Nikonos III test roll

March 22, 2018 by Phil Kneen Photography

As far as cameras go, the Nikonos III underwater setup is pretty much as basic and elementary as it gets – five shutter speeds (1/30, 1/60, 1/125, 1/250, 1/500 and B) on the body – apart from the winding mechanism, there are no more moving parts. Depending on which of the six lenses you choose, seven apertures are available (on the 35mm l use – f2.5, 4, 5.6, 8, 11, 16, 22). There’s nothing automatic on this camera, not exposure […]

Categories: film photography, Photography, photojournalism • Tags: film camera, film photography, I shoot film, isle of man, kodak, negative, Nikonos III, personal project, portrait, scallops, ultramax 400, underwater

Keep the Faith

February 9, 2018 by Phil Kneen Photography

I’ve been somewhat disillusioned with film photography, of late. It happens once every couple of years, this questioning of my faith in analogue. Sometimes it’s as shallow as finding out that yet another photographer, whose work I admire, has jumped onto the digital ship and sailed away. But most of the time, it’s down to one uncomplicated factor. Money. Every roll of film I shoot, whether 35mm or medium format, costs about £15 – £5 for the film and £10 […]

Categories: film photography, photojournalism • Tags: 6x7, film camera, film photography, fishing, I shoot film, isle of man, kodak, kodak portra 800, negative, pentax 67, portra 160, scallops

That was 2017

December 27, 2017 by Phil Kneen Photography

Another year, nearly over, so while I’m sat here nursing a hangover, I’ll post my yearly review. As usual, these are a selection of my personal favourites. I’ve unquestionably shot a lot less this year, but that’s been a deliberate attempt at quality over quantity. For the first time, all the photographs in my final lineup were shot on film. I never make New Year resolutions; whenever I notice my stomach expanding, I find it easier to do do something […]

Categories: film photography, Photography • Tags: black and white, colour, film, film camera, fuji film, I shoot film, isle of man, kodak, negative, personal project, phil kneen, portrait

Embrace the Shadows

October 14, 2017 by Phil Kneen Photography

They’re everywhere – peachy coloured, backlit portraits of redheads and brides, shot on Kodak Portra 400, over-exposed by 5 stops and metered for the shadows. These images have become, in analogue photography, what HDR is to digital… I don’t even know the word? What’s so hackneyed and worn-out that it goes beyond cliché? This method of shooting colour negative film has become so prevalent that it now seems to be the default, photographers ‘shooting at box speed’ has become the minority. […]

Categories: film photography • Tags: 6x7, analogue, colour, film, film camera, film photography, fuji pro 400H, I shoot film, isle of man, kodak portra 400, negative, pentax 67, personal project, portrait

Two and a quarter square.

February 13, 2017 by Phil Kneen Photography

I have to confess; I came close to selling my Hasselblad last week. I got another batch of films back, and there were a lot of disappointingly mediocre shots, in my opinion. But then I looked again – I think to go from years of shooting in the rectangular ratio back to square has confused my compositional mind, and I’m just not used to seeing my images that way. So I’m going to persevere – I’ve set myself a challenge; […]

Categories: film photography, Photography • Tags: 501cm, film camera, hasselblad, I shoot film, isle of man, kodak, kodak portra 400, negative, personal project, portrait, square

Just make it up.

January 25, 2017 by Phil Kneen Photography

My two primary fields as a photographer are portraiture and photojournalism; a lot of my images are straight, natural, environmental portraits, such as those I shot in the migrant camps of northern France and for my project last year in Spain. Other times I get an idea into my head as to how I’d like someone to look or a situation I’d like a person to inhabit. However, that person or place may not be available, or even exist. For […]

Categories: film photography, photojournalism • Tags: film camera, film photography, fine art, fuji film, fuji superia 400, makeup, negative, nikkor 35mm 1.4, Olympus mju II, personal project, portrait

The things I saw #6

October 28, 2015 by Phil Kneen Photography

More random visual meanderings and scribbles with the pen and the camera. All images made using an Olympus MjuII 35mm compact and Kodak Portra 160 film. Today I’ve realised that I get as anxious about my equipment as I do every other aspect of my life… I love the Olympus MjuII… I’m actually starting to wonder if I should just shoot everything, all my projects, using this one camera? I have two of these little compacts now – one I […]

Categories: film photography, Photography, photojournalism, travel • Tags: 35mm, 35mm film, compact, film, film camera, film photography, france, I shoot film, kodak portra 160, negative, Olympus mju II, passport, pentax 67, personal project, phil kneen, portrait, spain, tree

The things I saw #3

October 26, 2015 by Phil Kneen Photography

More random visual meanderings and scribbles with the pen and the camera. All images made using an Olympus MjuII 35mm compact and Kodak Portra 160 film. Film was developed and scanned at UK Film Lab. Oh, a tip for anyone driving and using the French toll roads – they don’t accept MasterCard Prepaid… ‘Saturday 17th October, somewhere between Andorra and Chamonix – I’m covered in bites – all over my legs, arms and back. I’d assumed they were mosquito bites from […]

Categories: Photography, photojournalism, travel • Tags: 35mm, camper van, film, film camera, film is not dead, film photography, fine art, fleas, I shoot film, kodak portra 160, kodak portra 400, motor home, negative, olympus mju2, personal project, phil kneen, portra 160, portrait, road trip, UK Film Lab, ukfl, vitamin c

The things I saw #1

October 24, 2015 by Phil Kneen Photography

Today is the last day of British summertime, tomorrow morning the clocks will be set an hour backward and the Isle of Man will be plunged in to six months of perpetual darkness, cold and damp… okay, it’s not quite that bad, but that’s how it always feels – goodbye, greens and blues. Hello, grey. As my good friend pointed-out a couple of days ago – “This is never a good time of year for you…”. She’s right, as usual. […]

Categories: film photography, Photography, photojournalism, travel, woman • Tags: colour, film, film photography, france, I shoot film, kodak portra 160, kodak portra 400, negative, nude, Olympus mju II, personal project, phil kneen, portrait, road, spain, UK Film Lab, ukfl

Baggage Allowance

August 10, 2015 by Phil Kneen Photography

When I was a kid my parents never used to tell me I was going on holiday… I’d just become over-excited and unbearable for the days or weeks before departure. I remember, on several occasions, getting home from infant school and being asked if I’d had a wee and a poo – then being bundled into the back of the family VW Beetle, falling asleep almost immediately and waking-up, hours later, in a campsite in Scotland or North Wales, or […]

Categories: film photography, Photography, photojournalism • Tags: 160nc, 6x6, 6x7, 80mm, art, black and white, canada, colour, Epson v700, film camera, film photography, fine art, fuji film, fuji pro 400H, Holga panoramic 6x12cm, I shoot film, isle of man, kodak portra 400, mamiya 7II, negative, personal project, phil kneen, portra 160, portrait, UK Film Lab, yellowknife