Interview: Steve Tolloczko
MAY 2021 ● INTERVIEWS
• Cameras of Choice: Mamiya RB67 and Canon A1
• Favorite Film Stocks: Kodak Portra 400 and Lomography 800
• Location: Newbury, United Kingdom
• Instagram: @stevetolloczko
• Website: www.stevetolloczko.com
Photography is a massive realm within the creative space involving a variety of styles, themes, techniques, purposes, and so on. We don’t have to necessarily get into the whole digital vs. analog discussion, but I’m curious - what is it that draws you to film photography specifically? Is there anything in particular that inspires you to shoot and share your work?
I think for me, it’s the whole process of film photography that makes it so enjoyable. It starts simply with the excitement of receiving my favourite film stocks in the mail and the satisfaction of loading it into the back of the camera I’m using! Shooting film slows me down and makes me think a lot more about the image I’m taking. Advancing the film on any mechanical camera is just awesome too. I also develop my own film now, and I just find that process really therapeutic. Unless it goes wrong of course! So yeah, it’s more of a process thing for me. I could take the same images on my digital gear and edit them to look the same, but it doesn’t give me as much enjoyment. I’m not driven by the amount of likes or followers I get on Instagram anymore (anymore being the key word here!), I just enjoy taking photos, the process of it, and receiving feedback from like-minded people in the amazing film community!
In exploring your work on social media and on your website, I noticed that a good deal of your photography illustrates moody, dreamy, and cinematic scenes. Fog and mist also seem to be prevalent elements throughout your catalog. Are these themes products of the environments in which you shoot, or do you seek out these compositions when the moment or climate allows for it?
I’ve never really set out to achieve a look specifically, but I think over time I’ve found myself naturally drawn to environments that have those traits and I’m slowly getting more comfortable with my own style. I’ve always been into that "cinematic" look and I’ve found over time I’m able to create the image I have in my head more often than not when shooting film. But my main passion is landscape - I just haven’t been able to shoot many on film! I’ve shot a lot on digital over the years and it’s where my love of photography began. I’m massively fond of the coast too, and I think this is reflected in some of my best film work for sure. The UK is an interesting place when it comes to the weather, so the fog and mist is something that just comes with the climate here. I’ve recently been experimenting a lot with a diffusion filter too so that could explain the recent influx of fog on my feed! A lot of my work also comes from experimenting with my girlfriend who is a fellow film photographer! She’s super creative and has great ideas, so it’s nice to be able to try them together!
If you were based elsewhere in the world, how do you think that would affect your style? Would your photographic pursuits be relatively unchanged or do you think your approach to photography would be affected?
This question made me laugh. I’m always moaning about how boring where I live is! I think this last year has been difficult. With COVID restrictions in the UK, we haven’t been able to travel outside of our local area at all, so my perception of where I live has become negative for sure. I feel like my environment is holding me back, so to answer this question, I feel that if I lived elsewhere in the world my photography and style would benefit for sure. I think if the pandemic hadn’t happened though, I might have a different opinion. There are some amazing places in this country and I can’t wait to get back out and visit them again!
I think that any photographer's style would be affected by their environment though, because subject matter can be so different throughout the world. The landscapes I see from photographers based in South East Asia, for example, are monumentally different from anything I’d see here. So, if I moved or visited, I’d be naive to think that I wouldn’t change my approach at all because I absolutely would.
How have you evolved as a photographer? Where are you headed - or what would you like to expand upon in terms of developing your craft?
This is an interesting one for me because I don’t ever think that I’ve evolved that much. But then I look back through my archives and I think, "Woah, are these even from the same photographer?" Not because they’re better, they’re just different. As I mentioned before, I almost exclusively shot landscape on digital for a good few years. Long exposures and ND colour casts. The work I produce now is so, so different, but I never consciously decided to change my style, it just happened. So, referring back to the question, I don’t think I’ll ever consciously try to develop my craft on purpose, I think I just like to experiment organically and try new things as and when I want to.
There are obviously so many different reasons why folks choose to create art, or in our case, shoot film. Maybe it’s to document the world around you, express yourself in ways that are easier to convey through pictures, or maybe it’s something else. What do you find most satisfying about shooting film?
The process, for sure. From shooting the roll to developing it, scanning the negatives and then having the print in my hands, it’s just so satisfying. Capturing memories in this way is just something I don’t think will ever be beaten. I look forward to exploring new places just because I know I’ll get to remember it in this way - sitting back, going through my prints - it’s really cool.
Tell me a little bit about your creative process. Do you usually head out with a plan in mind, maybe seeking out specific lighting or subjects, for example, in order to portray certain vibes? Or do you just kind of go with the flow and shoot whenever you come across something you find interesting?
A little bit of both I think. If I’m driving home from work, or wherever, and I see the light is perfect, I’ll rush back, grab my camera, and head somewhere local to make the most of it. The same when I wake up early and see the mist in the air - I’ll make a conscious effort to go and catch it before it disappears. But at the same time, I’ll always carry my camera on a day trip and just shoot whatever I find interesting. Trying to find the beauty in the mundane has been a big challenge over the last year due to lockdown, and although I feel it has sucked the creativity out of me a bit, I look back at the photos I’ve taken during this period and see some of my best work. I would lean more to the "go with the flow" vibe though for sure. When we start visiting places again that’ll be how I shoot!
Do you have an absolute favorite moment that you’ve captured on film? Is there a day of shooting that sticks out in particular?
My favourite film photo without a doubt is titled "Gladiator." You actually bought the print of it (thanks again!!)! It’s the one of my girlfriend's hand in the wheat field. It was such a perfect day and that photo brings back fond memories when I think about it for sure. Just a really simple walk not too far from where we live, but the sun was out, no one else around, super peaceful. That, and the day I took most of my coastal photos at Pedn Vounder in Cornwall, UK. I didn’t know the UK had beaches like it, so I was blown away when Ellie took me there. It was like I’d teleported to the Mediterranean, it was awesome! First time I’d ever swam in the sea too...it was freezing!
Do you have any creative pursuits outside of photography? Is there anything else you want to share? Feel free to just ramble and tell the people whatever you want!
Other than photography, music is a big passion of mine. My band is currently writing our third album, so that has been taking up a lot of my time lately. I find that I flutter between photography and music quite a lot. It’s nice to have a different creative outlet that I enjoy to focus on when I’m feeling uninspired with the other. It resets me and helps me find that spark again!
This interview was featured in Y35 Mag Issue No. 5. To see all of the photographs Steve chose to present, check it out here.