20 CineStill Film Photographers You Need to Know!
CineStill 800T is the only film made for still photographers specifically designed for capturing beautiful color images in limited incandescent "tungsten" light. Known initially as Kodak Vision 3, a motion picture film used by today's top directors and cinematographers including Steven Spielberg, Wes Anderson, and The Coen Brothers, it wasn’t commercially available for use by still photographers until recently due to one major problem: it had to be developed with the ECN-2 process because of its rem-jet layer. This layer is an anti-halation layer on the film's base that acts to protect it from base scratches, static, and halation of highlights in exposure, that when attempted to be developed with the C-41 process contaminated the chemistry and damaged both the film and the machine being used. The only way to use this amazing film was to send it off to be processed by motion picture labs for processing which was both costly and time-intensive.
In the early 2010’s, The Brothers Wright, the Founders of CineStill Inc., made the bold decision that would shape the future of film photography. They embarked on the long road of converting this motion picture film to work with the standard C-41 development process. It took years of R&D, tens of thousands of feet of wasted film, and thousands of hours of experimentation to discover how to remove the rem-jet layer of Kodak Vision 3. Once they found their proprietary solution, they excitedly brought Kodak Vision 3 to the commercial market in 2012 and called it CineStill 800T. With this achievement, now anyone can use film in the same lighting situations as new blockbuster movies and TV shows such as Inception, Argo, Django Unchained, the Star Wars films, and all Wes Anderson's films. With one fell swoop, still photographers no longer had to switch to high ISO digital cameras or on-camera flash to photograph tungsten lit environments.
With close to a decade of use, CineStill 800T film has now used by photographers around the world to create cinematic scenes in both 35mm and 120 formats. It’s instantly recognizable by two distinct characteristics: the glowing or “halo effect” it produces around strong highlights due to the removal of the anti-halation backing and the way the tungsten white balance renders daylight scenes into blueish scenes of melancholy. Every time I see an exposure of this film I get excited! With that being said, if you needed even more temptation to pick up a roll of CineStill 800T, I’ve spent literally months carefully selecting 20 images from photographers around the world to show you why I love this film stock so much. These particular photographs were selected because of their creative compositions, beautiful colors, and their representation of everyday moments and scenes that have been turned into a movie all their own. Get ready to be inspired!
20 Cinestill Film Photographers You Need to Know!
“Neo City 3” by Johannes Hoehn | Contax G2 + CineStill 800T
Artist: Johannes Hoehn | Location: Germany
Links: Website | Instagram
Johannes Hoehn is a 34-year-old photographer with a strong passion for photography and videography, especially when it comes to documenting outdoor and urban environments. The intention of his work is to blur the boundaries between urban and landscape photography, creating miniature worlds within a single photographic frame.
He loves to experiment with ideas and techniques by which he creates his own language of art that captivates viewers. He shared with us: "If I don't feel it, I don't do it.“ It’s a simple sentence, but it screams about the authenticity of his work.
“Untitled” by Boris Melev | Canon F1 + CineStill 800T
Artist: Boris Melev | Location: Toronto
Links: Website | Instagram
Born in Moscow and raised in Toronto, Boris Melev never thought he would become a photographer. However, after completing a degree of visual arts in Vancouver, he naturally began transitioning and learned to love capturing light both in the form of photographic stills and on video.
He shot his first roll of Cinestill 800T in 2017 and the doors to low light film photography opened up a whole new world to him. Since then, he has been traveling the streets at night to photograph the moments that go unseen to everyone but those who search them out.
“Untitled” by Stefan Hilfert | Canon AE1 + CineStill 800T
Artist: Stefan Hilfert | Location: Berlin
Link: Instagram
31-year-old Berlin-based Photographer Stefan Hilfert just began shooting analog photography two years ago. In fact, CineStill film was his main reason for learning the discipline. He loves the classical cinema look the film produces which allows him to capture individual one-shot movies that have circled his years for some time now. We are expecting great things from Stefan as he learns and develops more as a photographer.
“Vedrana” by Luka Trajkovic | Mamiya 7 + CineStill 800T
Artist: Luka Trajkovic | Location: Serbia
Links: Website | Instagram
Luka Trajkovic is a 1994 born Serbian cinematographer and photographer. As a student and now alumnus of Belgrade's Faculty of Dramatic Arts, Luka shot a significant number of short films, documentaries, commercials and music videos, rising to local and regional prominence with his recognisable artistic expression.
Alongside nourishing and further developing his distinct style in cinematography, Luka's passion for visual storytelling continues to grow through collaborations with established auteurs across the industry. Luka is currently based in Belgrade, but works both locally and regionally.
“Ready for the Night” by Matthew Halla | Canon F-1 Original + CineStill 800T
Artist: Matthew Halla | Location: China
Links: Website | Instagram
Travel photographer Matthew Halla has always understood the world visually. His infatuation with the way an image can communicate non-verbally has helped him create powerful one frame stories that communicate more to the viewer than words ever could.
He is a master of capturing the deeper essences of the people and places he visits while he is traveling around the world. Though he doesn't share the culture or language with many of his subjects, his well composed and interestingly lit photographs are fascinating documentation of scenes we wish we could inhabit ourselves.
“Untitled” by Lazar Bogdanović | Leica M6 + CineStill 800T
Artist: Lazar Bogdanović | Location: Belgrade
Links: Website | Instagram
Lazar Bogdanović is a Belgrade based cinematographer, working mostly on music videos and photography. Currently, he is working on longer films and exploring new approaches to his artwork.
However, not just a photographer, he likes to think of himself as a kidnapper of time. He chases the perfect frame in each moment, in search of raw and beautiful emotion. Once he spots it, he steals it from its place in our natural timeline. He is drawn to the subtleties and hints of human expression and the visual metaphors that allow him to tell what cannot be easily told.
“Quadruple“ by Maarten Groen | Nikon F3T + CineStill 800T
Artist: Maarten Groen | Location: Amsterdam
Links: Website | Instagram
Maarten Groen is a self-taught photographer and filmmaker with a distinctive, visual flair. His cinematic style is best described as visceral, honest, and human. Maarten prefers to shoot photographic work as analog, where possible. Maarten has directed three award-winning Horror shorts, which have garnered accolades from a number of awarding bodies, including Vimeo Staff Picks and Short of the Week.
“Bathing in Red and Blue - April” by Brendan Leahy| Fujita66 + CineStill 800T
Artist: Brendan Leahy | Location: Chicago
Links: Youtube | Instagram
Brendan is a Chicago-based documentarian and creator of the "CineStill Frames" docu-series. He enjoys playing around with photography and capturing those closest to him, using it to not only help refine his skills as a filmmaker, but open him up to new ways of seeing and thinking about framed moments as well. He has a penchant for contemplative, immersive films and observational documentaries. Brendan, often lost in thought, can typically be found in the bathtub.
“always in a hurry, never on time” by Braden Lee | Leica M6 TTL + CineStill 800T
Artist: Braden Lee | Location: Los Angeles
Links: Website | Instagram
Braden Lee is a Korean-American Creative Director, Filmmaker, Photographer, and Artist Manager based in Minneapolis and Los Angeles. He is the founder of AGAINST GIANTS, an independent creative company and record label focused on artist development, marketing, and fan engagement.
“Hong Kong Nightscape” by M.Y.R | Canon T7 + CineStill 800T
Artist: M.Y.R | Location: Hong Kong
Link: Instagram
M.Y.R is a Hong Kong photographer who’s style is influenced by dancing. His life and passion as a B-Boy crosses over to his visual arts and allows him to capture the world from a unique perspective. Much like dancing, his photography is based on improvision, dedication, and most of all, being in the moment.
“Another Beautiful Day” by Oliver Mayhall | Mamiya RZ67 + CineStill 800T
Artist: Oliver Mayhall | Location: UK
Links: Website | Instagram
Oliver Mayhall is a photographer and documentary filmmaker based in London. His photography is an exploration of the thoughts, feelings, and experiences gained from the world around him.
Oliver’s work is often depicted in a surreal and abstract way and has an ethereal and whimsical nature to it. From portraiture, fine art, and street photography, Oliver experiments with many genres of photography.
“Between Takes” by Michael Tanji | Nikon FE2 + CineStill 800T
Artist: Michael Tanji | Location: SF, USA
Links: Website | Instagram
Michael Tanji is a cinematographer and film photographer born and raised on the island of Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi. He has garnered a reputation for his unique visual aesthetic with the way he captures shadows, light, and the modern subject. Originally with a background in fashion filmmaking, Michael has recently expanded his capturing of images into the music video and narrative filmmaking genres. He currently resides in Los Angeles, CA, and hopes to continue collaborating with fellow talented filmmakers & photographers.
“More like Me” by Hwa-Jeen Na | Mamiya RB67 + CineStill 800T
Artist: Hwa-Jeen Na | Location: Grand Rapids, MI
Links: Website | Instagram
Hwa-Jeen Na is a fine art and editorial portrait photographer and film director currently based in the state of Michigan. His projects focus on exploring definitions of identity through personal anecdotes and cultural influences. As an emerging photographer and director, he has found the beginnings of an artistic voice through his music photography and video work. He has shown work at the Grand Rapids Museum of Art (GRAM) in their 2018 ArtPrize Collection and the 2018 Pantone Color of the Year Show at the Urban Institute of Contemporary Arts (UICA). Online features of his work can be found on Booooooom.com, Colossal, The Fader, and Billboard.
“Tanerélle” by Alex Harper | Mamiya 645 + CineStill 800T
*Artist: Alex Harper | Location: Los Angeles
Links: Website | Instagram
Alex Harper is a photographer & actor based out of Los Angeles. Her work has been solicited by the likes of Vogue Magazine, PAPER Magazine, NYLON Magazine, Beats by Dre, Instagram, Urban Outfitters, Refinery 29, Dreamville, Demi Lovato, Ciara, Giveon, Lucky Daye, Ari Lennox, Guapdad 4000, Smino, Hannah Lux Davis, Colin Tilley and more. With a focus on bold, bright colors and mixed media, she is passionate about creating art that genuinely captures the people and the personalities who inspire her.
“Central Station” by Andrew Ives | Hasselblad X-Pan + CineStill 800T
Artist: Andrew Ives | Location: Australia
Links: Website | Instagram
Andrew Ives grew up in Sydney, Australia but moved to Hong Kong in 2015 to teach English. In 2017, this new country inspired him to pick up digital photography to capture the picturesque streets he walked home from after a day of teaching. In a short amount of time, photography quickly took over his life.
When COVID broke out, he returned to Australia and finally began to shoot film. He bought a few (broken) cameras and eventually got lucky and bought a Hasselblad Xpan, which completely reinvigorated his love for photography. He now travels the urban landscape photographing cinematic, wide-angle scenes.
“Canada Day” by Stefan Litster | Hasselblad 500cm + CineStill 800T
Artist: Stefan Litster | Location: Canada
Links: Website | Instagram
Stefan Litster is a Canadian military pilot and film enthusiast from Vancouver Island. He enjoys shooting a wide variety of subjects including portraits, travel, and lifestyle. His favorite part of working with film is experimenting with different film stocks, processes, and formats to create unique and attractive images.
He self-develops C41, E6, and Black & White film in his basement darkroom where he also occasionally does Black and White printmaking as well. Shooting film as a hobby has been a great exercise in patience and visualization as well as a cool skill set that he can take with him on adventures around the world.
“Cigarettes and Books” by Joanka Pyz | Mamiya 645 Pro + CineStill 800T
Artist: Joanka Pyz| Location: Poland
Links: Website | Instagram
Joanka Pyz is a photographic artist from Poland who has a passion for capturing the endless possibilities of the human form. Through this practice, she brilliantly displays the deepest emotions of her subjects that reveal the hidden truths of our complex desires and search for meaning. She believes photographing people on film is the best way to showcase their vulnerabilities that are often hidden in our day to day activities that come out when photographic emulsions are the in-between the subject and photographer.
“Craving Neon” by Marco Stellisano | Pentax 6x7 + CineStill 800T
Artist: Marco Stellisano| Location: Canada
Links: Instagram
Marco Stellisano is an amateur photographer based out of Toronto, Canada. He is inspired more by cinematography more than any other medium and his goal is to bring the cinematic feel of the Toronto streets to life. He loves photographing sparse compositions, uncluttered and clean, and typically works with only one focal length - a 50mm on 35mm film or105mm, if he’s shooting 6x7. He loves to explore the city at night, trying to find a frame unburdened by people or cars. To him, CineStill 800T film can render night scenes like a comic book or neo-noir film and it has quickly become his favorite film stock.
“Roy's Motel & Cafe” by Marti Alonzo | Mamiya RZ67 + CineStill 800T
Artist: Marti Alonzo | Location: California
Link: Instagram
Marti Alonzo is a cinematographer based in Los Angeles, California. He has been using film for close to two years and self develops and scans all of his images in his home lab.
Inspired by his background in filmmaking, he emulates his love for atmospheric cinema scenes to create images that display nostalgic moods and feelings that draw the viewer into each of his images. His photographs are instantly recognizable as modern takes on classical cinema scenes.
“Atlanta” by J. Jason Chambers | Hasselblad 500 c/m + CineStill 800T
Artist: Jason Chambers| Location: Atlanta
Links: Website | Instagram
Jason is a photographer based in Atlanta, Georgia. Using photographic film as his preferred medium, Jason’s current work focuses on landscape and street photography. Self-taught, inspired by the masters, and influenced by the New Topographics Movement, Jason sets out to create photographs with strong compositions and energy. When he isn’t road tripping through American landscapes or chasing adventure and light in another land, you can find Jason photographing around his hometown of Atlanta.
ABOUT THE CURATOR
Michael Behlen is an instant film addict and the founder and publisher of Analog Forever Magazine. For the last 6 years, Behlen has become an obsessive community organizer in the film photography world, including launching the independent publishing projects PRYME Magazine and PRYME Editions, two enterprises dedicated to the art of instant film. Through these endeavors, he has featured and published 200+ artists from around the globe via his print and online publications.
He has self-published two Polaroid photobooks -“Searching for Stillness, Vol. 1” and “I Was a Pioneer,” literally a boxed set of his instant film work. His latest book, Searching for Stillness Vol II was published in 2020 by Static Age. He has been published, been interviewed, and been reviewed in a quantity of magazines and online publications, from F-Stop and Blur Magazine to the Analog Talk Podcast. He loves the magic sensuality of instant film: its saturated, surreal colors; the unpredictability of the medium; it’s addictive qualities as you watch it develop. He spends his time shooting instant film and backpacking in the California wilderness, usually a combination of the two.
Connect with Michael Behlen on his Website and on Instagram!
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