Featured Artist: Andreea Andrei

Artist: Andreea Andrei

Location: London, UK

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A little while ago we posted to Instagram for our followers to use the hashtag #MyFilmAdventure to let us see what everyone was up-to with their film photography around the world. Andreea is one of those who tagged her images, and caught our attention with images of her travels, documenting cities, friends and nostalgic photographs on instant film. We asked Andreea a few questions about her analogue journey:

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SFUK: Would you mind telling us a little bit about yourself and how your film adventure began?

AA: I can say about myself that I'm a cat lover, wine drinker, old fashioned cinema lover and a former student at film school In Bucharest, Romania. My film adventure began like 15 years ago, when I was 12 and I was very fascinated by analogue photography and how images were made. I was and I still am a big fan of black and white analogue photography. I don't know why but I think that b&w photography truly gives you an emotional interaction with the subject photographed and the photographer as well. Since then, I've moved to digital but I came back to analogue photography because that's the ultimate power in photography.

SFUK: When you're out shooting, how would you describe your thought process when deciding to capture an image?

AA: It's a simple process I just look and I see things that back in my mind they're worthy of being photographed and I just go with it. But sometimes I need to create them and I just go with the flow and try to capture something that will be lost after I push the shutter.

SFUK: What is it about shooting with film that you enjoy?

AA: I enjoy the smell of photographs especially the chemical smell of a instant Polaroid photograph. And as well the fact that once you pushed the button you're not gonna be very well if everything it will go as you imagined. Sometimes it's awesome to not know what have you photographed like when you use digital because in the end you'll be surprised in a very good way. And also the granulation that film photography has is pure joy and in an ultimate solar storm that's what you'll remember if the digital world will disappear.

SFUK: Your work has a personal element to it, sharing images of the people close to you and the places you've travelled to. Is there anything in particular you consciously set out to portray through your Photographs?

AA: I try to keep as a personal diary all the photographs. More like maybe as a visual memory diary thatover the years will make me feel nostalgic about my childhood and my transition to adulthood. I can't say I do it voluntarily but I think that we all try to photograph something that at some point in our life will be gone or it will be forgotten. And I can say that Nan Goldin had a big influence on my work in the past 2 years since I started to resonate with her work where she's documenting her life and friends and people in a very intimate way. It really takes guts to just go and show your personal life and friends and what you're like as a person not like an artist.

SFUK: Finally, is there anything you're working on currently that we can look out for? Or perhaps something you'd like to explore in the near future?

AA: Right now I started a new project that will be done on 35mm along with instant Polaroid Photographs. It's a personal project but I try to keep it at a distance, we all know what happened last year with the elections about Brexit and how this will affect everyone. And I'm documenting a story about a person who's in the situation on not being a citizen of England and not knowing how this will affect him/her.And in the near future I just hope that I will get some time to travel and photograph people and communities that resonates with all of us.

Keep up to date with Andreea's work and be sure to follow her on Instagram @andreeaandreiphotography

Thank you.

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