Spanish Photographer María Caparrós Martínez Tests Our Medium Format Color Negative ISO 800 Film

María Caparrós Martínez is a Spanish film photographer who also works at Malvarrosa Film Lab in Valencia. She usually shoots on 35 mm films, but this time she wowed us with these wonderful medium format portraits on Color Negative 800 ISO 120 film. Let's hear what María has to say about this film that has quickly become one of her favorites!

Hello María, welcome to our magazine! Can you introduce yourself to our readers?

It is always a little difficult for me to introduce myself but I will say that I am a photographer from the south of Spain who is dedicated to taking pictures of people, mostly connected to the world of art: film, music and fashion, although the latter less and less over time.

How did you get into shooting film?

It was purely by chance, when I was nine years old my parents gave me my first compact camera, but, when I started working professionally, I bought a full-frame digital camera because at that time it represented "what I had to do to truly dedicate myself to it". It was with an existential crisis when I realized that I was getting bored with so much perfection and the possibility of shooting for the sake of shooting, which for me was making each shot lose the value of being a thoughtful and careful process. So I resumed my interest in film in 2010 as an escape route. I remember that summer I bought a Diana F+ with the 35 mm adapter and began to introduce it in my daily life until I lost the fear of introducing film also in my professional assignments. Today I shoot practically all my work on film.

Recently Vogue Spain published your awesome photo reportage on women's soccer. Can you tell us about it?

The truth is that it was very exciting to see a reportage of this type in such a prestigious magazine. It was a super fun experience especially because it was about an amateur team in which I also play! I think it is very important to give visibility and value to women's soccer in Spain, especially after the controversy generated by the World Cup selection.

We love the colors of these photos! For this wonderful series, you used our Color Negative 800 ISO 120 film. What did you like the most about it?

The truth is that I can say that it has become one of my favorite films. I was lucky to be able to take care of the whole process including the scanning, since, apart from my personal projects, I work in Malvarrosa Film lab, a laboratory located in Valencia but with worldwide projection. One of the things I liked most about this film is the intensity of its tones, I love how the greens and magentas look in these portraits and especially the very fine grain. It's a real wonder!

You usually use 35 mm film for your work. How was your experience with shooting medium format?

Different and fun, but it was a very short experience! I'm used to shooting 36 frames normally, and I was also surprised by the sharpness and definition of this format compared to 35 mm cameras. The truth is that I was so happy with the results, that it made me consider investing in a new 120 camera.

Do you have any tips for those who would like to try shooting on 120 film?

I could give more advice on shooting 35 mm, but in my experience, I would tell you to carry a light meter, take your time to focus and don't leave a picture for later because when you realize it, the film will be over!

Thank you María for your precious tips! Follow her on Instagram to see more photos.

written by ludovicazen on 2024-01-19 #gear #people #medium-format #120 #color-negative #spain #lomoamigo #first-impressions #color-negative-800-iso