Photography Chat with Merlin (Merlin Boissonneault)

Peter is a large format wizard from Massachusetts who is now the caretaker of the infamous 'Jason Lee Lincoln large format land yacht'. Tune in to be regaled of his adventures piloting this mythical beast from California back to Massachusetts during a pandemic and his anecdotes around shooting large format on the road.

Follow Peter at https://www.instagram.com/pgumaskas/

Photography Chat is a weekly Instagram Live @merlindb hosts every Thursday at 5pmPST/8pmEST

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Happy New Year everyone. I hope y’all had a fun and safe holidays. I’m excited to say we’re back with photography chat and kicking off season two with Jason Lee. Jason’s passion for photography started in 2002 and since then his work has been featured in many group and solo exhibitions, magazines, and books. In 2018 he released A PLAIN VIEW which was the debut publication for @filmphotographic which He founded in 2015. I met Jason during a book release and workshop at the @leicastoreboston in 2018. We took a walk around Boston, took photos, and chatted among the group, it was a great time and a pivotal moment in my own photographic journey. It’s also where I met the infamous @rmandkohandani proprietor of the @dentoncameraexchange . Jason recently released IN THE GOLD DUST RUSH with UK publisher Stanley/Barker, it is a limited release with a few copies remaining I believe. Join us this Thursday to chat about film photography, photo books, and road trip adventures.

Check out Jason Lee at http://www.jasonleefilm.com

Photography Chat is a weekly Instagram Live @merlindb hosts every Thursday at 5pmPST/8pmEST

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Holy Hannibal this was a fun chat, @stevereevesmsp is an awesome dude. We got into a bit of politics so trigger warning there but then we dipped into photo road trips and how rad they are. He talked about his work over at @filmphotographic which was really cool to hear the behind-the-scenes on some books many of us love. We got into the mutual love of instant film and talked about how great the @instantfilmsociety is. If you missed the live definitely check out the recording. Can’t wait to catch up with you in September at the next PolaCon :)

“Steven Reeves is a photographer, printer, teacher, and FM radio DJ. Together with his wife Erin, they operate Makeshift Photography out of their studio in the historical Deep Ellum neighborhood of Dallas, TX.

What began as a love for photography has evolved over the last 12 years into a multi-faceted and at times bewildering collection of experiences and opportunities that include amassing a vintage camera collection with some going back 120 years, logging well over 50,000 miles of road trips across the country, teaching traditional black and white printmaking in one of the few remaining teaching darkrooms in Dallas, working extensively with Jason lee and Film Photographic in the production of several books, large format prints, and gallery and museum exhibitions, as well as continued involvement with the Instant Film Society.

Commercially, Steven has developed a specialized group of services that caters to artists and photographers in an effort to provide one-stop shopping for all the elements of putting together gallery exhibitions. The truly rewarding aspect of this is getting to work with new and emerging artists who may be putting on their first shows and helping them navigate the process in an economical way in order to maximize their profits.”

Web: www.makeshiftphoto.com

Radio:

Notes From The Underground

KNON 89.3 FM - Dallas/Ft. Worth

Wednesday Nights from 8 - 10 PM Central

www.knon.org/notes-from-the-underground

TuneInRadio: http://tun.in/ser11

Follow Steven at https://www.instagram.com/stevereevesmsp/

Photography Chat is a weekly Instagram Live @merlindb hosts every Thursday at 5pmPST/8pmEST

Give me a follow if you want to see the episodes live https://www.instagram.com/merlindb/

The season opener for the chat was a blast. I really enjoyed chatting it out with @max.maurophoto about his practice and his new book. We talked about childhood, how he got started with photography. We got a little bit into the pandemic, cause it's still happening. We share a mutual love for large format photography which was rad to learn and he shared a few of his favorite photo memories. It was so great to spend some time with you all and Max, such a great way to kick off the new year! Here's a little more about Max.

‘Blurb: My name is Max, I'm 28 years old and I currently reside in Queens, NYC. I'm a photographer and drag artist who, for years, has been making images documenting my queer family and nightlife on film with intimate portraits that allow them to be candid with the camera. My recent work "Until Night Comes" portrays these individuals, as well as queer sex workers, during the height of the pandemic in 2020 and early 2021. A quote from my new book - “Until Night Comes” is a documentation of my queer nightlife community, and the ways in which we adapted and evolved during such a difficult time. I began to safely travel to the homes of my friends and family to photograph them in their own spaces. I wanted to capture their power, as well as their vulnerabilities."’

Follow Max at https://www.instagram.com/max.maurophoto/

Photography Chat is a weekly Instagram Live @merlindb hosts every Thursday at 5pmPST/8pmEST

Give me a follow if you want to see the episodes live https://www.instagram.com/merlindb/

We got weird on this episode and it was a lot of fun. @octaviasharpphotography shared a bit about how she got started with photography and then we got into life stuff. We talked about food quite a bit, different kinds of foods, fav foods, and what food looks like on the other side. We talked about the hilarity of kids swearing. We got into ghosts and aliens and politics. Peppered in the mix we talked about camera and film. I don’t think I’ve ever laughed so much in an episode before. I hope you have as much fun listening as we did making this episode :)

“Octavia Sharp started taking pictures at the age of 15 with a Pentax K1000 cutting her teeth as a photographer on the high school newspaper. She went on to study photography at Atlanta College of Art, then after three years working in a local lab in Atlanta, went back to school to gain her MFA (again in photography) at the University of Memphis from 1997-2000. Since then photography has fluttered in and out of her life, sometimes taking a backseat to daily life and various fleeting interests. Then in 2020 came the pandemic. Desperately needing to find some sort of joy within all the craziness, she decided it was time to dust off her trusty Hasselblad and get back to seeking solitude in a project started many moons ago, the interiors of mausoleums.”

Follow Sara at https://www.instagram.com/octaviasharpphotography/

Photography Chat is a weekly Instagram Live @merlindb hosts every Thursday at 5pmPST/8pmEST

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I appreciate Jeremy as a friend because he has always challenged me to think different and see the world around me differently. I think tonight’s chat was more like a public version of the chats he and I would have over a beer at Eddie's in Kensington Market or while having pho on Ossington. We talked about his Paste Platz project and he elaborated on the work that went into putting it together and how he gave different artists a voice. We talked about the value of wheat paste and the importance of sharing creations locally. Our conversation as they usually do got a little deep and we touched on society, communities, and the current state of the world we are living in. I enjoyed this talk and I hope you did or do as well.

"Jeremy Lynch is an experimental photographer/wheatpaste artist; who happens to be anti-classist and is also bored of capitalism, exhibitions, curators, and galleries."

Follow Jeremy at https://www.instagram.com/jumblefacefoto/

Photography Chat is a weekly Instagram Live @merlindb hosts every Thursday at 5pmPST/8pmEST

Give me a follow if you want to see the episodes live https://www.instagram.com/merlindb/

The chat with Han has been one of my most interesting to date. It was rad getting to know her more and hear about what her experience with photography has been and what her experience in the regular world is like. Content warning there are some stories of sex work and law enforcement stuff so just a heads up. The chat was lively and we all had such a great time, if you weren’t there for the live I recommend checking out the video.

Han is currently bridge hopping between Oakland and San Francisco. When she's not shooting medium format analog photos, you'll find her pitching a tent in the mountains or desert.

Follow Han at https://www.instagram.com/hawnfawn/

Photography Chat is a weekly Instagram Live @merlindb hosts every Thursday at 5pmPST/8pmEST

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Matt is a film photo fanatic, third-generation kodaker, and large format shooter. Matt has been seriously shooting since 2002 on both digital and film. However, for his personal work, he tends to lean towards a film. He turned his passion for film towards resurrecting the @kodakcameraclub_roc within the hallowed halls of @kodak to help ignite the passion for film in others across the land. I had the pleasure of meeting Matt during a tour of the Kodak factory in Rochester last year. It was an incredible experience to see where the film I love so much is created.

Follow Matt at https://www.instagram.com/stoffelmatt/

Check out the Kodak Camera Club at https://www.instagram.com/kodakcameraclub_roc/

Photography Chat is a weekly Instagram Live @merlindb hosts every Thursday at 5pmPST/8pmEST

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It was really nice to connect with Sarah and hear about her story. From humble beginnings with a Canon AE-1 Program to a Pentax 67 she jumped into the world of large format with a Wista 4x5 before moving into the wild world of 8x10. We talked about how photography is an interesting tool to use to connect with community and her experiences with it. If you missed the live you’ll have a good time listening to the recording. Thank you for hanging out with me Sarah :)

Here is a little more about her.

"Blurb: Sarah Stellino is a self-taught large format film photographer based in Madison, Wisconsin. She is a queer woman who is passionate about helping folks within the LGBQTIA+ community feel seen and worthy through portraiture. Sarah is currently in the beginning stages of creating her first large body of work - Queering Rural Spaces - which aims to challenge the assumption that queer culture begins at the doorstep of urban cities. In her portraiture practice, she primarily uses large-format black and white film, and enjoys taking a hands-on approach to her portraits by developing her own film and making prints in the darkroom."

Follow Sarah at https://www.instagram.com/sarahstellinophoto/

Photography Chat is a weekly Instagram Live @merlindb hosts every Thursday at 5pmPST/8pmEST

Give me a follow if you want to see the episodes live https://www.instagram.com/merlindb/

@studio.c41 was a real treat to have on the chat. It was super rad to hear his story of how he got started and his adventures with his podcast. We talked about the magic of the Kodak factory and then we got into the state of the film world. He educated me on Fuji Film and showed me how to show them a little bit more love. Talked about the film community and getting started with film and what those adventures are like. Then she shared with us the work he is doing in the Atlanta film community offering different options for film and processing. If you’re not following Bill you should give him a follow and keep up with the great work he is doing.

"Bill Manning, is an Atlanta-based photographer and host of the Studio C-41: 1-Hour Photo Podcast interviewing contemporary photographers and manufacturers in the film photography industry. Currently, as a result of the drastic price increases in the photography industry, Bill recently has launched a company called Atlanta Film Co. which works with Kodak Motion Picture and Dunwoody Photo to provide an affordable solution to processing and scanning color negative motion picture film for stills using the ECN-2 process. The same process that major Hollywood production use for their multi-million dollar features."

Follow Bill at https://www.instagram.com/studio.c41/

Photography Chat is a weekly Instagram Live @merlindb hosts every Thursday at 5pmPST/8pmEST

Give me a follow if you want to see the episodes live https://www.instagram.com/merlindb/

This guy, Chris Koehn is a man of many talents and a few of them involve cameras of various kinds. We've known each other since the early 2000's when we both worked in a call center asking people if they turned it off and then back on again. Then we ended up at a computer store in Vancouver where he had to apologize to Sluggo Boyce because our idiot techs deleted all his internets. He's worked in news media, makes wicked awesome photos, and is an excellent road trip pal. He recently bought a church in the middle of nowhere that he is going to make a home for his tribe. You're in for some silly stories, laughs, and to pick his brain about night photography, grumbles of photo bro's, and whatever else comes up. Chris and I rambled our way through all sorts of things. We both have brain injuries so we kind of wander in our conversations. But if you sit through the recording I am sure there are a few gems in there for sure. We talk about both our creative practices throughout the time we’ve both been creating. Road trips, family times, and random bantering. We also decided we’re going to make a book next year so watch out for Dinktown, an East Kootenay introspective coming out in 2023. Thank you to everyone who tuned in and for those of you listening or watching now. Appreciate and love you.

Follow Chris at https://www.instagram.com/terracanadensis/

Photography Chat is a weekly Instagram Live @merlindb hosts every Thursday at 5pmPST/8pmEST

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With love from Lubbock, I mean Denton. If you don’t get it we’ll you’ll just have to watch the episode. Zane is awesome and it was so good chatting it out with him. We got really nerdy about Polaroid, like deeply nerdy. I don’t think we’ve ever gone that deep on the chat before. Talked about the love of mechanical cameras and some of the projects Zane is mulling. We talked about his involvement with the Open SX70 Project and some of the awesome contributions he’s made to the project. And then we talked turkey about Texas. Can’t wait to catch up in person and have a meal at mi casita with you man. 

"Hi! I’m Zane Pollard and I am a hobbyist film photographer, sx-70 repairman, and contributor to the opensx70 project. My first foray into film photography was when I got my first film SLR, a Pentax k1000, around 8 years ago. I immediately got hooked on the process of developing and scanning my own film and kept going deeper and deeper into it. Shortly after that, I went into medium format and then finally into my current favorite camera, the polaroid sx-70. I bought my first model 1 and have been shooting on the medium ever since. This led me to get into repairing them and now writing software to control them via the opensx70 platform."

Follow Zane at https://www.instagram.com/zanepollard/

Check out Open SX70 at https://www.instagram.com/opensx70/

Photography Chat is a weekly Instagram Live @merlindb hosts every Thursday at 5pmPST/8pmEST

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A big thank you to Henri for inviting us into his space and sharing his stories. He talked about how he got started with photography and we dove into a few of his man books. He talked about Flapjacks & Photographs, Canada’s Gigantic, Big Stories, Babyland, and Eraser Street. He also showed us his postcard set for the Pancanadienne Gianthropological Survey which was 18 postcards from 1973 to 1984. We talked a little bit about his time as a teacher and stories about some of the greats out there like Robert Frank and Fred Herzog. Big thanks to @bigheadtaco for connecting us. Thank you for tuning it, hope you had as much fun as we did.

“Henri Robideau is a photographer and cultural narrator whose practice is grounded in history and animated by the social dynamics of our times. His lifelong involvement in photography incorporates more than fifty years of teaching, professional production for many of Canada’s leading artists and personal art creation incorporating photographic imagery and handwritten narrative text.”

Check out Henri at http://henrirobideau.ca/

Photography Chat is a weekly Instagram Live @merlindb hosts every Thursday at 5pmPST/8pmEST

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A most excellent chat with @jesshobbsphoto we talked about her farm and how she got started with photography. Got into social issues in Canada ranging from the discoveries in indigenous communities and the battle against the homeless. We talked about community and it’s importance and upcoming projects that Jess is working on. Heres a bit more about Jess in her own words.

“Hey everyone! I’m Jess, and I’m a film photographer based in and around Montreal. My favourite place to shoot is in the woods on the family organic farm, Mamiya RB67 in tow, but I can also be found wandering the streets of Montreal, or even at a festival or two! As well, I love taking long drives to explore new and old farmscapes in the countryside around me, although the dirt roads do get a little sketchy in the wintertime.

I love film cameras, and I one day strive to own them all… I’m only like 40 in (I think, I’ve lost count!), so I have a long and bright future of camera collecting ahead of me. I love all formats and film types, but my current favourite thing is to shoot Polaroids on my RB67 with a conversion back. I haven’t yet gotten into large format, but that is hopefully going to happen sometime this year, I can already picture an Intrepid 4x5 set up in front of my favourite trees in the woods!

I shoot primarily on film, with the exception of a few smartphone pics, because that is simply the medium that I connect with the most. There is so much history behind film that attracts me, and I find it the best way to unleash my creativity, but I am a big advocate for shooting whatever makes you happy. Anything that gets you out of the house and into the great outdoors is fantastic in my book, as long as you find the tool you need to be creative.

Photography might not save the world, but it has saved me in so many ways, and I am always grateful for the support of the wonderful community.”

Follow Jess at https://www.instagram.com/jesshobbsphoto/

Photography Chat is a weekly Instagram Live @merlindb hosts every Thursday at 5pmPST/8pmEST

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It was rad to get to know @cactuskillerr a bit more tonight. Kris has been working on building up the @lonestardarkroom in Dallas Texas and also has a budding tattoo practice that you can find out more about on her profile. We talked about the joys of the dark room, what is art and she shared with us some of her camera collection. If you are in the DFW be sure to stop by and say hi to her.

“Kris Wright is an interdisciplinary artist from Dallas, Texas. They work as a tattoo artist, specializing in illustrative line work tattoos, and own Lone Star Darkroom, a community darkroom in the design district of Dallas that offers film developing and darkroom rentals.”

Follow Kristin at https://www.instagram.com/cactuskillerr/

Photography Chat is a weekly Instagram Live @merlindb hosts every Thursday at 5pmPST/8pmEST

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Had a great time chatting with Micheal from analog forever zine. We nerded out hardcore on Polaroid and talked about the importance of creating.

here’s a bit more about Michael.

“Michael Behlen is an instant film addict and the founder and publisher of Analog Forever Magazine. For the last 6 years, Behlen has become an obsessive community organizer in the film photography world, including launching the independent publishing projects PRYME Magazine and PRYME Editions, two enterprises dedicated to the art of instant film. Through these endeavors, he has featured and published 200+ artists from around the globe via his print and online publications.

He has self-published two Polaroid photobooks -“Searching for Stillness, Vol. 1” and “I Was a Pioneer,” literally a boxed set of his instant film work. His latest book, Searching for Stillness Vol II was published in 2020 by Static Age. He has been published, been interviewed, and been reviewed in a number of magazines and online publications, from F-Stop and Blur Magazine to the Analog Talk Podcast. He loves the magic sensuality of instant film: its saturated, surreal colors; the unpredictability of the medium; its addictive qualities as you watch it develop. He spends his time shooting instant film and backpacking in the California wilderness, usually a combination of the two.

Connect with Michael Behlen on his Website and on Instagram!”

Follow Micheal at https://www.instagram.com/michaelbehlen/

Check out Analog Forever at https://www.instagram.com/analogforeverzine/

Photography Chat is a weekly Instagram Live @merlindb hosts every Thursday at 5pmPST/8pmEST

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I met Barb in Boston at a photography workshop being held by Leica. We were the only two Canadians there so naturally, we became pals. Barb talks about her adventures abroad and about pinhole and large format photography.

Follow Barb at https://www.instagram.com/thereimereason/

Photography Chat is a weekly Instagram Live @merlindb hosts every Thursday at 5pmPST/8pmEST

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Eric and I got into some great conversations about photography and life. Discussed issues with the world and indigenous and poc communities and reminisced about being 80’s kids.

Here are some words about Eric from the man himself.

“I am mostly a travel photographer - that is I generally only shoot when I'm on the road. I prefer deserts and prairies to forests and cities. I prefer solitude, and want my photos to express that above almost anything else.

I shoot vintage cameras ranging from 1900 to a modern 4x5. Much of the film that I shoot is well expired - some from the 50s, but most from the 80s and 90s. Though I'm quickly being priced out of that market. I shoot 120 and 4x5.

While black & white is my primary focus, I also shoot color, developing it with my own ECN-2 kits.

When taking the photo, I try to capture how the place made me feel. I'm much less concerned about how it looked. I strive for my work to seem timeless and unplaceable.

I publish two zines: Conspiracy of Cartographers and In This Land. I'm also the co-host of the All Through a Lens Podcast.”

Follow Eric at https://www.instagram.com/conspiracy.of.cartographers/

Check out All Through a Lens at https://www.instagram.com/allthroughalens.podcast/

Photography Chat is a weekly Instagram Live @merlindb hosts every Thursday at 5pmPST/8pmEST

Give me a follow if you want to see the episodes live https://www.instagram.com/merlindb/

This episode was a great adventure. It was a pleasure to chat with Diane about her work and get to know her more. I really loved that she photographed her whole book with an iPhone proving you don’t need a fancy camera to make great work. *Trigger Warning* our conversation did get a little heavy discussing depression and suicide, we also got into the common theme on the chat about community. Her book holding hands is all about human connection and I feel that is something that really resonates with most of us, especially given the weight of the pandemic. We talked about photo books and movies and how photography can create nostalgia for us. I really look forward to keeping up with Diane and I hope y’all enjoy this episode.

If you or a loved one is experiencing a mental crisis or if you’re concerned about them please do not call the police for a health check. You can share with them some resources below or just try to be there to listen to them.

In Canada: 1-833-456-4566

In USA: Text HOME to 741741

Follow Diane at https://www.instagram.com/theyareholdinghands/

Learn More about Diane here

Purchase Her book here

Photography Chat is a weekly Instagram Live @merlindb hosts every Thursday at 5pmPST/8pmEST

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Join Phil and I for episode five of photography chat. Phil has been living in the photography world since childhood. His father ran labs so it was natural for him to get involved in labs himself. The Darkroom Lab has been around since 1976 in San Francisco and relocated to San Clemente in 2009. I’m excited to chat with Philip and hear his perspective on film given his years of experience in the industry. Tune in for a great episode.

Follow Phil at https://www.instagram.com/philip_steblay/

Check out the Lab at https://www.instagram.com/thedarkroomlab/

I had a great time chatting with Starla. We got a little distracted at the start and talked about work for a bit but we did get into photo chat. We talked about the photo community and how awesome it is. Her kids and her practice and we got into our mutual love for Lomography. We were all over the map on this one and it was a real blast. I hope you have as much fun listening to Starla as I did chatting with her!

Here's a little more about Starla stolen from her website.

"Starla Dawn is a freelance photographer new to Clarksville, TN moving here from sunny San Diego, CA. She was born in rural Kentucky and raised in Huntsville, AL but has had the privilege of living bi-coastally over the last decade.

Starla is a self-taught artist whose photographic work is an expression of her creativity as well as a reflection of those she works with. She hopes to showcase the many facets and dualities that are intrinsic to life. She believes everything is interesting and captivating when it's shown in the right light.

She specializes in events, behind-the-scenes documentary and is most known for her colorful 35mm double exposures. She is the winner of the 2015 Atlanta Raw Artists: Photographer of the Year, FotoWeekDC Fine Art Award 2016, and Ten and One: Annual Lomography Awards, Monochrome Award 2016."

Follow Starla at https://www.instagram.com/starladawnphoto/

Photography Chat is a weekly Instagram Live @merlindb hosts every Thursday at 5pmPST/8pmEST

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Well we spent some time out East so now we’re headed back west to visit with our polapal Jana who is a film shooter from the anarchist jurisdiction of Seattle. She’s generally seen with an instant camera but is also known to cavort with pinhole and 35mm cameras. If you know her whereabouts please send her all of the laundromat photos you have in your possession.

Follow Jana at https://www.instagram.com/jana_obscura/

Photography Chat is a weekly Instagram Live @merlindb hosts every Thursday at 5pmPST/8pmEST

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This episode with Danielle was so much fun. She is very talented and has an impressive collection of cameras. We talked about projects she is working on and the work she has done building Women with Film Wednesday and also The Film Sorority. It's an episode you don't want to miss.

Follow Danielle at https://www.instagram.com/girlwithtoomanycameras/

Photography Chat is a weekly Instagram Live @merlindb hosts every Thursday at 5pmPST/8pmEST

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I enjoyed getting to know @nickcollingwoodvintage more this evening. He talked about how he got started in school doing animation and through some adventures with Polaroid and 35mm he found his way into photography. Talked with us about his experiences falling down the rabbit hole of the film community in NYC and what that experience has been like getting to know different people and places like @brooklynfilmcamera and @the.instantgram and many others. We spent some time talking about social media platforms and the communities on them and also about some of his adventures with his cameras during Fashion Week in NYC. If you’re ever in NYC Nick has put out an open invitation to hit him up and do photo stuff :)

"Nick is a non-stop film enthusiast making a living doing motion design/animation in Brooklyn, NY. He shoots almost any format he can get his hands on but particularly is in love with expired packfilm, large format and Super 8. He's been at it more than a decade now but has fallen much deeper down the rabbit hole in the last 4-5 years after connecting to the film community in NYC and online.

As a huge people-person, he is drawn to portraits as a subject and plays with high-fashion and fine art styles of imagery. He’s also dragged film cameras everywhere including Everest Base Camp and shoots some weddings on Super 8/Polaroids. Catch him teaching workshops, biking around the streets of NYC or in the park, taking large format portraits of strangers"

Follow Nick at https://www.instagram.com/nickcollingwoodvintage/

Photography Chat is a weekly Instagram Live @merlindb hosts every Thursday at 5pmPST/8pmEST

Give me a follow if you want to see the episodes live https://www.instagram.com/merlindb/

It was super rad to spend some time chatting with Kelly about her experiences so far. We talked about her time traveling abroad and spending time in an artist residency and some of her favorite places in the world. She shared some of her experience working in forestry and we talked a bit about the arts and culture scene we both spent time in back in Toronto. She shared some of the ideas for projects she has on the go so keep an eye out for her awesome work!! Here's a little more about Kelly.

"Kelly Zantingh graduated with a B.A.H in Studio Art from the University of Guelph, ON in 2016. Her practice is currently based in many places, and she has participated in artist residencies in Porto, Portugal, and the traditional Mi'kmaw territory on Turtle Island (Nova Scotia, Canada). She currently resides in British Columbia and lives out of her car while working in the bush as a tree planter.

Kelly Zantingh’s work explores the passage of time and its inevitable association with loss. She examines the fragile and complex structures of natural ecosystems, as well as how they are instrumentalized by humans. Using stop-motion animation, photography, and books, she documents and investigates the myriad ways humans are entangled with our surroundings. Her work is situated on the edge between a fascination with the natural world, and the acknowledgment of our current role on the changing earth within the Anthropocene.

Her most recent photographic work explores the nude body in various phases of intimacy: with the subject themself, with others, and within the natural environment they inhabit."

Follow Kelly at https://www.instagram.com/twosharpteeth/

Photography Chat is a weekly Instagram Live @merlindb hosts every Thursday at 5pmPST/8pmEST

Give me a follow if you want to see the episodes live https://www.instagram.com/merlindb/

Had a great time chatting with Chris, we talked about Instagram and the awesome film communities, dove into instant film, and how Chris started her podcast @analogtalkpodcast with @timothymakeups and we had a bit of a tangent into movies and discovered a mutual love of Goosebumps. Here's a bit more about Chris in her own words.

“I’m a portrait, unit still photographer, podcaster, and YouTuber in Los Angeles. I graduated from Hallmark Institute of Photography in 2004 and have been working as a professional photographer and avid film shooter ever since. I co-host a film photography podcast called @analogtalkpodcast, I am a co-curator for @thefilmsorority and I make youtube videos about film photography.“

Follow Chris at https://www.instagram.com/chrisbphoto/

Check out her podcast at https://www.instagram.com/analogtalkpodcast/

Check out the Film Sorority at https://www.instagram.com/thefilmsorority/

Photography Chat is a weekly Instagram Live @merlindb hosts every Thursday at 5pmPST/8pmEST

Give me a follow if you want to see the episodes live https://www.instagram.com/merlindb/

The very first episode of Photography Chat which came about from messing around with Instagram Live and discovering people enjoyed watching me talk with my photographer pals. In this episode, we discuss some photography related things and Nick Cage.

Photography Chat is a weekly Instagram Live @merlindb hosts every Thursday at 5pmPST/8pmEST

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Apologies for the poor audio in this chat. We were having some technical difficulties. We chatted about how she got into photography and then into alternative processes. Shared some love around Polaroid. Then she talked about her work with Analog Forever Magazine and some of her more memorable interviews she has done. It was a fun chat and we will definitely have her back when the internet gods are in a better mood!

“Niniane Kelley is a fine art photographer living and working in San Francisco and Lake County, California. A native of the Bay Area, she is a San Jose State University graduate, earning a BFA in Photography in 2008.

Drawn to photography for both the immediacy of the image making process and the intrinsic alchemy of the darkroom ritual, she crafts the majority of her imagery using traditional 19th century processes which give each piece its own unique character.

After generating an extensive portfolio working with the human form, she emerged from the sequestered studio environment and began to focus on the quiet beauty of the North State rural landscape. Embracing photography’s implied narrative structure, much of her current work functions as a form of autobiography, chronicling her frequent, unencumbered explorations of Northern California’s pastoral and largely unpopulated interior.

But never one to cease experimentation, she is also simultaneously developing new complementary bodies of work using Polaroid and plastic cameras to bring fresh perspective to both her figure and landscape work.

In addition to producing photographic images, Kelley is also extensively involved in alternative processes education and research. Often teaching workshops in the Bay Area and surrounding environs, she most recently worked as a photographer and manager at San Francisco’s tintype portrait studio, Photobooth.”

Follow Niniane at https://www.instagram.com/ninianek/

Check out Analog Forever at https://www.instagram.com/analogforeverzine/

Photography Chat is a weekly Instagram Live @merlindb hosts every Thursday at 5pmPST/8pmEST

Give me a follow if you want to see the episodes live https://www.instagram.com/merlindb/

A most excellent chat with Kevin. He is a lover of instant film, a filmmaker, screenwriter, film photographer, and councilman. We met during Instant Film Society Polacon V. Trigger warning for some folks we did have some deep talks on race, depression, and the general state of our countries and how it relates to being a creative trying to survive. Wrapped up with some chat about instant film and community and then some Nick Cage.

Follow Kevin at https://www.instagram.com/codename_leon/

Photography Chat is a weekly Instagram Live @merlindb hosts every Thursday at 5pmPST/8pmEST

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It might be time to check out the mid-west again. Hanging with @ryan_akerberg this evening was a lot of fun. We talked about what got him started, turned out we have a common thread in our photographic inspirations. We got into some pretty deep stuff, it was nice getting to know Ryan more and hear about how he see’s the world. Hopefully this fall we will be able to catch up at PolaCon in Denton. Thanks Ryan for being good people in this crazy world.

“A little about me

I was born in Iowa before escaping to the west for about 22 years. Recently I found myself back in the midwest. Even though the places in my life have changed over time, the way I see these places remain constant. I am lucky in the fact that I get to look back on those different places and that consistent way of seeing through my love of photography.

I shoot with film.”

Follow Ryan at https://www.instagram.com/ryan_akerberg/

Photography Chat is a weekly Instagram Live @merlindb hosts every Thursday at 5pmPST/8pmEST

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Well that was a lot of fun for an impromptu chat to wrap up the year. I was joined by @retro_photo_york and @johnnythebandit and we talked about the price of film, covid, long exposures and the art of making tasteful dick pics. Thank you for all of the colorful commentaries to everyone who was tuned in and fingers crossed that @the.instantgram will make some sweet Bushdick merch. Happy New Year everyone, stay safe and I’ll see you soon.

Follow Micheal at https://www.instagram.com/retro_photo_york/

Follow John at https://www.instagram.com/johnnythebandit/

Photography Chat is a weekly Instagram Live @merlindb hosts every Thursday at 5pmPST/8pmEST

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Brian is my photographic brother from another mother. Half of my favorite instant film photography duo and an all-around awesome human. I met Brian and Mary at Polacon 3. I had no idea that day that I met someone who would become family to me. Here’s a bit more about Brian in his own words.

“Brian Garbrecht is an artist from Elgin, IL, who is currently an undergrad student at Northeastern Illinois University. He is working on a long term project about being an adopted person and the search for one’s family and self identity, told through the mixing of original photographs, family archives, and important documents. For this project he received the Society of Photographic Education’s 2020 Student Award for Innovations in Imaging. Most recently, an image from this series received 1st Runner Up in the LENS International Juried Exhibition at Perspective Gallery in Evanston, IL, curated by J. Gibran Villalobos of the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago.

Brian has been interested in photography since childhood but didn’t start creating on his own till 2014 when taking a darkroom photo class. Since then, he has shot with every analog film format he could get his hands on, including Polaroids, and wet plate (tintypes), as well as mixing mediums with screen printing. In 2019 he curated an instant film exhibition titled “Before My Eyes”, featuring artists from around the world who use instant film in their work.”

Follow Brian at https://www.instagram.com/theoryofbrian/

It’s been a wild year for all of us, which could be a massive understatement in many ways. One of the best things from this year tho is the chat and all of y’all. I can’t believe this will be episode 20, it blows my mind y’all keep showing up. So as a big thank you @brian_brooks and myself are going to do a holiday wrap-up for the photography chat fam. We’ve talked about a joint giveaway but you’ll have to tune in to find out. I love and appreciate you all for being part of this ride. Because of the holiday season, this episode will be a few days early.

Photography Chat is a weekly Instagram Live @merlindb hosts every Thursday at 5pmPST/8pmEST

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Rolling into episode 18 we’ve got @frontoparietal hailing from Toronto. Leslie is a die-hard film addict and one of my best photo walk homies. Her usual weapons are a Nikon 35mm or a Mamiya TLR (which I may have had some influence on 🙊). She’s an academic which I feel gives her an interesting eye. We had some laughs and a big old group therapy session since most of us all in some kinda form of lockdown.

Check out Leslie here https://www.instagram.com/frontoparietal/

Photography Chat is a weekly Instagram Live @merlindb hosts every Thursday at 5pmPST/8pmEST

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Felice has an amazing body of work, if you have not checked it out you really should. I was introduced to her by @rollsofyou when he brought her as his plus one to the @lomographyusa photo walk giveaway I hosted in the summer. It was a blast collaborating with her and am glad we connected. It was such a fun chat!

Follow Felice at https://www.instagram.com/felice.c0m/

Photography Chat is a weekly Instagram Live @merlindb hosts every Thursday at 5pmPST/8pmEST

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I have not laughed so much in a while, chatting with @maxsprkplg tonight was so rad. Mario is such a chill dude and his talent for camera-building is incredible. We talked a little bit about my trip down to the states for Polacon. We also got into what was fun about Polacon for both of us and some of the moments we shared there. We got into a bunch of silly movie remake ideas and then he schooled us on 3D printers. I also dropped the giveaway for a @cameradactyl Polaroid scanning tray, look for details on where to sign up for that soon. So stoked to see what else Mario is going to create and contribute to the film community.

“Mario Machon (@maxsprkplg on Instagram) is on a mission to create his own perfect homemade cameras. He considers himself more of a camera sculptor than a designer or manufacturer. Always happy to share files and knowledge with those who can print on their own, or happy to make high-quality builds for those who can’t.

He is currently studying Convinceyoutogetaprinter Studies at the School of Cameradactyl.”

Follow Mario at https://www.instagram.com/maxsprkplg/

Photography Chat is a weekly Instagram Live @merlindb hosts every Thursday at 5pmPST/8pmEST

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I ended up taking a little trip down memory lane chatting with Morgan. Talking about Cranbrook and the Kootenays brought up some old memories. We talked a lot about live music and what it was like being in the scene in Vancouver in the early 2000s. He also shared with us his experience in starting up his own photography business and his experiences with neurodiversity. Had a great time chatting with Morgan, thank you to everyone who tuned in and hung out with us.

"A blurb about me - by Morgan Turner

I took a photo class way back in grade 11, which was 99/2000, and kinda knew then that photo was going to be something I’d keep in my life. In ’03 I went to film school over in Van, because I wanted to get into shooting “extreme sports” videos, music videos, and that sort of thing for a career path. I’d been shooting 35mm stills since high school, and a year after film school, decided to sell all my video gear and go digital on the photo front, and I’ve been pursuing photography as a career since. I’m self-taught for all the photo side of things and have shot a pretty broad range of subject matter. I had my first taste of getting paid for it with shooting weddings and families around ’08 and realized that genre wasn’t my cup of tea. I moved in the direction of commercial photography but had to pursue other careers in the meantime to keep a paycheque happening. I’ve officially been self-employed shooting full time since the end of April 2019, and have managed to keep my business afloat amidst the craziness that’s been this covid pandemic."

Follow Morgan at https://www.instagram.com/mturnerphoto/

Photography Chat is a weekly Instagram Live @merlindb hosts every Thursday at 5pmPST/8pmEST

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So rad to chat with Birgit, she shared how she got started with photography and her very lucky path to @lomographyusa in New York. We talked about different film types and imagined some great films that maybe one day Lomography could be convinced to put into production. Some of you were curious about the status of the Graflok back so Birgit shared what insight she could on that. Then we wrapped up with how amazing the film community is and how there are so many rad people that make it up. Thank you to everyone who tuned in and to Birgit for sharing some time with us. Here's a little more about Birgit in her own words.

"I'm Birgit Buchart, 29, a photographer and writer, originally from Salzburg, Austria, now based in Brooklyn, NY.

I've always loved taking photos but only through an internship at the Lomography Headquarters in Vienna, Austria, I fully discovered my passion and enthusiasm for film photography in particular. In 2018 I got really lucky and was given the opportunity to transfer for Lomography to NYC and am now the General Manager and Marketing/PR Manager for Lomography USA."

Follow Birgit at https://www.instagram.com/birgit_b_art/

Check out Lomography at https://www.instagram.com/lomographyusa/

Photography Chat is a weekly Instagram Live @merlindb hosts every Thursday at 5pmPST/8pmEST

Give me a follow if you want to see the episodes live https://www.instagram.com/merlindb/

Chris Wu is a film photographer who hails from the sunny shores of Toronto, Ontario. Typically she can be found with an instant camera in her hands, but, on occasion, she has been spotted with a 35mm point and shoot. She is also part of Classic Camera Revival this was a rad episode. We talked about community and about the indigenous issues plaguing Canada. It was a solid chat, some fun light stuff with a bit of heavy discussion.

Follow Chris at https://www.instagram.com/wutography/

Check out Classic Camera Revival at https://www.instagram.com/classiccamerarevival/

Photography Chat is a weekly Instagram Live @merlindb hosts every Thursday at 5pmPST/8pmEST

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@czuckermann is an interesting cat, I always appreciate sharing some time with him, and boy did we ever go on some tangents tonight. We talked about cults, grace, joy, and the human experience. Some chats around childhood trauma and some personal stories from both of us. @zennawong joined us and he talked about how they started @zuckermannwong and some of their experiences. It was so rad to have Charles and Zenna in the studio and on the chat for the 100th episode, looking forward to what the future holds for the chat.

"Zuckermann & Wong are editorial, portrait and commercial lifestyle photographers who do creative shit on the side.

Charles is a 55 year old ex-Montrealer trying to find his way in the photographic world. Strongly based in the entertainment industry, he’s always looking for creative ways to work with different photography mediums. He’d also like to make some money along the way.

Zenna is a 25 going on 75 year old Vancouverite, just trying to figure out what the fuck she wants to do. Give her some time, she’ll figure it out.

Jointly, they are focused on creative lifestyle photography for various brands around Vancouver. Separately Zenna is presently addicted to instax, and Charles is obsessed with art installations."

Follow Charles at https://www.instagram.com/czuckermann/

Photography Chat is a weekly Instagram Live @merlindb hosts every Thursday at 5pmPST/8pmEST

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It took a while but it was incredible to have @r.barbee on the chat. Such rad energy and is a great storyteller. He talked about how he got into photography and shared some of his stories about going pro and his love of Ilford (and Kodak too). We got into his music and he shared some of his fav pedals and what musicians have inspired him. He talked to us about which photographers have inspired him over the years. Such a rad dude, if you have the time to check out the recording it is well worth it.

“Ray is an American skateboarder, photographer, and musician from San Jose, California. A humble yet remarkably talented skateboarder, musician and photographer who believes that all 3 passions are crafted by various factors outside of the artist’s control. From making prints in a darkroom to making music in a studio, Ray embraces the imperfections of analogue formats.”

Follow Ray at https://www.instagram.com/r.barbee/

Photography Chat is a weekly Instagram Live @merlindb hosts every Thursday at 5pmPST/8pmEST

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Lucy is a real gem, I really enjoyed chatting with her. We talked about how she got started in photography and how music and movies are a big inspiration to her and then we got into her YouTube channel. Lucy is an awesome ambassador in the Photographic community and is helping to create a safe inclusive space for people who are interested in getting into film photography. Check her out on YouTube and hit up her profile to see some awesome photos! Here's a lovely little note from Lucy to you.

"Hey, I’m Lucy

I'm a 29-year-old Australian film photographer and host of the YouTube channel “Lucy Lumen’s analog adventures”

I run the channel with the help of my partner who videos my adventures and also makes all the music too. We complement each other perfectly with our strengths in different areas and love being creative together.

I’m a devoted 35mm film shooter, love point and shoots, and keeping things simple.

Through the YouTube channel, I am hoping to bring a refreshing energy to the film community and play a role in making it accessible and fun to everyone!

Love Lucy xx"

Follow Lucy at https://www.instagram.com/lucy_lumen/

Check her out on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDRFbE1xnJtTCiRFdSKPdLQ

Photography Chat is a weekly Instagram Live @merlindb hosts every Thursday at 5pmPST/8pmEST

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Alexandria got her first film camera in 2016 and became enamored with the manual process, delayed gratification, and the flaws that can come from shooting film. Film photography has transformed her way of thinking in our fast-paced, instant perfection world we live in. Join us to chat about her weird, whimsical, wonderful life and about film photography.

Photography Chat is a weekly Instagram Live @merlindb hosts every Thursday at 5pmPST/8pmEST

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Hailing from Denton Texas we've got Armand, the proprietor of the Denton Camera Exchange and one of the founders of the Instant Film Society. I'm proud to call Armand a good homie. In this episode, we talk about large format instant film and other goodies.

Follow Armand at https://www.instagram.com/rmandkohandani/

Follow the store at https://www.instagram.com/dentoncameraexchange/

Check out the Instant Film Society https://www.instagram.com/instantfilmsociety/

Photography Chat is a weekly Instagram Live @merlindb hosts every Thursday at 5pmPST/8pmEST

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The state of the emulsion panel for Polacon 7 was dope. So nice to hang out with all these folks again in Denton. Some technical difficulties but we got through it all. I haven't seen some folks since 2019 so it was nice to catch up with old friends and make some new ones. Polacon is a yearly celebration of Instant Film that happens in a few cities across North America.

Such a rad time chatting it out with Jason in his studio. We talked about his latest exhibition in San Diego ah @plnu that is running until November. We got into who inspires him and what kind of work he has planned. We got onto talking about making books and chatted about @filmphotographic and his upcoming Leica show in London in 2023. Alberta showed us some of her artwork and will be taking over hosting my show :)

“JASON LEE

b. 1970, Orange, California

A native of Southern California, Jason Lee is a photographer, producer, writer, director, and actor. Having established a successful career as a professional skateboarder during skateboarding's pivotal late 80s and early 90s period, Lee would go on to pursue acting before developing a passion for photography in 2002. His photographic works have since been featured in multiple group and solo exhibitions, magazines and books, with A PLAIN VIEW (2018) representing the debut publication for Film Photographic, the book publishing company Lee founded in 2015. Prior to the release of A PLAIN VIEW, Refueled magazine published Lee’s first ever photography book, a 2016 special limited edition hardcover issue featuring selected American instant film photographs. June 1, 2019 saw the opening of OK: Jason Lee Photographs, Lee’s premiere museum exhibition. Commissioned by Tulsa’s Philbrook Museum of Art and on view through December 2019, the exhibition featured 178 Oklahoma photographs spanning the Meinig and Burnstein galleries in the museum’s satellite location, Philbrook Downtown. A selection of Larry Clark’s original Tulsa prints were concurrently presented in the adjacent Smith Gallery. A hardcover OK exhibition catalog will be released at a later date. In December 2020, UK publisher Stanley/Barker released IN THE GOLD DUST RUSH, a 112-page book featuring a selection of Lee’s previously unpublished American black-and-white photographs spanning 2008 to 2020. In 2021, Film Photographic in association with Galveston Historical Foundation published a book of Lee’s selected Galveston, Texas photographs.”

Follow Jason at https://www.instagram.com/jasonlee/

Photography Chat is a weekly Instagram Live @merlindb hosts every Thursday at 5pmPST/8pmEST

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Another rad chat is in the can, had an epic time with Dan. We talked about our mutual love of instant film and Polaroid. He talked about his upcoming book and some other projects he has in mind. We shared our experiences in the film community and how powerful it is when people share with each other. Stay tuned to his feed for the release of his book! Here's a little blurb from Dan to you.

‘Dan is a self-taught photographer from Florida now residing in Philadelphia. He is currently finishing up a book consisting of mutant Polaroid landscapes. By utilizing several different formats, Dan focuses on capturing the transient moments that make up the human condition.’

Follow Dan at https://www.instagram.com/ifeellikedan/

Photography Chat is a weekly Instagram Live @merlindb hosts every Thursday at 5pmPST/8pmEST

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It was very nice to share some time with @ashleysenja tonight on the chat. We talked about how she got started with photography, her time at Nikon, and what inspires her. Her cat Sir Theodore graced us with his majestic presence. We got into a really interesting conversation about fatness and how that plays in her work. That conversation spun into the perception of fat people in society and how there needs to be more empowerment for fat people so we can work towards dismantling the stigma. I talked a little bit about how I view the chat and what drives me to continue it and then we called it an evening. It was a very productive chat, thank you for hanging out with us.

Follow Ashley at https://www.instagram.com/ashleysenja/

Photography Chat is a weekly Instagram Live @merlindb hosts every Thursday at 5pmPST/8pmEST

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Chatting it out with @jamieswick was a lot of fun. She shared with us her immense love, of Polaroid, the medium, the cameras, and the community. Jamie is a fellow die hard believer of the Polaroid medium. She shared with us some of her aging tricks to get certain results from Polaroid film. She shared with us about some of her upcoming projects, one of them being a book. So give her a follow and stay tuned to her feed if you want to see where that goes. Thank you for hanging out this evening.

“PNW PHOTOGRAPHER Jamie Swick spent a childhood oscillating between the mountains and rocky coastlines of New England. These places show themselves throughout her work as foundational footprints, foreshadowing her deep-rooted interest in the ethereal and quiet.

Captivated by cold places, isolation, decay, memory, and the environment, her work explores solitude and stillness, a slowing down and extraction from America’s demanding modernity. Working with Polaroid film for over a decade, she has mastered the beautiful imperfection of this medium with her atmospheric images. Evidence of contemplative practice, poetry, and curiosity lingers toward the edges of her work while inviting the viewer to step into the scene and breathe a while. She works with SX-70 and SLR680 cameras.”

Follow Jamie at https://www.instagram.com/jamieswick/

Photography Chat is a weekly Instagram Live @merlindb hosts every Thursday at 5pmPST/8pmEST

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@msdakotalee was a treat to have on the chat. She talked about how modeling go her started down the path to be a photographer. We shared our mutual love of swearing and how fun it is :p we talked a little bit about current events and then we wrapped up on the kind of work that she wants to focus on with her photography practice. If you have not checked her work out, give her a follow and show some love.

“I’ve been modeling full time for 7 years now as an international model, and I started shooting professionally as a photographer about two years ago. I produce photo adventures and workshops on a national level- my next photo adventure will take me to Joshua Tree! I live in Frederick Maryland with my son and cat.”

Follow Dakota at https://www.instagram.com/msdakotalee/

Photography Chat is a weekly Instagram Live @merlindb hosts every Thursday at 5pmPST/8pmEST

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Oh man, Mike and I got into some interesting chats tonight. We meandered all over the place from conspiracies theories, food, and different topics around technology availability and the ethics of tech. But every time we wandered we were able to bring it back to a photography-related thing. It was so great chatting with Mike and I can’t wait to catch up with him someday soon to grab a burger!

Mike is equal parts photographer, designer, and gear nerd, lover of film and all things analog, living in California with his wife and two kids. He is also the mastermind behind Shoot Film Co.

Follow Mike at https://www.instagram.com/themikepadua/

Check out Shoot Film Co. at https://www.instagram.com/shootfilmco/

Photography Chat is a weekly Instagram Live @merlindb hosts every Thursday at 5pmPST/8pmEST

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I had a lot of fun chatting with Liza she is a very interesting person. We talked about how she got started and what her experience was like going from film to digital and back to film again. She shared with us how much she enjoys travel and shooting while on adventures. We talked about cars for a little bit which was kind of fun for a change, It’s always a treat to chat with another petrol head. We had some interesting discussions around the future of humanity and overall talked about the importance of community. Here is a little more about Liza.

"Hi everyone! I'm Liza and I am a hobby film photographer based in and around Toronto. I've had my foot in visual arts since childhood primarily with drawing and painting, but fell in love with photography in high school. After shooting digital for several years, I purchased my first film camera about 2 years ago on a whim and haven't looked back since! Picking up a film camera has brought back my passion for photography and pushed me to continue developing my skills with every shot I take. I mainly shoot during my travels, with the goal of capturing the feeling of a moment and place alongside its beauty. Additionally, my film cameras often join me when attending various automotive events. Outside of photography I have a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology."

Follow Liza at https://www.instagram.com/35mm.digital/

Photography Chat is a weekly Instagram Live @merlindb hosts every Thursday at 5pmPST/8pmEST

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Oh boy did we ever have an animated chat tonight. We talked about the new Leica M6 release, shooting instant film, fav alcohols, Jesus, baby Hitler and time machines, why malt liquor is for kids, and cameras that fuck. It was nice to catch up with Abel after spending so much time in person with him over the last couple of months. Looking forward to more hangs and adventures in the future.

‘Instant Flamingos or instant flamingoes /ˈɪnstənt fləˈmɪŋɡoʊz/ / are a type of wading bird in the family Phoenicopteridae. Although originally from Chile, some specimens have been observed habiting in the Seattle metropolitan area. They are characterized by carrying antique image-capturing devices to photograph anything that calls their attention, from landscapes to people.

A group of instant flamingoes is called an "instant flamboyance."’

Follow Abel at https://www.instagram.com/instantflamingo/

Photography Chat is a weekly Instagram Live @merlindb hosts every Thursday at 5pmPST/8pmEST

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It’s been way too long since @nicolemunoz94 and I have hung out so it was awesome to catch up with her on the chat tonight. We talked about her career in acting and about the movie industry. We got into what inspired her to start photography and some of her adventures on the path to learning in school and what has kept her going since. She shared some of her favorite cameras and some of the work she has done. Then we ended with a trip down memory lane to a ridiculous idea we had for a photo company doing professional headshots for your junk. Nicole shares a bit more below.

“Hi 👋 My name is Nicole Munoz, I am an actor based in Vancouver. Though I love being in front of the camera, I find myself behind it during my downtime. I picked up a disposable camera years back for a personal project of leaving the house more often and haven't put it down yet. My style is undetermined, I take photos to remember. Most of my pictures are shot on disposables, though many now are taken with my FujiX100F, my handy, dandy, pretty much always on auto, perfectly sized camera. My first big girl camera. We are attached at the hip.”

Follow Nicole at https://www.instagram.com/nicolemunoz94/

Photography Chat is a weekly Instagram Live @merlindb hosts every Thursday at 5pmPST/8pmEST

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On this episode of the chat is @andre.on.film. I met Andre at the @thedarkroomlab film paideia and had a chance to hang out and shoot in San Clemente. He is an avid film photography enthusiast and knows a thing or two about watches. When he’s not behind the camera he’s making sure other film photographers are happy as a customer solutions manager at @cinestillfilm and in-between developing film with sweet night vision goggles he co-hosts the @negativepositives podcast. Should be a really fun episode.

Follow Andre at https://www.instagram.com/andre.on.film/

Check out the podcast at https://www.instagram.com/negativepositives/

It was a real honor to have one of my best pals and creative partners on the chat. Tune in for this special episode with @becccashootsfilm founder of @northernfilmcollective and a fellow film fanatic. She is a lover of all things retro and seeks to document the world and urban decay as she sees it. Armed with her Canon T90 or Bronica SQ-A she creates vulnerable images that reach inside of you. Becca is a brilliant creative that you should really pay attention to.

Follow Becca at https://www.instagram.com/becccashootsfilm/

Check out NFC at https://www.instagram.com/northernfilmcollective/

Matthew s a wicked awesome cat, so much fun to chat it out with him. He shared how he got started with film photography and his connection to skateboarding with it. We talked about punk music and going to live shows. He shared how he get involved with Filmphotographic and his involvement with Our City which was a cool exhibition. Then we finished off with being old but still rocking skate style haha. Matt was wicked rad. Looking forward to seeing him at PolaCon Bay Area in 2023.

“A little about me, I’ve been photographing in general since I was 15 started with skateboarding because I wasn’t a strong skater but they gang needed a filmer and photog so I got into it. Live in a small northern ca town called Rio Vista which is on the CA delta. I got back into primarily shooting film in 2015-16 when I joined Instagram and found out a lot of people still shot it and found some great communities. I’ve been lucky to be apart of 3 filmphotographic group shows. As of recent I was BetterOff Zine’s feature no. 6 photographer and currently enjoy going to different areas of CA when I can and documenting what I see.”

Follow Matthew at https://www.instagram.com/mattoriousfilmphoto/

Photography Chat is a weekly Instagram Live @merlindb hosts every Thursday at 5pmPST/8pmEST

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It was pretty hilarious hanging out with @zennawong in the studio. Her better half @czuckermann of @zuckermannwong wasn’t able to make it today so we will have to do a follow-up episode with him later. Thanks to a couple of @topochicohardseltzerca things got a little weird today. We did talk about some photography stuff but also cartoons, how to pronounce words, and other random things. We had a great time and we hope you did too hanging out with us for the live or listening in on the recording.

"Zuckermann & Wong are editorial, portrait and commercial lifestyle photographers who do creative shit on the side.

Charles is a 55 year old ex-Montrealer trying to find his way in the photographic world. Strongly based in the entertainment industry, he’s always looking for creative ways to work with different photography mediums. He’d also like to make some money along the way.

Zenna is a 25 going on 75 year old Vancouverite, just trying to figure out what the fuck she wants to do. Give her some time, she’ll figure it out.

Jointly, they are focused on creative lifestyle photography for various brands around Vancouver. Separately Zenna is presently addicted to instax, and Charles is obsessed with art installations."

Follow Zenna at https://www.instagram.com/zennawong/

Photography Chat is a weekly Instagram Live @merlindb hosts every Thursday at 5pmPST/8pmEST

Give me a follow if you want to see the episodes live https://www.instagram.com/merlindb/

It was nice having a fellow Canadian join me for episode eight. Take is a rad photographer hailing from Vancouver BC who has done projects all around the world. I had the pleasure of meeting Take in San Clemente at The Darkroom Lab film paideia in 2019. He was great to chat with and it's been awesome staying in touch with him over the years.

Follow Take at https://www.instagram.com/bigheadtaco/

Photography Chat is a weekly Instagram Live @merlindb hosts every Thursday at 5pmPST/8pmEST

Give me a follow if you want to see the episodes live https://www.instagram.com/merlindb/

I had the pleasure of meeting Megan during the last @thedarkroomlab Film Paideia in San Clemente back in the before time. She was doing a presentation on the stunning work she does with old school Nikonos cameras and the unholy things she does to low iso film underwater. If you’re not already following @meganshootsfilm you really should, you’ll be rewarded with beautiful images of the ocean inside and out. Her passion for the open water comes from her background in marine biology and her goal is to inspire people to care about our planet a little bit more.

Follow Megan at https://www.instagram.com/meganshootsfilm/

Check out The Darkroom at https://www.instagram.com/thedarkroomlab/

Photography Chat is a weekly Instagram Live @merlindb hosts every Thursday at 5pmPST/8pmEST

Give me a follow if you want to see the episodes live https://www.instagram.com/merlindb/

In this episode of the chat, we’ve got my oldest friend and one of Vancouver’s best personal and business branding photographers. I’ve known Dawn since we were kids in a sleepy mountain town in the Rockies. She cut her teeth in photography in the darkroom at our high school and then went pro when she moved to Vancouver. Check out the episode to hear about her experiences travelling the world to gain experience and build her photographic business.

Follow Dawn at https://www.instagram.com/dawnstenzelphotography/

I’m excited to have Grant Brittian joining us for episode 17. Grant has been shooting skateboarding from 1979 to the present and he sees no end in sight. While he was working at the Del Mar Skate Ranch in the 1970’s he was inspired by the top photographers at the time who would come through. He borrowed his roommate's camera and became hooked on shooting. In his vast career, he helped found Transworld skateboarding magazine and The Skateboard Mag. Lately, he’s been focusing on his own artistic endeavors. I had the pleasure of chatting with Grant in San Clemente last year at a rad pizza joint. Tune in to chat it out with Grant. Looking forward to hanging with y’all.

Check out Grant's work here https://www.instagram.com/jgrantbrittain/

Photography Chat is a weekly Instagram Live @merlindb hosts every Thursday at 5pmPST/8pmEST

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Sarah is a brilliant large format photography and instant film aficionado based in Ohio. We've been Instagram pals for a long time and had the chance to meet in person in 2019 during an instant film photography show in Elgin IL. We talked about the love of large format photography and Polaroid, the unfortunate reality of non-male photographers, and the magic of photo road trips. I hope you have as much fun watching as we did chatting.

Follow Sarah at https://www.instagram.com/sarahjeanachor/

What a rad time chatting with one of the sweetest boys from @sweetboysuniversity Ethan is a real mensch and a super interesting cat. A real renaissance man of the ’20s. We talked about stuff all over the map, from his work on ultra-large format cameras to his work on 3D printing all kinds of things. Check out his page for more cool things.

"Ethan Moses is the stable genius behind Cameradactyl.com.

He is the inventor of The World's Best Pencil Holder.

He became the first 3D Printed Billionaire when he started selling his files online for photographers like you to print his designs at home.”

Follow Ethan at https://www.instagram.com/cameradactyl/

Photography Chat is a weekly Instagram Live @merlindb hosts every Thursday at 5pmPST/8pmEST

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Was awesome having Jay on the chat. We talked about Polaroid and film photography. How we got started in photography. What COVID has been like in our respective towns and got into large format a little while discussing the merits of NYC. Can’t wait to catch up with Jay in the big apple one of these days.

Follow Jay at https://www.instagram.com/morbidjay/ 

Photography Chat is a weekly Instagram Live @merlindb hosts every Thursday at 5pmPST/8pmEST

Give me a follow if you want to see the episodes live https://www.instagram.com/merlindb/

Check out Brandon and Brian Wright (AKA The Brothers Wright) on the chat. They are the photographers and creators behind CineStill Film. Their creative work has spanned from music and wedding photography to experimental photography using one-of-a-kind processes and hand-crafted cameras.

Follow The Brothers at https://www.instagram.com/bwrightphoto/

Check out CineStill at https://www.instagram.com/cinestillfilm/

Photography Chat is a weekly Instagram Live @merlindb hosts every Thursday at 5pmPST/8pmEST

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Really great time chatting it out with Alex, we got into what got him started with the studio world and led him to Doris and how he got into photography. We got a little political and then came back to photography and had an interesting back and forth about how cameras can be a passport into other people's worlds. Shared a couple of our favorite movies, Alex had some really interesting ones I’d never heard of before. Here's more about Alex.

"Alex Waber a fashion, advertising, and portrait photographer based out of Vancouver, Canada. Trained in cinematography Alex brings the language of storytelling to his photography through lighting design, composition, and art direction. With a strong DIY attitude, Alex has built himself two custom studios and that ground-up attitude makes its way into all his projects, be it custom set pieces or hand-painted backdrops; a day off is usually spent making a mess in his studio.

A love of music has greatly informed his approach to the creative process, an ideal shoot is full of collaborative energy, ideas bouncing around as we follow the art direction with some good improvisation thrown into the mix. This has also resulted in many live music events happening out of his space and a number of musician’s portraits which have shown up in articles around the world.

Alex has shot for clients including Arcteryx, Aritzia, and Shaw Communications and has had work published internationally in places like The Guardian, Rolling Stones, and The Globe and Mail. "

Follow Alex at https://www.instagram.com/alexwaber/

Check out Doris at https://www.instagram.com/dorisisaplace/

Photography Chat is a weekly Instagram Live @merlindb hosts every Thursday at 5pmPST/8pmEST

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Back in the before times, Alicia the proprietor of @queensshophair hosted my first solo exhibition and release of my first book. With the pandemic easing, she has started gallery programming in her space and invited me back. This time I figured it would be more fun to put together an exhibition with a few of my favorite degenerates in Toronto. Debased Depraved Degenerates features the work of Becca, Leslie, David, and myself. The exhibit will run till the end of June at Queens Shop and all of the photos are available to purchase. There will also be a book coming soon showcasing all of the work. I thought it might be fun to do a quick special episode during the opening so here it is :)

Check out Becca at https://www.instagram.com/becccashootsfilm/

Check out Leslie at https://www.instagram.com/frontoparietal/

Check out David at https://www.instagram.com/filmstreeter/

Photography Chat is a weekly Instagram Live @merlindb hosts every Thursday at 5pmPST/8pmEST

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Tim Ryugo is an absolute legend and such a sweet human. It was a blast chatting with Tim about how he got started in the film industry 40 odd years ago and what his journey has been like to the present day. He got to talking about giving back to the community and it choked him up a bit which was honestly beautiful to see someone that has so much passion and is so open to sharing their knowledge with people. Really looking forward to chatting with Tim more in the future, and if you’re looking for some film and have an interesting project maybe tag him in something :)

Follow Tim at https://www.instagram.com/timryugo_kodakprofessional/

Photography Chat is a weekly Instagram Live @merlindb hosts every Thursday at 5pmPST/8pmEST

Give me a follow if you want to see the episodes live https://www.instagram.com/merlindb/

Jesse and I got into the dark side of inspiration and we took a trip down memory lane of her favorite places she’s shot. We discussed road trips and photo projects and the happenings at @underdogfilmlab check out the recording to catch up on the series :)

Follow Jesse at https://www.instagram.com/jesseshootsfilm/

Check out Under Dog at https://www.instagram.com/underdogfilmlab/

Rona brain be damned we had a fun episode tonight chatting it out with @travis_cannady the creator of @betteroffzine and all-around film wizard. He shared how he got started with film and his experiences being a living dip dunk machine processing films for lots of folks in Northern California. We got into aspects of social media, what's been going on with Instagram, and some thoughts around the up-and-coming Grainery app. He also got into his zine making, some of the projects and challenges he has had in the wild world of zines. He has a few projects coming out so make sure to check out the links in his bio to stay abreast of things.

“Travis Cannady is a photographer born and raised in Sacramento, California. He studied Fine Arts at American River College from 2012 - 2017. This is where he found his love and appreciation for film photography while working in the darkroom. While not limiting himself to any one genre of photography, the current focus of his work is on documenting the mundane of everyday life. Other than photography, Travis has found a passion for zines. That includes collecting them from other photographers and making zines of his own work. Also at the beginning of 2021, Travis wanted to share this passion for zine making by starting a new film photography publication in a printed format called Better Off Zine. These zines feature work from a different photographer in each issue with the goal of giving an opportunity for photographers in this ever-growing film community to share their work and to make it accessible to as many people as possible.”

Follow Travis at https://www.instagram.com/travis_cannady/

Check out Better of Zine https://www.instagram.com/betteroffzine/

Photography Chat is a weekly Instagram Live @merlindb hosts every Thursday at 5pmPST/8pmEST

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All hail West Texas :) It was so nice to reconnect with @sarabutton who joined us from Marfa Texas while hanging out in her newest venture the @marfafilmshop before she headed out for an Instax Photowalk. Sara has had a long history with film photography so it makes a lot of sense that she has launched a film shop. Sara shared with us how she got started and some of the adventures that she had since she started shooting in the mid-’90s. We got a little silly at the end with some TV jingles and talked about hopefully getting together at PolaCon later this fall. If you ever need film and film accessories and you’re in Marfa hit up Sara. Thanks for hanging out everyone.

“Sara Button is a photographer living in Marfa, Texas. She started & runs the local camera shop, Marfa Film Shop, which is housed in a cute micro adobe on San Antonio Street. The film shop provides a large variety of different film, cameras, film equipment, and more to people living in or traveling through Far West Texas.”

Follow Sara at https://www.instagram.com/sarabutton/

Photography Chat is a weekly Instagram Live @merlindb hosts every Thursday at 5pmPST/8pmEST

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Joining me in this episode is another good Polapal David Hunter. Things get emotional as we talk about life and Polaroids.

Follow David at https://www.instagram.com/davidhunter3404/

Photography Chat is a weekly Instagram Live @merlindb hosts every Thursday at 5pmPST/8pmEST

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We had fun on the chat tonight @johnnythebandit talked about how he got started and got into a project he is working on that sounds really interesting around double exposures. He got into how the film community has been so welcoming and awesome to him and the importance of it. We talked a lot about the camera stores we love like @galaxycameraottawa and @downtowncamera and we got into the nitty-gritty about cheap films and film availability. All in all, I had a great time chatting it out with John and appreciate him sharing some time with me. Here is a little more from John himself.

“I’m John or online Johnny the Bandit. I got into photography in 2019 when I was living in Ottawa for the first time. The local camera shop owner convinced me to try film and I have been addicted since. I love taking portraits. I have asked people whos style has caught my eye for portraits. It is nerve-racking but worth it. I wasn’t permitted to touch the family camera in my younger years. I think this has motivated me to take a lot of what I like to call “Mum or Dad” photography. I am always documenting friends as if I am the Mum or Dad of the hangout. I have been exploring photography and journaling what exactly I like about it. I think it is the ability to tell a story. I hope to start a photography project that tells a story soon. Currently, I am exploring night photography, completing photo challenges from other photographers, and learning how to shoot/develop/scan Black and White film.

Stay gold, JohnC”

Follow John at https://www.instagram.com/johnnythebandit/

Photography Chat is a weekly Instagram Live @merlindb hosts every Thursday at 5pmPST/8pmEST

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Joining me tonight on photography chat is Amy and I’m very excited to have her on. I’m curious to hear about how she has used photography as a tool in archeology and her new creative endeavors. The magic of Instagram connected Amy and me last year and I hope tonight it connects y’all together. Thank you for joining me on these chat adventures. Looking forward to seeing everyone tonight.

Follow Amy at https://www.instagram.com/shutteringtothink/

Photography Chat is a weekly Instagram Live @merlindb hosts every Thursday at 5pmPST/8pmEST

Give me a follow if you want to see the episodes live https://www.instagram.com/merlindb/

It was a lot of fun chatting with Ariela. We discussed scanning and soviet cameras and also residential schools here in Canada. Her cat made an appearance and stole the show. Here’s a little blurb from Ariela herself.

“Ariela is a hobby film photographer based in Vancouver, BC. She has an affinity for tinkering with things, mostly because of her genuine curiosity about how things work. As much as she loves capturing light with film, she has a deep and profound love for cameras. She runs a small local food business as her day job, as she loves food and fermentation just as much as photography. Her background is partly in chemistry (she’s just a huge nerd tbh), so for her, film is where science and art intersect in the most perfect way. The pandemic has really integrated photography into her daily life: when she’s not out on a photo walk, she develops and scans all her film at home.”

Follow Ariela at https://www.instagram.com/arielaaaaaaaa/

Photography Chat is a weekly Instagram Live @merlindb hosts every Thursday at 5pmPST/8pmEST

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It was a real pleasure to chat it out with @daniellegoshay tonight. We talked about some of her projects coming up, a book on the history of wheat pasting with @jumblefacefoto, and a group show she is curating in Toronto for May Day showcasing the work of several artists in a public wheat paste display. She shared how she got started with photography and what drives her. Then we got a bit into how the pandemic has affected us all and the hope for a new renaissance in the post-pandemic world and what we would like to see it being. If you aren’t following her yet check out her work and stay tuned for the book and May Day.

“Danielle Goshay is a Canadian/American artist based in Toronto whose practice includes experimental digital and film photography and alternative process. Goshay studied at Pittsburgh Filmmakers media arts center in Pennsylvania and has exhibited work in Pittsburgh and Toronto. Goshay's published visual art and creative non-fiction can be found in Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Sublet Press, maybe. magazine for analogue photography, AGON Journal, Hecate Magazine, and KNACK Magazine.”

Check out her website: daniellegoshayphotography.com

Follow Danielle at https://www.instagram.com/daniellegoshay/

Photography Chat is a weekly Instagram Live @merlindb hosts every Thursday at 5pmPST/8pmEST

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@reit_angle was so much fun to have on the chat. We got into some really deep interesting talks about social issues, and community. She told us about how she got started in photography and her love of Polaroid. We had a really great conversation about the way our world is and how we would like to see it improve. I am glad that people like Casey exist in the world, it gives some hope. I really look forward to meeting her in person at an event sometime in the future.

“Casey is a Polaroid and analog film photographer based in Chicago. Her work centers on nature, city curiosities, and solitary spaces. For Casey, photography is a means of exploring vulnerability, memory, and mindfulness. She also enjoys capturing the raw passion of live music performances on film. Casey has been working with Polaroid film since 2019.”

Follow Casey at https://www.instagram.com/reit_angle/

Photography Chat is a weekly Instagram Live @merlindb hosts every Thursday at 5pmPST/8pmEST

Give me a follow if you want to see the episodes live https://www.instagram.com/merlindb/

My guest is the infamous Brian Brooks from San Francisco. He is a creator of fine polaroid images and part of a team of passionate film enthusiasts at Underdog Film Lab in Oakland California. I met Brian through the Instant Film Society as we share a mutual love for all things Polaroid.

Follow Brian on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/brian_brooks/

Photography Chat is a weekly Instagram Live @merlindb hosts every Thursday at 5pmPST/8pmEST

Give me a follow if you want to see the episodes live https://www.instagram.com/merlindb/

JP is a fantastic film shooter and expert shit poster residing in the Bay Area. When he’s not rocking out in his moms AMG antagonizing the magats you can find him taking fine portraits and dumping spicy memes. He has mastered portraits during COVID on medium and large format film.

Follow JP at https://www.instagram.com/jp.wtf/

Photography Chat is a weekly Instagram Live @merlindb hosts every Thursday at 5pmPST/8pmEST

Give me a follow if you want to see the episodes live https://www.instagram.com/merlindb/

It was a lot of fun to have @ianazariah in the studio today. He told us about his journey into photography and his adventures into tin type. Shared with us his stories about photography from his childhood and how it has influenced him and about his analog photo booths that he has peppered around Vancouver. Really looking forward to chatting more with him in the future and checking out his Tin Type work in person and his photo booths.

“A simple man with a passion for making bold images, riding things with two wheels, and building treehouses.”

Follow Ian at https://www.instagram.com/ianazariah/

Photography Chat is a weekly Instagram Live @merlindb hosts every Thursday at 5pmPST/8pmEST

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I met Eric at an event in Tulsa Oklahoma in 2019 and discovered he is really good people. He captures life on film in a really beautiful way and he is one of the curators over at Film Photographic. We talk about life and photography and are visited by his dog Weezel.

Follow Eric at https://www.instagram.com/ericeffinb/

Also Weezel https://www.instagram.com/weezelthedog/

Check out Film Photographic https://www.instagram.com/filmphotographic/

Photography Chat is a weekly Instagram Live @merlindb hosts every Thursday at 5pmPST/8pmEST

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Chatting with @andyo7 tonight made me really miss Denton. Can’t wait to make it down this September for the next @instantfilmsociety PolaCon. Andy share with us his inception story into the photo world involving his father Minolta and he shared with us a few of his cameras. We got off into a tangent about microphones and then ride-sharing apps before we circled back into the realm of photo chats. He talked to us about some of the promo photos he shared and where they came from and then we got into some of the reasons why PolaCon is such a rad event. If you’re looking for something to do this fall you should check out PolaCon and maybe we’ll see you in Denton.

"What started out as a general curiosity has morphed into an outright obsession. I began playing around with instant film 4-5 years ago after Denton Camera Exchange opened and Daniel Rodrigue and Justin Goode gave an afternoon talk at a Denton music and culture festival I was volunteering with. Now, I have almost a dozen cameras and a dedicated film fridge. Now it feels weird to leave the house without a camera. I hope one day to actually be good at this stuff.”

Follow Andy at https://www.instagram.com/andyo7/

Photography Chat is a weekly Instagram Live @merlindb hosts every Thursday at 5pmPST/8pmEST

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Technical difficulties aside it was rad chatting it out with @nicolemarsden13 tonight. She has such an incredible eye for capturing abandoned places and her style with predominantly expired film lends to creating photos with lots of emotion. She shared with us some of her other creative outlets such as music, sewing, and candle making. If you’re looking for some cool candles check out her Etsy Foxy Empress Potions. She also hinted that a book may be in the works, which many of us are 100% down for. Keep an eye on Nicole, she's going to be making some pretty rad shit!

“Nicole Marsden is an analog photographer from Toronto. Her style is grungy with a focus on urbex, spirituality, and anything expired.”

Follow Nicole at https://www.instagram.com/nicolemarsden13/

Photography Chat is a weekly Instagram Live @merlindb hosts every Thursday at 5pmPST/8pmEST

Give me a follow if you want to see the episodes live https://www.instagram.com/merlindb/

Talking with @thepolaroidjay made me really miss the Bay Area. Such a rad dude that is part of so many great film communities in the Bay Area. He shared with us how he got into Polaroids and some of his more memorable moments. We talked about Polacon and the radness involved with that community and he shared his love of Pizza with us. Quality time with a quality human this evening, hope y’all had as great of a time as we did.

"Polaroid Jay is a first-generation Filipino-American living in the Bay Area, California. He's been shooting Polaroids for about 10 years. Most of his work is portraits and documenting music scenes, art scenes, as well as different communities around the Bay Area, from car culture to corgis to Cosplayers."

Follow Jay at https://www.instagram.com/thepolaroidjay/

Photography Chat is a weekly Instagram Live @merlindb hosts every Thursday at 5pmPST/8pmEST

Give me a follow if you want to see the episodes live https://www.instagram.com/merlindb/

Oh man, I love this guy, what a treat to catch up with @brian_brooks and hear about how PolaCon Bay Area went this year. We spent some time on the great community that is @instantfilmsociety and how to get involved with them. Of course, there was talk of Polaroids and I shared the crazy story of my move across Canada from Toronto to Vancouver last year. Looking forward to seeing Brian and the other PolaPals in Denton in September. Stay safe out there y’all and keep being awesome.

Profile photo by https://www.instagram.com/nickcollingwoodvintage/

Follow Brian at https://www.instagram.com/brian_brooks/

Follow the Instant Film Society at https://www.instagram.com/instantfilmsociety/

Photography Chat is a weekly Instagram Live @merlindb hosts every Thursday at 5pmPST/8pmEST

Give me a follow if you want to see the episodes live https://www.instagram.com/merlindb/

Apologies for the audio on this episode. Hadn't dialed in the new setup yet. Will be better on the next one.

Well, I think that the first in-person chat went really well. I had a great time talking with @sloancam about how he got started and what he digs about photography. We talked about our creative practices and just about life in general. We got a little into upcoming projects and I invited him to be part of some wheat paste projects coming up this spring/summer. I think this will be the first of many in-person chats.

“I tend to use photography as a means for adventure rather than explicitly as a form of art or self-expression. My camera pushes me to go out and explore, whether locally on a short walk with my dog, or on a longer trip.

Photography has enhanced my appreciation of the many small things that I find all around me. I tend to be a big planner, but when I’m out taking pictures, I am pulled back to the present and what’s right there in the moment, rather than always looking ahead and planning for the future, so my work is really just a reflection of the moments I find interesting along those adventures.”

-Cam Sloan

Follow Cam at https://www.instagram.com/sloancam/

Photography Chat is a weekly Instagram Live @merlindb hosts every Thursday at 5pmPST/8pmEST

Give me a follow if you want to see the episodes live https://www.instagram.com/merlindb/

Had a great episode chatting with Julianne about photography for stop motion animation and her practice of screen printing. She had me tell some stories of my adventures with cameras and we had an interesting conversation about being a creative in Canada.

Follow Julianne at https://www.instagram.com/foottoface/

Check out her work at http://www.foottoface.com

Had such a great time chatting it out with my fellow Northern Film Collective curator Allie, we talked about her adventures in Boston when she attended Tufts. Got into her artistic process and film habits. Then we talked about all the cool stuff she’s working on at the archives in Gibsons. Here is a little bit more about Allie.

“Allie Bartlett is an interdisciplinary visual artist from Nova Scotia. She attended the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design as well as the School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts, where she received her BFA in Studio Art. Outside of her home studio, Bartlett can be found hiking with her film camera and identifying local flora in British Columbia, where she currently lives.”

Follow Allie at https://www.instagram.com/alliesgallery/

Check out the Northern Film Collective at https://www.instagram.com/northernfilmcollective/

Photography Chat is a weekly Instagram Live @merlindb hosts every Thursday at 5pmPST/8pmEST

Give me a follow if you want to see the episodes live https://www.instagram.com/merlindb/

Chatting with Allister was very inspiring, she shared the story of how she got started and her adventures on the road and then we got into some interesting talk on the ideology around photography. Really looking forward to seeing her future work and chatting with her again. Here’s a little bit more about Allister from her website.

“At just 22, Allister Ann began her documenting career touring with Grammy Award-winning duo The Civil Wars.

A decade later she has added some of the most inspiring artists, writers, actors, musicians, and fashion designers to her portfolio.

For the last 6 years, she has been the personal photographer for Kenny Chesney and in 2019 he released a limited edition book;

Living Fast Forward: Kenny Chesney which was launched at the Country Music Hall Of Fame.

The book featured Allister's black & white photographs of Kenny's life on and off the road.

When Allister is not in Los Angeles, CA she is either in Nashville or on the road.”

Follow Allister at https://www.instagram.com/allister_ann/

Photography Chat is a weekly Instagram Live @merlindb hosts every Thursday at 5pmPST/8pmEST

Give me a follow if you want to see the episodes live https://www.instagram.com/merlindb/

Melissa was such a fun guest, she was born into photography as her father was a photographer and got her started early. She does rad street photography and is also an accomplished boudoir photographer. It was really cool to her about her practice and how she interacts with her clients. We went on a bit of a tangent on the amazing food to be had in Toronto and how many cool places there are to shoot. Then we got into a vigorous conversation covering various social issues. It’s nice to know people like Melissa exist out in the world. Hopefully, we can all show each other more respect and understanding before shit really pops off.

“Mel’s love of photography all started with a Hanimex 110, the first hand me down camera from her father. As the daughter of a professional photographer, she reaped the benefits of a home studio and darkroom. Shooting mostly film until recent years, she focuses on street photography, boudoir, and being a professional portrait photographer(and hype man) for her cat.

You can catch her on the streets of Toronto, risking getting squished by a streetcar to get the shot(or taking pictures of butts🍑)”

Follow Melissa at https://www.instagram.com/lunamothphoto/

Photography Chat is a weekly Instagram Live @merlindb hosts every Thursday at 5pmPST/8pmEST

Give me a follow if you want to see the episodes live https://www.instagram.com/merlindb/

This is an extra special episode. We have @tsuphotoworks aka tony joining us all the way from France!! We’re going global. Tony is a British-Nigerian filmmaker and photographer, third culture kid, and lover of crafts and analog processes. Based in Brittany France, his photography focuses on portraits and documentary work primarily as an art photographer, but also for commissioned work.

Follow Tony at https://www.instagram.com/tsuphotoworks/

Photography Chat is a weekly Instagram Live @merlindb hosts every Thursday at 5pmPST/8pmEST

Give me a follow if you want to see the episodes live https://www.instagram.com/merlindb/

After taking a year off to regroup the chat is back and we are kicking it off with the awesome Lauren aka @coolperolike on the instagram. She is a rad photographer and human in the Bay Area, but I will let her speak for her self :)

"hi i’m lo! i don’t know how to talk about myself so i guess i’ll start with i’m a photographer and i shoot everything from instant photos to large format to super 8! i love learning about new mods my friends make, learning about the people i take portraits of, and learning what i enjoy the most during the process. meeting and growing with the community of people i’ve met has been my favorite part of photography so far. everyone has a different journey and a different story to tell. i can’t wait to expand on this beautiful community in the bay area and beyond!"

Brisa is a real gem and it was so nice to chat it out with her for a while. We talked about her life as a veterinarian and got into why cats are better than dogs :p She shared with us how she ended up in San Francisco and how she got into photography. We chatted about all of the rad photography and instant film communities in the Bay Area, so much activity there and so many great photographers. Got into her adventures with cyanotype on fabric which was really cool to hear and then shared our mutual love of Polaroid before wrapping up.

“Brisa Aceves is a San Francisco based analog film enthusiast. Shooting 35mm, med format, instant films and later experimenting with UV reactive dyes contact printing her own images onto fabrics and clothing. She fell in love with film as a teenager, learning traditional black and white darkroom printing in high school and color darkroom printing during a scholarship at CSSA’s summer program at Cal Arts. She has been a darkroom assistant for the photography teachers with The Youth Art Exchange (2017-2019) which provided a full circle moment being able to help teens learn traditional dark room printing. Is a member at the Harvey milk photo center a community darkroom in SF, and a longtime attendee of the monthly SF Instant photo walk.

Though her career has been focused on animals as a full-time veterinary nurse and RVT ( hence If you’ve ever seen her at a meet up in scrubs) she’s kept taking photographs and making photo related art as a favorite past time throughout her life.”

Follow Brisa at https://www.instagram.com/vyletfemme/

Photography Chat is a weekly Instagram Live @merlindb hosts every Thursday at 5pmPST/8pmEST

Give me a follow if you want to see the episodes live https://www.instagram.com/merlindb/

What a chat, so rad to see @danieltrodrigue albeit virtually; love that guy. He shared how he got started doing photography which lead to teaching (he’s an OG Polaroid head) some really great stories there on events that he has covered. He has been carrying the torch at the school that helped him get started with photography which is rad. We talked about #edwinlandday which is coming up on May 7th on Papa Land’s birthday, they are going to be hosting a photo walk in Denton but are also encouraging other people to host photo walks for Edwin Land Day in your local city. I would like to put one together for Toronto if anyone is down, let me know. We of course dug into PolaCon, how it started and what it is about. So much to say here so it's just easier to catch the recording if you missed the live. I shared what PolaCon means to me and how important the people in the community are, love you and miss you guys. Can’t wait to see y’all in September. Stay safe out there <3

“Daniel Rodrigue is a professor of journalism, photojournalism, and photography (digital and 35mm darkroom-based) at Dallas College Brookhaven Campus, where he also advises the award-winning student newspaper and magazines. He's been a contributing writer and photographer with the Dallas Observer since 2008. Co-founded Instant Film Society in 2012 to increase awareness, understanding, and accessibility of analog instant films, and then hosted the first PolaCon in 2016. The rest is history and hashtags….”

Photo of Daniel by Ben Fraternale aka @the.instantgram

Follow Daniel at https://www.instagram.com/danieltrodrigue/

Photography Chat is a weekly Instagram Live @merlindb hosts every Thursday at 5pmPST/8pmEST

Give me a follow if you want to see the episodes live https://www.instagram.com/merlindb/

It was nice to finally chat with @minwoo.films we’ve been trying to get together since I moved down to the lower mainland in 2021. He’s freshly graduated and getting to work on his career in the film industry but he is still making time for film photography. We talked about road tripping, the amazing food options in Vancouver, aspects of Korea, and how awesome it is to drive a car in Langley. Looking forward to catching up with Min Woo in person one of these days.

“Here is some info for a blurb:

First name: Min

Last name: Lee

I'm a recent grad, working in docu-series and commercial production as an AC/DIT/CamOp/Stills photographer

Also working freelance as a TD for multi-cam productions

Local BC kid, shoots a bit of film! Loves feature/documentary/“

Follow Min Woo Lee at https://www.instagram.com/minwoo.films/

Photography Chat is a weekly Instagram Live @merlindb hosts every Thursday at 5pmPST/8pmEST

Give me a follow if you want to see the episodes live https://www.instagram.com/merlindb/

This was a dream episode. So rad to chat with the infamous Grainy Days! We got in deep about photography and the human condition. We tackled an onslaught of comments and questions from the crowd and we shared some laughs. This chat was a delight and I hope you enjoy listening to it!

Follow Jason at https://www.instagram.com/50_shades_of_jason/

Michael joined us from the open road in a Penske truck loaded to the hilt with photo gear. Was really fun talking with Micheal about the preservation of film cameras and the work he is doing to build up his camera store and help ensure a future for camera shooters new and old. Here is a bit more about Michael.

"I was a photographer of everything portraiture/weddings/architecture/commercial/musicians.. As all this was going on I was burning myself out and passion for photography turned to becoming infatuated with the idea of saving film cameras and lenses… this was 2001 right around the rise of the dslr camera.

Fast forward 2 decades later I’m opening my first Analog Camera Shop called

Retro Photo Reading in Reading, Pennsylvania. This location was originally a camera shop for 106 years and I plan to continue the tradition.

Our focus is to carry the most reliable film cameras and lenses.. we process C-41, E6 and B&W in house. We carry all brands and have an unlimited supply of film, film cameras/lenses & accessories. We are by appointment only! Allowing all questions to be answered without rush!

On top of all this I have made it a point to support the mom and pop camera shops across the USA by providing them film cameras and lenses for their inventory along with a reliable source of fresh and expired film.

We are slated to open mid to late August.?"

Follow Michael at https://www.instagram.com/retro_photo_york/

Photography Chat is a weekly Instagram Live @merlindb hosts every Thursday at 5pmPST/8pmEST

Give me a follow if you want to see the episodes live https://www.instagram.com/merlindb/

Dave is an amazing person and brilliant photographer based in NorCal. They've taken some of my all-time favorite photos. I met Dave during Polacon 4 and we became fast friends. In this episode, we discuss large format and instant photography.

Follow Dave at https://www.instagram.com/cinedar/

Photography Chat is a weekly Instagram Live @merlindb hosts every Thursday at 5pmPST/8pmEST

Give me a follow if you want to see the episodes live https://www.instagram.com/merlindb/

Join me and @abarringtonevans for another episode of photography chat this evening. Alan has made his way to Boston by way of Bama where he is the grand poobah of the @leicastoreboston I met him in 2018 when he hosted an event with Jason Lee promoting A PLAIN VIEW and included a workshop with a photo walk around Boston. That weekend was a turning point in my photographic journey and Alan made it happen. When he’s not enabling people’s dreams he’s out there creating rad photographs. Drop-in tonight to hang with a super passionate cat and pick his brain and chat it out. Hope to see y’all tonight, stay safe out there.

Follow Alan at https://www.instagram.com/abarringtonevans/

Photography Chat is a weekly Instagram Live @merlindb hosts every Thursday at 5pmPST/8pmEST

Give me a follow if you want to see the episodes live https://www.instagram.com/merlindb/