Gabriela Vasconcellos: Analog Photography That Makes Us Feel
Through a warm and intimate perspective, Gabriela Vasconcellos captures the trivial, creating compositions that are intended to make us confront inner feelings and sensations. Her work serves as an attempt to connect us to our essence using an intuitive approach. The photographs present themselves as calm and grounding energy, and it's through her mastery of texture and tone that Gabriela is able to break free from the obvious. She carefully applies elements from everyday life, adding a layer of delicacy and tenderness combined with the nostalgic aesthetic of analog photography. The result are incredibly sensitive shots in which the artist believes could be a way to rediscover hidden parts of ourselves.
Originally from Brazil, Gabriela works as a journalist and art therapist, while also capturing her surroundings using a 35mm camera. Shooting in film means experiencing the passage of time differently and she is interested in capturing the small moments of everyday life, feeling time in its entirety and allowing herself to slow down. In times of digital acceleration and high speed productivity, it's radical to take the opposite approach when it comes to work. Gabriela's photographs help us reflect about the way we move in life while offering a chance to simply pause.
Gabriela shared with us a couple key tips on shooting with film and what has helped her the most when she first began experimenting with analogue photography.
Ways to take better photographs with your analog camera according to Gabriela Vasconcellos
1) Develop your photos
This may sound extremely obvious but it's very common for people to get an analog camera, hoping to take beautiful photos but never actually develop the film. Gabriela says it's important to develop the film to see what kind of pictures we are taking and what could be improved. So don't gather around endless rolls of undeveloped film, go develop!
Gabriela says: "The other reason it's important to develop your film is because this will allow the analog process to enter your creative practice. Many people are reluctant to start shooting in film because they think it takes too much effort to develop but that's because they haven't incorporated the habit of developing the film in their working routine. I used to take photos all the time using a film camera but I'd never make the time to actually develop the film so I didn't even know what kind of work I was producing.
2) Always have extra film with you
You never know when you'll run out of film, so this is your reminder to always have extra film around. This way you won't miss a good shot when you spot one.
3) Be aware of your surroundings
When shooting in film, you never know what the result will be. Gabriela thinks it's important to be extra aware when wandering around. "Look up, look down, explore all angles around you and experiment. You never know what will come out - and that's a good thing! Take your time with it as well, this will add layers of thought to your photos".
4) Keep in mind that the analog process follow its own time
It's worth noting that taking pictures with a film camera implies that the entire process will unfold differently than digital. Analog photography has its own time limitations and specificities and Gabriela believes it's imperative to dive into the process and get used to it. "It takes time to develop the film, to digitalize the pictures (if that's something you'd like to do) and understand this time not as a problem but as a process that allows you to be much more present while you're photographing. It forces you to be present for the entire experience - from observing to developing".
"It's an entirely different experience to take a photograph of something using your phone and using a film camera. Even if I'm shooting the exact same object - the process is different and it's important to feel comfortable with the process itself.
Gabriela's photographs are available for purchase in our shop. Learn more about the artist here.