Me

 

Photography to me is a form of escapism from a thing called work and it embodies the hundreds of cartier-bresson-like cliched quotes that have been said about photography.

 

I currently use a Nikon FA (a gift from a dear friend), Nikon FM2n and a Yashica FX3 that came with many childhood memories of going to the zoo and Genting Highlands wth the family. And oh, a Canon Powershot that's forever set on Auto mode. My film leanings are attributed to my constant struggle with most digital apparatus, including the TV remote control and my mobile phone.

 

But why film....?

Because film has soul (though many would cringe at the corniness of that statement and would beg to differ);

Because the colours, mood, grains, textures and feel of film photos are simply.......for the lack of better words, magical. But that's just me;

Because of this huge sense of anticipation I get from finishing a roll of film, sending it to the neighbourhood photo shop, waiting for it to be processed, to the first viewing of the photos;

Because I am constantly challenged to get the composition right in one frame and at one click of the shutter release button;

Because I am comforted by the sturdy and solid weight of my Nikon babies on my hands;

Because I like the occasional unpredictability of how my shots turn out - sometimes it's the film, sometimes it's the camera;

Because some imperfections and 'noise' like grains makes each photo and moment even more unique;

Because 'white balance' is gibberish to me;

Because I've fallen in love madly and deeply with film photography and there's no turning back

 

But my affair with film has its struggles as I'm..

Still trying to push the success rate of my encounters with film above the 50% mark.

Still trying to find a style to call my own.

 

I am inspired by everyday life, scenes and people; streets of KL; markets; Audrey Hepburn; food, glorious food (!II); Henri Cartier Bresson; and the sounds of bossa nova.

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  • JoinedJune 2008
  • OccupationCorporate slave
  • HometownKlang
  • CountryMalaysia
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Photos of Mandy ML Chen

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