An Evening for the Numbed Senses
Photography: “Nuit Blanche” – Guillaume Ducreux (exhibition + talk show)
Video: “Life is a Gift” – Osamu Kanemura (viewing + talk show)
Music: ORGAN1K – Dominique Chagnon & Frederic Viennot
Entrance fee: 1,800 yen (includes one drink)
Venue: INHABIT ANTIQUES AND DECO http://www.inhabit.tokyo/
Produced by: 120 LOVE
ORWO was once the second largest film manufacturer in the world offering a wide range of photographic and audio products. The progenitor of AGFA Wolfen, ORWO has had a turbulent history and faced many challenges since German reunification. Today, Filmotec GmbH continues to produce a reduced range of ORWO’s high-quality 16mm and 35mm black and white film products at the original Wolfen plant in Germany.
We are big fans of ORWO’s legendary film and eagerly waiting for the return of their medium-format film stocks. Until then, we are proud to announce our dedication to supporting ORWO / Filmotec GmbH and distribute their 35mm black and white photography film products, UN 54 (ISO 100), and N 74 (ISO 400); available in bulk 30.5m / 100 ft cans.
ORDER ORWO UN 54 & N74 PLUS HERE
日本語訳
Q1: How did you become a professional photographer? Is this something that you always dreamed of doing or is it something that slowly came into your life?
Benedetta: Becoming a photographer has been something that matured with time slowly and consciously. After finishing high school, I started university following a course of Laurea of Humanities; I was so far from the photography world. I always took many pictures, from an early age, I always documented everything that was happening around me. It was only with the end of the school that I began to think of photography in a more concrete way.
During university, I began to work as an assistant in two photo studios and with the passing of months I found myself immersed in what I understood to be the world in which I wanted to live every day. I put aside my studies and devoted myself entirely to photography, sacrificing everything I had done up to that point and going against my initial choices. It was a risk, but nothing has ever made me consider it a risk because of the passion I have always felt inside.
Q2: You’ve been featured in a number of publications. Tell us something that has not been asked of you and that you wish to communicate about your photography.
Benedetta: I hope that people who look at my pictures are immersed in the feelings and atmospheres that I recreate, but at the same time I hope that they think and reflect on the theme that I try to bring to light. For me it is very important to combine the aesthetic beauty of a photo to the concept that carries within, which is the basis of everything I do.
Q3. Out of all of the projects you have done, which project are you most proud of?
Benedetta: I'm very close to my two projects Lay Off and East. They are long-term projects, and this makes them a part of my daily life. Having to choose one of them perhaps Lay Off is the one that is more connected to me emotionally; since it’s a project very close to the feelings and the atmosphere in which I try to immerse myself completely, this creates a very intense and profound bond.
Q4: How did you come up with the concept of “Lay Off” and is this something you developed specifically from your visit to Japan?
Benedetta: The topic relating to night workers was something that I had already thought about before going to Japan, but I wasn’t clear how well and if I would have ever developed a project about it. It’s a very topical issue that concerns us and which represents modern society in a very significant way.
As soon as I arrived in Japan I realized that this could be a good starting point to begin to deal with the issue. In a city without timetables as Tokyo I had many ideas and I started to work on this project. I want to specify that Japan was the starting point but Lay Off will definitely be developed in other Asian countries.
Q5: About “Lay Off,” what kind of feedback have you received from your peers or from people that have viewed your work? As it was shot in Japan, how about feedback from Japanese people or people familiar with Japan?
Benedetta: I have received very positive feedback, both from Japanese people and from people from other parts of the world. When I returned for the second time in Japan to continue the project, I found a lot of enthusiasm, and the series was also published in Japanese magazines. I think the strength of this work is discretion, not having approached this reality in an unobtrusive way, but keeping a certain distance so as to make the interpretation more free and away from judgment. I think that makes the project appreciated and accepted even by those directly involved.
Q6: From 2011 through 2017, you have amassed an impressive set of awards and achievements, and published in quite a number of magazines. Do you feel that the energy you’ve devoted to your work reflects your accomplishments? In other words, for those who work hard, rewards will come.
Benedetta: Yes, absolutely. I think that in a job like mine you should totally immerse yourself, continue to study, investigate, promote and publicize your work. I learned that no one will come knocking on your door if nobody knows who you are and what you are working on, then the commitment and the work must be constant.
I have received and continuing to receive the fruits of my investment on my projects and also the fact that I believe in them so much I think is an important component. I think that to achieve the goals you have to push to the maximum of our ability, and sometimes even a bit more.
Q7: On your website, there aren’t any black and white pieces. Is it because you prefer color more or you just haven’t uploaded any?
Benedetta: I took photos in black and white in the past and sometimes I take pictures in black and white especially with regard to portraiture or fashion photography but it remains a very small part. Color is fundamental for me. The yield of reality is a very important concept of my research. Black and white creates a very "fictionalized" and dramatic atmosphere that I don’t have a connection. I prefer the shades of colors, the vividness of the images.
Q8: What projects are you currently working on?
Benedetta: I'm finishing my project on the Balkans called East which I assume to conclude by the end of the year. At the same time I started a different project from what I have done so far, is a project close to portraiture but for now I can not reveal much more.
Q9: What lies ahead for your in the future? What would you like to accomplish in the short term and long term?
Benedetta: In the short term, I am trying to organize my first solo exhibition. Lately, I’ve participated in many group exhibitions around the world and I think it's time to show my work in a solo capacity to present the progress of my documentary projects. In the long term, my main goal is to complete my series and study and search for new ideas to deal with new ones.
Q10: A number of our readers and supporters are keen on the technical aspects of film photography. Can you provide some details as to your equipment and your workflow?
Benedetta: I use both 35mm and medium format. As for the 35mm I have a Pentax MX which I use mostly with a 28mm 2.8 – a view which I love. I also use a Yashica T4 to make some shots, but mostly nocturnal portraits. As for the medium format, I have a Mamiya RZ67 with various lenses; I love to utilize the 110mm or 50mm (I am a great lover of wide angles). I develop my needle in the laboratory and then I personally scan the image.
Web: benedettaristori.com
Instagram: @b.ristori
Q1：どのようにして、プロの写真家になったのですか？また、写真家になることは幼少のころから思い描いていたものなのですか?それとも、時とともに膨らんでいったものなのですか?
ベネッデッタ氏：大人に近づくにつれて、ゆっくりと意識するようになった感じだと思います。私は高校卒業後、大学に進学しLaurea of Humanitiesを専攻しました。写真の世界とは程遠いですよね。しかし、私は幼少のころから写真を撮るのが好きで、私の身の回りに起こる様々なことを写真として記録してきました。そんなこともあってか、大学生活も終わりにさしかかった頃、写真家としての道を具体的に模索し始めたのです。
在学中、二つのフォトスタジオでアシスタントとして働いたのですが、そうしているうちに気付いたのです。私はこの業界が好きだ、と。これこそが私の生きて行く道だ、と。 それからというもの、私はフォトスタジオで働く傍ら、写真の勉強に打ち込みました。在学当初とは全く違う道だとは分かっていながら。これは一種の賭けでしたが、そのようなリスクを投げ打ってでも、私はこの情熱を抑えることができませんでした。
Q2：ベネデッタ氏はこれまで数々の写真を撮られてきたことだと思います。そんな中で、ベネデッタ氏がそれぞれの写真を通して私たちに届けたいメッセージとは、どのようなものなのでしょうか？
ベネデッタ氏：私の写真を見ていただいたとき、その写真の向こうにある様々な心情や空気を感じ取っていただきたいです。と同時に、考えていただけたら幸いです。その写真があなたに何を語りかけているのかを。私にとってそれこそがとても重要なことであり、私のポリシーはそれに尽きます。
Q３：これまで様々プロジェクトを成し遂げられてきたと思います。その中でも最も心に残っているものとすればどんなことでしょうか？
ベネデッタ氏：私の胸に浮かんでくることとすれば、“Lay off”プロジェクトと“East”プロジェクトの二つです。これほど長期にわたって取り組んだプロジェクトはありませんでしたから。しかしどちらか、と言われれば、”Lay Off”プロジェクトですかね。このプロジェクトは私の感情に何か訴えるものがあり、わき目も振らず没頭していた記憶があります。
Q4：どのようにして“Lay Off”プロジェクトは誕生したのですか？またそのプロジェクトにとって、この来日は意義あるものでしたか？
ベネデッタ氏：実はこのプロジェクトのトピック自体は来日すろ以前から頭によぎっていたのですが、それをプロジェクトとして打ち出すにはまだあと一歩、というところでした。どの世界観を映し出すかというのが、重要な要素の一つだったので。
実際に来日してみて、気付いたのです。最初のスタートを切るのはここがいい、と。一つひとの都市として向き合うことで、私は様々な足がかりを見つけ、このプロジェクトをスタートすることができました。日本に焦点を当てたいのももちろんですが、‘Lay Off“プロジェクトは間違いなくアジア全体に答えが隠されています。
Q5:“Lay Off”プロジェクトについて、実際にベネデッタ氏の反応はどのようなもので したか？また、日本での撮影ということに対しての、日本人や親日の人々からの反応はどのようなものでしたか？
ベネデッタ氏：反応としては悪くはありませんでした。日本人からも他の国の人からも。二度目の来日時には、このプロジェクトも熱を帯びてきており、いくつかの日本雑誌には、シリーズの連載もありました。確かにこのプロジェクトに関しては慎重で、控え目なアプローチをとっている部分もあります。しかしそうすることで偏った考えから解放された、自由な解釈が生まれてきているのではないかと思っています。そしてそれはこのプロジェクトがもたらしてくれたもの、そうしたすべての要因が作っていったものだと思います。
Q6. 2011年から2017年の間に、数々の輝かしい賞を受賞され、業績を残されるとともに、多くの雑誌を出版されてきました。これまでに得られた成果は、つぎ込んだエネルギーと比べて妥当だと思われますか。言い換えれば、努力は報われたと思いますか。
ベネデッタ氏：もちろんです。私のような職業においては、常に仕事に全力を注ぎ、研究や調査をおこたらず、作品をプロモーションし続けることが肝要だと思います。
これまでの経験から、せっかく作品を作っても、自分がどんな人で、どんなものを作っているのかを周りに知らせなければ、誰もやって来ないことを学びました。ですから、継続してこれらのことを行う必要があると考えます。これまでプロジェクトに費やしてきた努力が今、結果となって現れつつあります。また、つぎ込んだ努力を信じきることも大切だと思います。目標を達成するためには、全力で、時にはそれ以上の気概で取り組むことが必要だと考えています。
Q7ご自身のウェブサイトには、モノクロの作品が掲載されていません。それは、カラーの作品の方をお好みだからですか？それとも、ただ単に掲載されてこなかったのですか？
ベネデッタ：過去にはモノクロの写真を撮っていましたし、今でも、とりわけファッションフォトグラフィーやポートレートはモノクロで撮ることがありますが、機会は限られています。私の作品にとって色彩は中核をなすものです。私の研究では、「リアリティの産出」というコンセプトに重きを置いています。モノクロ写真においては、「虚構の」雰囲気、ドラマティックな雰囲気が生まれますが、それらは私とは関わりのないものです。私はむしろ映像の鮮やかさや、色合いの方が好みです。
Q8.現在どのようなプロジェクトに取り組んでおられますか？
ベネデッタ氏：現在、Eastという、バルカン半島におけるプロジェクトの仕上げに取り掛かっています。今年中には終わらせるつもりです。また、これまでとは異なる作風のプロジェクトにも取り組み始めたところです。ポートレートに近いものですが、現在のところは詳しくお話できません。
Q9. 今後はどのようなことに取り組まれるおつもりですか。どのような短期目標、長期目標をお持ちですか。
ベネデッタ氏：短期目標は、現在準備を進めているところですが、初めての個展の開催です。様々な国で多くのグループ展に参加してきて、そろそろ私一人で展示をして、これまでのドキュメンタリープロジェクトの進捗具合を公開しても良い頃だと考えました。長期的には、これまでのシリーズを完成させること、新しい作品に取り組むにあたり必要な新しいアイディアを探求し、研究することが主な目標です。
Q10：多くの読者や支持者が写真撮影家の専門技術に虜になっていますね。あなたが使っている機器や仕事の流れについて、詳しくお伺いしてもいいでしょうか？
ベネデッタ氏：35ミリの一眼レフと中伴カメラを使っています。35ミリの一眼レフについてですが、レンズはペンタックスMXの28ミリ F2.8を愛用しています。それから、ヤシカのT4は試し撮りで使います。撮るのはほとんど夜景ばかりですが。中伴カメラはマミヤのRZ67です。使うレンズは様々です。特に110ミリか50ミリを好んで使っています(私は広角レンズ愛好家なので)。私はラボでフィルムを現像し、フィルムを自分でスキャンしています。
Web: benedettaristori.com
Instagram: @b.ristori
120 LOVE is extremely proud to have ELEMENT STORE LYON carry our products, and what good place to spread the love of analog photography. Lyon has an atmosphere of a small intimate city, where people seem to know each other in a village-like atmosphere. We love this energy of cross-breeding disciplines; the world of skateboarding mixed with photography and history. We don't normally equate this mixing of worlds into one concept, so we are really excited to forge new experiences with ELEMENT STORE LYON.
Great city, excellent food (of course), and really cool people. If in Lyon, drop by the shop and take a peek!
Testing expired East German ORWO NP 27 120 film. ASA 400, expired 1991. We chose to work with this film specifically because of ORWO's historical pre and post war origins, and more simply because its expired. We were expecting flawed, distorted, and gross images naturally created from the decay of the film emulsion, environmental and storage conditions, and a range of other human-induced conditions; an organic experience inherent with film. This is "natural enhancement" is one of the conceptual foundations of our sub-series "INFERNO." Beauty in things that are ugly.
Below are un-edited scans of some of recent test shots.
SET 1: MAMIYA PRESS with 6x9 film back + 6x6 film mask. Orange filter. Shot at ASA 100, developed in Rodinal 1+40 @ 13 minutes. Scanned on EPSON GT-X970. Experienced some film advance challenges with the Mamiya; hence, the overlap of some frames, as well as forgetting to advance the frame, thus creating multiple exposures.
SET 2: KIEV 60. Shot at ASA 50, developed in Rodinal 1+50 @ 15 minutes. Red filter. Scanned on EPSON GT-X970.
Verdict: ORWO NP 27 400 must have been a very beautiful film stock. It still retains fine grain and beautiful grays. Despite the fact that the rolls expired twenty-six years ago, we still managed to extract some workable images. Moreover, perhaps ASA 50 at around 1/60 ~ 30 @ f/8 seems to be the sweet-spot for this particular batch of film.
With the re-release of other brand films, we hope that ORWO / Filmotec follows suit and puts out some of this classic black and white stock.
Links:
Spain-based Stafmagazine did an write up on 120 LOVE in Spanish. Below is the English version:
120 LOVE was born as a Facebook group where fans of analog photography shared their photos; their taste for old cameras, techniques, etc ... The group was acquiring more and more repercussions so Paul del Rosario, its founder, decided to start making shirts to help finance this hobby. The idea was that 120 LOVE T-shirts do not have the typical photos of cameras or slogans, rather it was to manufacture T-shirts whose message was only understood by analog photographers like the one, such the shirt with the most popular designs "6 × 6", recognized by all photographers he meets.
Paul's interest in photography comes from his youth, when his father gave him his first camera, which led him to enter the photography club of his high school. He fed this hobby with courses and many hours in the darkroom until his graduation, after which for various reasons could not make photography his usual job. The love of analog versus digital format comes from its beginnings, and although he does not deny the latter, he promotes the use of the film in the digital era: "Many iconic photographers have developed their work in film, so my proposal Is: why don’t we follow in their steps with real film instead of manipulating the results with a preset in a computer program? " He has also declared his love for the 120 format, but as with the use between analog and digital, he does not shut out to use other formats or cameras: "Despite our love for the 120 format we use other formats to achieve the task we have to complete. Personally, apart from my Makina 67, my other favorite camera is my Nikon F".
One of the strategies to promote analog photography using 120 LOVE is to make it look like a sport, in the same way that a skateboard company has a team of skaters who represent their brand, they have a group of photographers around the world which do exactly the same thing. This wasn’t planned, but happened more or less naturally, really. Paul contacted some of the photographers, or the photographers sent him portfolios of their work.
About the manufacture of skateboards we commented the following: "Although we are not a brand of skateboard, we decided to make them because a skateboard is a perfect canvas to display photographs. We are great advocates of printing, and the extension of traditional printing is the skate deck".
120 LOVE is very excited to work with Ivo Papilloud for our upcoming campaigns. Grazie, Ivo!
#shoton120film
![UN54].png](https://static1.squarespace.com/static/569b7abdb20943556a8d93e0/5928e556e58c62d37df2bd59/5928e5a4b8a79bae6fe14920/1495852480583/UN54%5D.png)
