Guest Post: A Short Interview All About Film With Jose Villa

I had heard Jose Villa’s name a lot and three years ago finally met him for the first time.   He was testing some Fujifilm products and Kayce Baker from Fujifilm was visiting LA.  We went up to Solvang and spent a day with Jose on a shoot.   It was simply remarkable to watch him work.  I could see each image being thought out in his head as he paid close attention to the light, the attitude of the couple, the opportunity to bring in the dynamics of the surrounding landscape and the fun of simply trying something new here and there.

He’s a remarkable photographer and if you’re interested in attending one of his workshops I’d highly recommend it, but be prepared, he absolutely practices the philosophy of “to thine ownself be true”!  And film is a key part of who Jose Villa really is.  His favorite is Fujifilm 400 H and always shooting 1 1/2 stops over, giving his images his own signature look.  When doing weddings it’s most often 35mm, but he also shoots 120 and 220.

I’m noticing so many people coming back into film …digital is so big, that coming back to film makes you different.  Digital is “normal”, but I can’t help but feel that film brings you back to the craft.  It’s crazy how many people are coming to my workshops to learn how to work with film.   People are definitely picking film back up again and in all honesty, understanding film makes them better photographers in digital as well.

I still shoot film because I’m used to it.  It’s second nature to me and  I’m so comfortable with film always giving me the look I want. Three years ago I got caught in the feeding frenzy over digital.   I was going to go to digital, but then decided why follow everybody else when it’s not who I am?

I’m not big on the business  side of life– I’m an artist and just want to create great images, works of art.  I started to crunch the numbers and saw how big my lab bill was and really thought about the change for a little while, but I love darkroom printing – I have my own familiar formula and now it’s who I am.  I do have a DLSR, it’s rarely used – I made the commitment to stay with film and I’m so glad I did.

It also helps with my clients.   The clients I’m attracting are artists themselves, they’re actors, photographers – I’ve created a niche for myself and it makes me stand out.  Instead of competing with everybody in our industry, I’m only competing with a handful of other photographers who also shoot film.

Plus, I can’t deny that I’m not good with change anyway.    Staying with film is the best thing I could have done…I’ve been true to who I am, an artist, a craftsman.  I bring along Holgas, a Hasselblad Xpan, my Rollei, all kinds of film based gear that gives me the fun of experimenting. 

I’m always looking for ways to push the envelope a little more.   Film slows me down and makes me think about each image I’m creating.  I might go to Mexico with only Holgas and shoot an entire wedding just with one product, all the time thinking about every frame I compose.

At a seminar seven years ago I heard Joe Buissink say, “If it ain’t broke don’t fix it!”  Well, my love affair with film and especially Fujifilm, has never been a disappointment – why change, just to keep up with the masses?   I love what I do and my clients are all looking for something that makes their images unique.   Film gives me that edge!