Joan Michel's First Impressions with the LomoGraflok 4x5 Instant Back

Multi-talented photographer and filmmaker Joan Michel is experienced with a range of film formats, from 35 mm to medium to large! We equipped her with our latest LomoGraflok 4x5 Instant Back to see how she explores large format in instant form. The result? A stunning series of portraits highlighting its shallow depth of field and vivid details. Check out her video review and interview below.

Hi Joan, it's great to have you back on Lomography! How has 2021 been for you so far?

Hey Lomography! The year 2021 has been great and I can’t complain. I graduated college this past June, worked a lot in the dark room, finished a skate documentary all shot Super 8 and 16mm and have been living life to the fullest.

What prompted you to try out the LomoGraflok 4x5 Instant Back? Are you a seasoned large format user?

Back then I would use FP-100C film before photographing with my 4x5 camera and now that it’s discontinued the LomoGraflok 4x5 Instant back is a good addition to being able to see results before using actual 4x5 film. I used to photograph 4x5 before FP-100c was discontinued, then I just focused on using 35mm and 120 film.

Walk us through your head as you were taking the first polaroid.

When I took the first polaroid I was curious about the outcome. I was skeptical on how the whole LomoGraflok 4x5 Instant Back works and it took awhile at first. I had to rewatch some of my friend’s youtube videos to figure it out and reassure that I was doing it right. Once I did all the settings correctly and ejected the polaroid it felt good to see a photo appear after developing.

Which features do you like most about the LomoGraflok 4x5 Instant Back?

I like the fact that you can use Instax Wide film because it helps with the costs and affordability which I believe will make others want to buy this product.

Can you tell us one piece of advice that stuck with you throughout your photography career?

One piece of advice that I can say that has stuck with me, is to stay authentic and to be yourself. Don’t get caught up with what others are doing, everyone has their own journey and you just have to trust yours.

What do you see for yourself in the next five years?

I see myself directing more films and traveling more of the world.

How does the rest of your day look?
The rest of my day is just picking up film from the lab for some projects I’ve been working on, excited to share it soon.

Make sure to follow Joan on her website and Instagram.

written by kaylalew on 2021-08-24 in #gear #people #videos #large-format #lomography #instant-back #joan-michel #lomograflok