Italian Film

I love the high contrast of Ferrania P30. It can be harsh, even brutal—like the collision of sun and shadow in Italy.

To me, it captures the atmosphere of the mountain village where we stay, and of the seaside resort a short drive away, more truthfully than any faithful rendering of their actual colours and tones could. There is something of the chiaroscuro of Baroque painting in it: light and darkness heightened to reveal mood.

These photographs form part of Across Europe with Four Film Compacts (https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjCYYWR), my 2024 project featuring hundreds of 35mm photographs made with four of my favourite compact cameras. All the film was processed by Picture This Film Lab.

Film Lab note: The distinctive black dots are a characteristic of this particular roll of Ferrania P30, which came from an expired or otherwise deteriorated batch. In a way, their unpredictability feels rather at home in these photographs - an imperfection that has become part of their character.