Jonathan Carl

Hi Jonathan, please introduce yourself.

I live in Berlin. Since my youth I find photography a great medium to find moments worth preserving. I study communication design at the FH Potsdam, but I have assisted a long time and a lot with different photographers and learned a lot there.

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

Analog photography is my way of capturing the world that surrounds us. For me, analog images have an aesthetic appeal that I find harder to achieve with digital photography.

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

You become more aware of the value of a recording through the process and the costs behind it. This immediately results in the advantage as well as the disadvantage. The associated costs make analog photography more difficult to access for many people and a kind of luxury to use the medium of photography in this context.

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

First and foremost, probably portraits and reportage. And after that, anything I come across that I find interesting.

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

I am a big fan of Joseph Koudelka and Jean Loup Sieff. The works always impress me with their authenticity and natural aesthetics.

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

I like working with the Contax G2 because I can capture some moments better with the fast autofocus than with the Leica and the manual focus. However, the Leica is the most fun to have with me in everyday life. During the day I like to use Portra 400/160 and at night I prefer the CineStill 800T.

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

I let develop and scan my films at Foto Kotti and edit afterwards only minimally the pictures in Capture One.

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

Analog photography can seem a bit of a chore or effort at first, but getting used to the processes goes quickly and the results are usually worth the wait and expense!

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

Instagram is definitely a platform I use, but I would say it’s a curse and a blessing in one. Sometimes I like to showcase my work on the platform, but the dependence of the reach on the algorithm is often too limiting for me.

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

„Exit„ (Isabelle Graeff), „Its Flower is hard to find„ (Vincent Kohlbecher) and „Wintering Over is Over„ (Guram Tsibakhashvili).

Thank you so much for your time!