Herb Dolphy's surprise film results
"I was born in 1982 in Lorient in Brittany. I discovered film photography by recovering my father's camera, an ae1 canon, 5 years ago. I immediately fell in love with the medium. Think carefully about your shot and then have the patience to wait for the result after development. Tested the multitudes of film and cameras is an exciting game.
I mainly practice photography by wandering in cities and countryside in search of places where man has left his mark but is no longer present. The first confinement in April 2020 deprived me of these photographic wanderings. I then got into the habit of choosing negatives and then manipulating them with different materials (soy sauce, honey, inks, etc.). The results were surprising, bizarre and psychedelic."
See more of Herb's work on instagram at @herbdolphy
Herb's websites are at:
https://littleboyjrone.bandcamp.com/music
https://www.flickr.com/photos/155462652@N06/
A/A: Do you find your work has a theme?
HD: Usually my photographic work consists of wandering around with my cameras and shooting according to my finds, often landscapes abandoned by Man. But for my film manipulation series, the inspiration happens at home. I find all kinds of products that I apply to the films. The results are very random. So the theme would be: Films, liquids and surprise results!
A/A: How did you discover alternative processing?
HD: During the first covid lockdown, like everyone else I was stuck at home. To keep myself busy, I started looking for films that I wouldn't use and then tested their resistance. I put on everything that came to hand (honey, soy sauce, syrup, oil...). I scanned and looked at the result, rinsed the film and started again. And conclusion, films is resistant!!!
A/A: Your photos have so much energy. Is that intentional?
HD: Thank you for the compliment, but as I explained above, the results were very hazardous. After a while, I began to know the reactions with the different liquids and found techniques to be as precise as possible on their applications.