Authentic, Aesthetic: A Photo Story by @cypargentique

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Shooting with film in 2022 might sound odd for some but never to the members of our community. We all share a passion for doing things the analogue way and not even the rush of the digital era could dissuade us. For Cyprien aka @cypargentique, the old ways are still the best. That's a sentiment that we can get behind.

Credits: cypargentique
“In my musical and visual tastes, I always had the impression of being from another era. I listen to old music, I love the pre-1970s aesthetic, and I don't like smartphones or social media. I’m not a curator or a seasoned nostalgic but someone who likes the authentic beauty of the past but also modern creation tools. It’s why I started using film: because it’s part of a search for authenticity. In music and in images, I find that acoustic and analogue stuff has more soul than digital stuff. Film photography has always impressed me. The mechanic is simple, it’s so magical and the grain so beautiful. I think film photography, on a reflex, is also more difficult than digital. Analogue photography needs more wisdom because you have to shoot less but better.”

He constantly chooses to work with film and analogue cameras to create his beautiful work. He likes the tactile feel of it—the click of the knobs, the winding of the sprockets, the unmistakable sound of the shutter as it opens and closes. These are all the small things that make the experience whole. He finds the same connection and identifies with the process and the tools as we all do here in the community.

Credits: cypargentique
“After a few years of digital video and photography, I wanted something with a real soul. So I bought a box with some old cameras in it at a flea market. In this box, I found my new best friend— a nice, old Cosina Super built in 1984, my birth year. This camera fascinated me because it catered to my technical needs exactly: fast, small, strong. Switching to film allowed me to review my bases, develop my B&W films, discover hundreds of incredible devices, practice cyanotype, acid etching, red wine soups, ink printing, classic printing, etc. I'm not done exploring because there's really a lot more to discover and do out there.”

As for his work, Cyprien likes to explore the many sides of film photography. He wants to keep discovering new areas, develop his skills, and learn more techniques along the way. It's a refreshing take on the lifestyle that we all embrace since we tend to stick to habits when they work well for us. We find comfort in the gear that we use and the composition techniques we've come to master through the years.

Credits: cypargentique
“I shoot for the art of chasing a moment, a composition, a light, an atmosphere, or a scene that nobody cares about or sees. Above all, I want to capture the beauty that surrounds me. I don’t like to stage my photos. I like to be inspired by pictures around me. I try to capture furtive moments, atmospheres, expressions, attitudes, concrete or abstract compositions, lights... And more personally, I also try to capture the magical moments of my daughter's childhood.”

For Cyprien, he's just getting started and has no plans of slowing down. Armed with his favorite lenses which vary from 20 mm, 50 mm macro, and 100 mm, he likes to capture things that spark interest in him. He says that the ultra wide-angle lenses give him the feeling that he's able to twist reality so he can create a new one. The more we learn from him, the more we understand his ever-changing style and subjects. He's not made to be boxed into one aesthetic. He chases after his inspirations, one after another.


We would like to thank Cyprien for letting us share his story in the Magazine. Follow him on his Lomohome to see more of his work.

written by cheeo on 2022-06-01 in #people #analogue #film-photography #photo-stories #cypargentique

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