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

Mae Challis

February 20, 2018 by Phil Kneen Photography

I had a bit of a change last week, photography wise. Well, a total change, to be honest; photographing Singer Songwriter, Mae Challis, is probably the opposite end of the spectrum to gnarly scallop fishermen. I photographed Mae in what turned out to be, thanks to its full-length, south-facing windows, an excellent natural daylight studio – Noa Bake House cafe. At the time of writing this, I’m waiting for the medium format, 6x7cm scans to land in my inbox. The […]

Categories: film photography, Music, Photography • Tags: analogue, film photography, fuji superia 400, Mae Challis, portrait

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

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

An early morning with Matt Creer

April 20, 2017 by Phil Kneen Photography

For the second time in about three years, I’ve been working with Matt Creer, shooting the artwork for his latest album. I liked the photographs we made in back then, which I shot on digital. However, we are both in agreement that these recent images, shot on film, unquestionably have a depth and an almost fourth dimension that the 2014 shots lacked. Photo sessions with Matt are always enjoyable, despite the odd 5am start; in a city, this wouldn’t represent […]

Categories: film photography, Music, Photography • Tags: 35mm, 6x7, canadian film lab, film photography, fuji superia 400, kodak portra 400, Matt Creer, 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

5840 Days

January 2, 2017 by Phil Kneen Photography

I can’t believe our daughter is Sixteen! Jess can now join the armed forces, invest in a cash ISA, move out of the family home (but if under 17, social services may apply for a care order), give consent to medical, dental and surgical treatment, be detained in police custody and get married. Jess, fortunately, has inherited most of her good points off her Mum, Helen, so she’s already pretty well sorted for life, although she did inherit my poor […]

Categories: film photography, Photography • Tags: 35mm, analogue, film, fuji, fuji instax mini, isle of man, japan, kodak, Olympus mju II, pentax 67, portrait

The things I saw (Tokyo) #4

April 25, 2016 by Phil Kneen Photography

“Focus on the journey, not the destination. Joy is found not in finishing an activity but in doing it” All the images here were made using an Olympus MjuII 35mm compact and various film (Fuji Superia 400/800 and Kodak Gold 400, mainly). Processed and scanned at UK Film Lab.

Categories: film photography, photojournalism, travel • Tags: fuji film, fuji superia 400, japan, Olympus mju II, personal project, portrait, tokyo