Jess Among the Wild's Nomadic Self-Portraiture with Lady Grey B&W 120 Film

Jess Among the Wild is a nomadic creator and landscape photographer who has spent the past two and a half years traveling full-time across the United States in her self-converted camper van.

Coming across her unique and naturally curious lifestyle we knew we had to collaborate with her. In this interview Jess shares with us her self-portraits taken on Lady Grey B&W 120 film — tapping into both her adventurous side on the road as well as her photographic roots in black and white film.

Hi Jess, welcome to Lomography Magazine! Can you start off by telling us a bit about yourself and work?

Hello! Thank you so much for having me here. About a decade ago, I began my photography journey in the darkroom where it gave me a deeper appreciation for the art. After graduating college, I worked as a floral designer while working up the courage to build something that was entirely my own. I always felt deeply connected to nature and I wanted to explore as much as possible.

I am from the small state of Connecticut but I've lived in many different places throughout my life. I grew up taking road trips up and down the east coast and then in my teenage years, I took numerous road trips to the west coast to photograph. One week trips turned into two weeks and eventually led to me buying a small van to convert into a camper. For the last few years, I have been living nomadically, exploring new places and connecting to nature in a way that inspires my work and my journey to self. While I've been fortunate to see so much, my photographs are not always about these places but rather the feelings that come with them. I try to evoke as much emotion into my work as possible and create something the viewer can connect with.

How did you discover analogue photography?

I was introduced to analogue photography at a very small, traditional art college that I attended in my home state. At the time, digital photography was advancing rapidly but the professors believed it was important to keep this dying art alive and they showed me the way. I fell in love with the whole process: shooting film, developing film and printing in the darkroom. It was a challenge but one that was also very therapeutic. I remember staying late after my classes to spend more time in the darkroom alone. I would listen to music while trying to perfect my prints and then come out hours later giddy and reeking of chemicals. Looking back, those were some of the best years of my photography journey.

Can you tell us why you decided to shoot with the Lady Grey B&W 400 film ?

Honestly, I went with the Lady Grey because of the film speed. Over the last few years, I have mainly shot in color so I knew I was a bit out of practice with black and white film. I typically always shoot with a 400 speed color film and though black and white film is still different, it just felt a little more comfortable choosing this stock along with knowing the lighting conditions I would be in that day.

How did the Lady Grey 400 film complement your aesthetic?

The Lady Grey created a very soft look and added another layer of timelessness to my images that I typically strive to create with my color film. The photos feel like a memory and that's exactly what I was going for.

What kind of gear did you use for this series of photos?

I shot with a Yashica Mat 124G (a TLR) that I bought off one of my professors during my senior year of college. It is one of my favorite cameras because of the way it looks and it always produces really sharp images. It's also square format which completely changes the way I see things.

Do you have a favorite photo from the roll?

My favorite photo from the roll is the one of me sitting on the truck bed while looking at the map. It feels the most true to my adventurous roots but I'd like to think the story could be many things. Something I often do (and sometimes without trying) is take faceless portraits. I believe this leaves more mystery for the viewer, makes it easier to put themselves in the photo or make up their own story about what might be happening.

Do you have any advice for those who want to make the jump from 35 mm to 120 photography?

While I will always argue it's the photographer that makes the image and not the camera, I do think the camera you choose when making this jump is very important. There are so many different types of medium format cameras (TLR, SLR, viewfinder, etc.), give yourself plenty of time to try a few different ones or at least hold a few different ones in your hand. My second best advice is to be patient! It's taken me years to get the hang of this process and even then I still mess up. That's what makes film exciting.

What are your hopes for the future of film photography?

While I am excited to see film become more popular, my hope is that people take more time to learn more about the art and history of it. I hope that people become interested in film for their own reasons and not just because it is trendy. I also hope people print more of their photos. It's amazing that we are able to scan negatives and share our work with so many others but there's something really special about seeing your work printed and hung on a wall or in a gallery for others to quietly appreciate.

Do you have any upcoming shoots or projects that you can share with our community?

I am working on quite a few different things at the moment but the biggest being a vintage truck camper that will be the star in upcoming analogue photoshoots as well as a video series. My goal this year is to create things with deeper intention. If you'd like to follow along, please visit @jessamongthewild across any social platform.

Anything else you'd like to share?

I just want to thank Lomography again for this opportunity to share my work and a little bit more about myself! It was exciting to try a new film stock and get back into black and white film again.

If you're interested in keeping up with Jess make sure to check out @jessamongthewild across social media.

written by eloffreno on 2024-02-19 #gear #culture #people #medium-format #120 #portraiture #self-portraiture #portrait-photography #van-life #120-is-forever #120-is-worth-it