‘people photography’ can be separated into three distinct categories  – neutral, negative and positive. Neutral photographs are the trivial and meaningless images we see everyday on the likes of Facebook – friends on a night out, snaps of your partner eating the meal you just prepared, selfies… these images neither give anything or take anything away, either artistically or emotionally. Next is the negative category. Here are the photographs that violate, make lives worse […]

Categories: Photography, photojournalism • Tags: 6x6, 6x7, black and white, camera, colour, film, film camera, film photography, fine art, fuji film, fuji GW690III, fuji instax 200, fuji pro 400H, I shoot film, inventive, isle of man, kodak, kodak portra 400, mamiya 7II, negative, Peak imaging, personal project, phil kneen, portra 160, portrait

Shake it like a Polaroid picture…

June 5, 2015 by Phil Kneen Photography

I sent a batch of films off to be developed in Germany about three weeks ago – they were supposed to be developed and scanned, the negatives hermetically stored and the high-resolution files emailed back to me, all within 10 working days. This has not been the case. This isn’t the kind of tardy, lacklustre performance I’d expect from our super-efficient Euro-neighbours, but then I realised that half the population of Germany are here on the Isle of Man, watching […]

Categories: Music, Photography • Tags: art, BAAD ACID, bands, camera, colour, Epson v700, film, film camera, film photography, fine art, fuji film, fuji instax, fuji instax 200, fuji instax wide, I shoot film, instant, instant film, instant gratification, isle of man, Jeff Jepson, montage, personal project, phil kneen, polaroid, The Jeff Jepson Band, VSCO, VSCO FILM

Instant Gratification #2

May 30, 2015 by Phil Kneen Photography

A new toy arrived yesterday – the Fuji Instax Wide 300. I’ve used an older incarnation of this camera over the last few years, the 210. I think the underwear in both models is basically the same, however the outer garments are quite different. Fuji have given the 300 a retro, rangefinder look, which is actually quite pleasing to the eye. I find the 300 slightly easier to use too, the mechanism to change the two focus distances is on […]

Categories: Photography • Tags: art, camera, Epson v700, film camera, film photography, fine art, fuji film, fuji instax, fuji instax 200, fuji pro 400H, I shoot film, instant film, instant gratification, isle of man, Istax 300, personal project, phil kneen, polaroid, portrait

A Trip down Memory Lane

May 28, 2015 by Phil Kneen Photography

I began my professional photography career in 1987, the job was advertised as ‘Entertainment and Nightclub Photographer’ and it stated, quite clearly, that applicants must be over the age of 21 – I was 17 at the time, but applied anyway, lied about my age and experience and got the job. The Isle of Man was a very different place in 1987 – every other building on Douglas promenade was a hotel, guesthouse or pub, and in the summer the […]

Categories: Photography • Tags: 160nc, 6x6, 6x7, 80mm, art, black and white, camera, canada, colour, digital, Epson v700, film camera, film photography, fine art, fuji film, fuji instax 200, fuji pro 400H, fuji X-pro1, I shoot film, instant film, inventive, isle of man, kodak, kodak portra 400, mamiya 7II, negative, nikkor 35mm 1.4, nikon D800E, Olympus mju II, Peak imaging, peel, personal project, phil kneen, portra 160, portrait, VSCO, VSCO FILM