An Interview with Francesca Terenziani on Pocket Format Photography

Impressed by these photographs taken with a 110 camera from 1981 and the Lomography Color Tiger 200 ISO film, we interviewed Francesca Terenziani, the fashion photographer behind these magnificent miniature shots and find out makes her reach out to the 110 format.

© Francesca Terenziani

Hello Francesca, welcome! Could you give a short introduction for the readers of our magazine?

Sure! My name is Francesca Terenziani, I'm 40 years old and I was born in Carpi, in the province of Modena, Italy. I am a fashion photographer and a PRO retoucher. I am specialized in ADV and editorial photography but I also do look books and photography for e-commerce.

When did you learn about the Lomography Community?

I've known about your wonderful Community since I first started using your great products!

© Francesca Terenziani

Tell us about your background. When did your journey into photography begin?

My journey began when I was very young: I was literally taking my first steps to reach drawers searching for old family photos, all taken between the 60s and early 80s, almost all Polaroids! At the age of 8 I was given a Canon Prima BF and at 12 I was using a Polaroid One Step Close Up. For almost 20 years, due to digital technology, I abandoned this passion and then resumed it in 2016 thanks to my current partner and teacher Enrico Pignatti: since then, I have turned this passion into a job, reinventing myself at the age of 37. During these years I have published several editorials and attended many workshops, the most important of all was the one held by Giovanni Gastel in 2019 and organized by Afip International.

How did you approach the analogue world?

I've always been a firm believer in quality and know-how: for me, "old-fashioned" photography is where you show, in no uncertain terms, that you can do it well. It's like the 'one shot' rule, you can't afford to make mistakes because you don't have the chance to preview what you've done. So last year I decided that I had to start again with analogue photography: I needed to feel again the scent of the negatives and the exciting wait for the development times so much so that I proposed this type of photography both for advertising campaigns and for pure personal pleasure.

© Francesca Terenziani

These wonderful photos were taken with a Kodak Ektralite 110 camera. What made you decide to buy a pocket-sized camera, and what fascinates you about this format?

Actually the Kodak Ektralite 400 was a gift from a colleague! It was given to me last year, still new with original box and instructions for use, in short, a real gem dated 1981 (yes, it is exactly my age!). The thing that fascinated me immediately is the "pocket" format, being one of the very first compact cameras, but especially the format of the films it uses: the 110 mm film's definition cannot be compared to the one from the other formats, but I love this perfect imperfection.

Any advice for those who want to approach this format?

More than advice, I invite film lovers to try it and enjoy it!

© Francesca Terenziani

What kind of photographic equipment do you always bring with you in your travels?

Well, definitely the first camera I put in my suitcase is the Kodak Ektralite 400 and then the Lomography Diana F+ which gives me so much satisfaction!

Will the future be analogue or digital for you?

Certainly, for commercial reasons, I will continue with digital but for my personal projects and editorials I will continue and refine more and more the analogue.

© Francesca Terenziani

Exciting projects or collaborations in the pipeline?

There are several, but I prefer not to reveal anything for superstition!


Follow Francesca on her Instagram profile to see all her works.

written by melissaperitore on 2021-08-26 #gear

Lomography Color Tiger  200 (110)

All of Lomography’s signature color negative aesthetics packed into a miniature roll of 110 film for a roaring good time.

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