Film Photographer Sydney Hone

How did you get started shooting film? What photographers inspire you?

I’ve always enjoyed photography and had a digital camera I liked shooting on, but I never felt fully satisfied with it. I first became interested in shooting film when my friend Sofia showed me her Canon AE1 on a trip to Santa Barbara a couple years ago. I loved how the body looked so compact and beautifully simple. I remember spending the rest of the day completely enamored with the camera and the idea of shooting on film. After learning a little more about film, I turned to my Grandpa who has been an avid photographer for many years, and he introduced me to multiple unique cameras including the Nikonos.

A few photographers that inspire me:

Megan Barrett @meganshootsfilm

Skylar Carrico @skalathamus

Victor Bensusi @bensusi

Sebatien J. Zanella @sebzanella

Dillon Jenkins @dllln

Brydie Mack @wolfcubwolfcub

Judianne Grace @judiannegrace

What do you try to think about when shooting an image? 

When I’m shooting an image, I try to focus on the environment and find the beauty in all the spaces that surround me. I think about what exactly it is that I love about my surroundings and play around with different ways to capture its beauty. I think a lot about the lighting and how I can capture the most dreamlike image, especially when I’m shooting in the ocean. It’s pretty different shooting in direct sunlight, in the middle of the day versus shooting at sunset, but I like finding ways to capture light in a super dreamy way at either time of day.

When it comes to framing: if I have a subject in my image, I love for them to be wandering freely around the space. I don’t want them to be ultra-focused on the camera and want them to almost forget that the camera is even there. If I’m on a hike or exploring on land, a lot of times I like to capture how small we are compared to the vast and captivating landscapes that our planet provides us.

How have you been surprised after getting film back?

When I first started shooting on my Nikonos, I was constantly surprised by what I got back. I remember shooting my first Nikonos roll at golden hour at San O. It was a perfect end-of-summer day, filled with excitement and mellow vibes from the people surfing cruisy little waves. I had barely looked up how to use my camera before getting there, but eagerly hopped into water right away. I shot 36 or so frames from golden hour until the only light left was a purplish-blue hue. I was certain that I had incorrectly exposed all of them and that nothing would be in focus. When I got my photos back, about a third were completely black, maybe five were in focus and the rest were blurry. At first I was bummed by the entire roll, but then I realized that this gave me a unique learning opportunity with an incredible new camera. Even though the roll didn’t come back as I expected, there were still a few pictures on that roll that are some of my favorites to this day. I was surprised to learn that an accidental out-of-focus picture could actually become one of my favorite ways to capture a dreamlike moment.

Other surprises have included buying a point-and-shoot with a broken back piece that I tried to cover with a “sharpied” in piece of scotch tape… Not sure why I was surprised when the light leaks completely took over all of my images... learned my lesson there really quick.

Are you working on any film projects right now and how do you go about that with your process? 

Yeah! I’ve got a fun project going right now. It’s something that I’ve never done before but over the last summer I spent a lot of time at Shaw’s Cove in Laguna Beach. After spending so much time there I started to grow really fond of Shaw’s and found myself attached to it. Whether it was hanging out with friends or freediving the reef, I felt compelled to capture and share these moments. One thing that is important to me in film photography is taking photos that are emotionally charged. Recently, I’ve been shooting on a Nikonos and I’ve been really working at getting it dialed in. Learning this amazing camera has given me an opportunity to take photos in one of my favorite locations and has opened up a whole new world of subject matter for me. Being able to get creative with oceanscapes has enabled me to portray Shaw’s Cove from my point of view. In regard to the process, it’s been super casual! I usually just grab my fins and a friend, then swim out to the reef to take photos. 

How do you want people to feel when seeing your work?

When people see my work, I want them to feel calm and dreamy. I love capturing tones, and I feel that the color tones of an image offer so much in terms of conveying emotions through photography. I want them to feel the moment that made me pick up my camera and take the photo in the first place. 

Enjoy Sea Together features and want to sea more, and get special perks? Support our independent project and become a member here to get new perks, brand discounts, and special access to Sea Together content.