The Film Cypher is Bringing the Ohio Analogue Community Together

This past summer Ohio-based photographer Jamie Ceasar started a film photography collective page as well as hosting a film photography meet-up inspired by Lomography and our LomoWalks.

The newly launched initiative titled The Film Cypher is based in Columbus, Ohio and according to Jamie has been a few years in the making with the idea originally sparking when he rekindled his love for analogue photography about four years ago. Longing for a more tight-knit film community in his area, the recent LomoWalks inspired Jamie's push to put his idea into motion. After some planning with fellow photographers Taylor Cubbie and Alaine Whitmire about getting out and shooting around town, they had their first photowalk this past summer. The group quickly grew as photographers in the area, as well as models, were excited to join. Their current goal is to have their film-based photowalks quarterly.

The photowalk featured results on lots of Lomography film stocks including our Color Negative ISO 800, Color Negative ISO 400, LomoChrome Purple, Lady Grey Black and White, Earl Grey Black and White, and Potsdam Kino Black and White films.

Let's take a look at the participating photographer's photos and what they thought of the event!

What inspired you to join the photo walk?

Mike Rice: “So I've never done a photo walk before. Most of the people who attended are friends of mine who are amazing photographers. Anytime I can be around good people who inspire me…I have to show up.”

Did you have any ideas of what you wanted to shoot ahead of time?

Taylor Cubbie: “I did not have anything in mind beforehand. I hadn’t worked with most of the models before, but I knew I wanted to shoot primarily in black and white. Once I got a feel for everyone’s vibe, I knew some ideas would come to me. The only shot I did have in mind was the group shot. It was my favorite shot of the day. It really captures the energy, and the fun of the meetup.”

During the shoot, how did you make the model feel comfortable?

Dwight Pettigrew: “During the shoot to make the model feel comfortable I like to keep the situation light, and tell jokes to try to make the model laugh. Also, whenever I feel that a shot looks good I will let the model know that the shot looks like it's going to be a winner. Other than that, I encourage the models to choose their favorite poses in order to feel more comfortable, while I'm looking for angles to make the shot more dynamic!”

What made you decide to shoot with Lomography products and how did it complement your vision?

Micah James: "The shoot was inspired by Lomography, and used Lomo 800 & Earl Grey 100. They were a joy to shoot with, and gave me just the right amount of range I needed. The best part about the Earl Grey 100 was the amount of detail I kept in the shadows without completely losing them. With that being said, my favorite part about Lomo 800 was the colors it gives you, especially in low light. Honestly, those tones can’t be found in any other film stock I've shot with thus far."

Was shooting at the event any different than your usual approach to shooting?

Alaine Whitmire: “Shooting at the event was more similar than different to my typical approach to shooting, both personally and professionally. One of my favorite styles of photography is street photography/street portraiture— I enjoy doing that in my free time— and I also work as a photographer for Hollister at Abercrombie & Fitch, where I get to work with insanely talented art directors, photographers, stylists, models, etc. most days of the week. Our event combined the spontenaety of street photography and the strategic, collaborative efforts of a planned shoot, with the excitement of getting to work with other incredibly talented, creative, and inspiring people.”

Can you tell us about your favorite photo from the shoot? Was there a story behind it?

Joseph Scott: “My favorite photo from the shoot was with Nicole, who is an actor. She was fun to be around and had a playful nature to her. We related over anime, which resulted in me asking her to pretend she was a protagonist in a pivotal moment. Nicole's sincere emotion was what made this my favorite photo from my very first photo walk.”

Why specifically focus on film photography for the event?

Jamie Ceasar: “The goal of this event was to bring people together who enjoy film photography, and to hopefully create a community event where we could come together and collaborate. Film photography is an experience. It was awesome to be around other people that get excited about making photos, using different film formats (we had both 120 and 35 mm on hand), and talking about their favorite film stocks. Film will always be the focus!”

Do you have any ideas for what you'd shoot at future Film Cypher events?

Aly Honoré: “I’d definitely like to have models come along again, but I also think it would fun to make photos of people in the community as well. Engaging with some of the people around us, as we walk around, would be a lot of fun. It’s a good way to meet new people, and possibly inspire someone to pick up a camera, or get in front of one!”

Special thanks to the models Jaja Smith, Nicole Stubb, Tia Tonae, and Anaya Williams as well as the participating photographers for keeping analogue photography alive!

If you're interested in learning more about future events or want to submit your content to be featured by The Film Cypher make sure to check out their Instagram.

written by eloffreno on 2022-10-04 #culture #ohio #analogue #portrait #community #photowalk #the-film-cypher