Sophia Paleari's "Venice is Burning"

Photographer Sophia Paleari found a way to take the much photographed subject of Venice and make it new using progressive film techniques.

"I am Sofia, Italian living in Hamburg and would like to submit some photos I took using my Lomo Holga 120 CN :) I used a slide film, more precisely a Lomo X-Pro 120mm film 400 ISO, which I developed using the C-41 negative process (Cross process). After shooting the film and before developing I took my 120 mm film out of my camera, but instead of rolling properly, I rolled the film very very loose, so that some light could come inside. I kept the film directly in front of the bulb of my desk lamp, 1 minute per side ca., so that more light could come in. 

The pictures were all taken in Venice, therefore I called this series "Venice is burning". I like the effect I got by combining the two techniques: cross process and burning with light."

You can see more of Sophia's work on instagram at @sopheony 

ALTER/ANALOG: What gave you the idea to have a purposeful light leak?

SP: It happened once randomly - I shot once a 120mm film with my HOLGA 120 CN and forgot to "close" it properly. I then forgot my 120mm film in the box where I keep all my shot films and the film started to unroll, so to say, and eventually was very very loose. Even though it was in the box the film was exposed to some light which it burned the film ... I like the effect of the light leak on a 120mm film because it really looks like burnt paper and sometime it is even possible to see the numbers of the film that are on the background.

ALTER/ANALOG:  Do you practice any other alternative processes?

SP: I take photographs only with analog and I would dare to say that I only do experiments :) what I tried till now is film souping with different means, cross-processing, double-exposing, pushing and pulling films, painting negatives, "photo lettering" (doing sketches on film), and as regards instant photography emulsion lift. I still would like to try developing with coffee, shooting a 35mm film in a 120mm camera and other cool stuff, though :)

ALTER/ANALOG: When did you start shooting film?

SP: It was my 21st birthday when my boyfriend (at the time, not anymore) gave me a Holga 120 CN as a birthday gift! That was the beginning of all this. Now I am 28 :)

ALTER/ANALOG: What do you like about film that you can't get from digital?

SP: I like to do experiments and to be surprised from the result. I like that feeling when you go to the photo lab to pick up the negatives or the printed picture and you kind of rediscover pieces of your life which were forgotten (it happens to me sooo often, especially with very old films!). Analog is romantic!