Hef Prentice

Hi Hef, please introduce yourself.

I live and work in Buenos Aires, Argentina. I am currently studying and working here. I started taking pictures in 2014 when my ex-boyfriend gave me my first analog camera. I didn’t know how to use it, but I had some ideas of what I wanted to do. With the help of my best friend as an assistant, we took our first shots. When I sent the eight rolls to a lab, I got a big surprise. I liked the photos very much. I shared them and the photos of the first roll were published in Vogue Italia. Everything I know about photography I taught myself.

I love cinema and I am a good observer. In general I have a poor memory, but I remember things that interest me in detail. In 2018, I started to be interested in cinema and bought some books. I read notes from my studies and learned about image composition, settings, cameras and lighting. I found that before I knew about photography, my photos were fine, and that was very gratifying.

What does analog photography mean to you? What excites / fascinates you about it?

Analog photography is something magical and special to me. Although it is an endangered technology, it has a timeless beauty and a unique quality that cannot be replicated with digital photography. I am excited by the fact that each shot is a unique and limited experience, as the number of exposures is limited to the number of rolls available. I’m also fascinated by the grain and texture that can be achieved with film, as well as the way colors blend and blend into each other. I love experimenting with different types of lighting in my photos, which always creates surprises. The magic of the darkroom is another thing I love about analog photography, the process of creating an image through light and chemistry. Waiting for the developed photos is like waiting for a rendering (when I model 3D scenes).

In your opinion, what are the advantages and disadvantages of analogue photography?

The discontinuity of equipment, lenses, cameras. In Argentina, there are generally few supplies, and it happens that a particular film cannot be found. And if a piece breaks, the only option is to buy it new. The waiting time for processing in the lab is very long. But all that is made up for by the result, the photos, the grain and the colors. I do not use a digital camera for my work. Honestly, I don’t like them for my work.

Do you concentrate on a certain topic in your work? ​

My work is focused on portraits, the intimacy, the female body, nudes, light, and shadow.

Are there (analogue) photographers who have influenced your aesthetic and approach?

Yes, of course! The list of photographers and filmmakers is very long and the order changes depending on the season, depending on what my attention is focused on. Nan Goldin, Nobuyoshi Araki, Ingmar Bergman, Andrei Tarkovsky, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Josef Koudelka, Dario Argento.

Do you have certain cameras and films that you prefer to work with?

Minolta XG-M & Kodak 400 / Fujifilm 200-400

Speaking of films: What does your workflow look like? ​

I plan some ideas and usually shoot one or two rolls of film. I send them to the lab to be developed and scanned. None of my photos are post-processed or retouched.

What advice would you have for other photographers who are reading this interview?

Believe in yourself, in your inner voice, in your ideas, and in your dreams.

If you publish your work on Instagram: curse or blessing?

Because of censorship have not posted on IG for two years. The world is still not ready to see a naked woman like a flower or a butterfly.

Which 3 photo books can you recommend / should you definitely own?

“Letters to a Young Poet” & “Auguste Rodin” (Rainer Maria Rilke), “The Story of Art” (Gombrich),
“Hopscotch” (Julio Cortázar) and “Poetic Works, Aleph” (Jorge Luis Borges)

Thank you so much for your time!