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

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

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

Sophie

August 4, 2018 by Phil Kneen Photography

Model – Sophie Makeup – Jessica Coole and Kimberley Berridge Clothes – Claire Christian Couture and models own Sunglasses available from – Holmes & Davidson and Claire Christian Couture Assistant and logistics – Hannah Yeowell Agent – Bev Lawley Images shot on Pentax 67 and Nikon F100. Filmstock  – Fuji Pro 400H and Kodak Portra 400

Categories: fashion, film photography, woman • Tags: analog, analogue, film photography, fuji pro 400H, pentax 67

Boston 26

April 8, 2018 by Phil Kneen Photography

The white squatters camp at Krugersdorp has grown onto the side of a much larger, blacks only township. These images were taken in the ‘transition area’ between the two settlements. Despite being there to photograph the white residents, I did take a lot of photos of the neighbouring black kids too. ‘Friday 16th March – Driving back through Pretoria I see an immaculately dressed black woman crossing the road, her obviously expensive designer clothes compliment her flawless complexion. From a […]

Categories: film photography, travel • Tags: Johannesburg, kodak portra 160, Krugersdorp, pentax 67, white squatter camps

The Latent Image

February 27, 2018 by Phil Kneen Photography

Ask any diehard black and white photographer what he, or she, like most about their craft, and they’ll usually tell you about the excitement of developing and printing their work in an old-fashioned darkroom, the smell of the chemicals and the thrill of seeing the image materialise from a blank piece of paper. Well, I’m not one of those people – I hate the smell of the chemicals, that vinegary stench makes me gag, and I’m far too impatient to […]

Categories: film photography, Photography • Tags: mono, pentax 67, the latent image

Six by Seven

February 16, 2018 by Phil Kneen Photography

All images – Pentax 67II/105mm/Kodak Portra 800 film

Categories: film photography, photojournalism • Tags: 6x7cm, pentax 67, trawlermen

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

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

Be a Cat

October 11, 2017 by Phil Kneen Photography

  “Former achievements don’t count in the least, and everything must once more be put into question. Only in this way can you keep a fresh eye in your work.” – Henri Cartier-Bresson (1908-2004) The French Grandaddy of photojournalism is of course right – he’s talking about creative evolution. Every artist has, at some point, got into a furrow of creativity; I certainly have – we get to a point where we’re just churning out the same thing, maybe it’s […]

Categories: film photography, Photography • Tags: fuji 400H, I shoot film, pentax 67, portrait, Rob Smith