Featured Artist: Teresa Sa

Artist: Teresa Sa

Location: London

Teresa's series Untitled Short Stories captures beautiful cinematic portraits expressing her emotions and imagination through carefully considered compositions and spur of the moment shoots she describes as that "magical moment" on her website www.teresasa.co.uk

I shoot using my Mamiya 645, I used to shoot using an old Canon 35mm, but I am happy now with the medium format.

When shooting colour I like to use Kodak Ektar 100, that I expose as 200 ISO, When shooting black and white I love Kodak Tri-X 400, but I also enjoy working with Ilford films.

Featured Series: 'Untitled Short Stories'

SFUK: Tell us a little about yourself and your background in photography.

TS: I am a Portuguese photographer / artist based in London over the last 7 years, nearly 8. Now I am about to leave the UK as I am moving to France. I studied modern languages in Portugal and cinema in Czech Republic. I read a lot, I watch a lot of movies, I like to go to the National Gallery and the British Museum (in the morning). I like mornings. I love road trips, my favourite one was last year in the United States. From New York to Maine and all the way back, it was pure awesomeness!!!

I wrote this little text a few years ago about why I love photography:

For me, one of the most appealing qualities of photography is the sense of time that it transmits. It is amazing for me to start from reality and create an imaginary time, one that allows us to contemplate instead of understanding. I believe that I am fascinated for a long time by the slowness of time, by days that go by slowly, when we have time to wait, when there is no rush. It is the opposite of the fast unforgiving time we are living. I am quite aware this is a “romantic” time, a time that doesn’t exist, or, if it existed, it would not be preserved, however, “photograph surpasses life itself” and that romantic time remains in our memory and it will be there forever. The idea with my photography is to build a fantasy, perfect, quiet place.

SFUK: Why do you shoot film, have you always shot film & do you switch between digital and film?

TS: I shoot film because I love: the deep colours, the heavy grain, the sound of the shutter, the excitement of waiting to see the negatives, the magic about the process, the element of surprise, the smell.

SFUK: Who inspires you, any favourite people or places you frequently go to for inspiration?

TS: I constantly watch movies and it is for me a great source of inspiration. Absolutely love French Nouvelle Vague, Andrei Tarkovsky, Kieslowski, Jim Jarmusch, Paul Thomas Anderson, Nuri Bilge Ceylan, Miguel Gomes, Wes Anderson, Hitchcock, among many others. Travelling is another source of inspiration and everything that involves getting out of my comfort zone.

SFUK: How would you describe your style of shooting?

TS: I don't know how to describe it. I like to plan everything but I also like to be caught by an element of surprise.

SFUK: If you could have any camera in the world, which would you choose and why?

TS: Hasselblad probably. But I am happy with my beloved Mamiya.

SFUK: Do you have any plans for your next project?

TS: Continuing, tenaciously, my B&W series, to start to shoot a short movie I wrote. I also wrote my first script and am trying to do something about it but I need to overcome my fear of making a fool of myself. Oh, and I need to find a producer as well.

Keep up to date with Teresa's work at www.teresasa.co.uk and follow her on Instagram @teresafonsecasa and Twitter @sateresasa

Thank you.

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