Categories
GUEST EDITOR

From The Desk Of Blossoms: Film Photography

British quintet Blossoms is unapologetically ambitious. Rather than quietly release 2014 debut single “Blow,” the band announced it with an ardent, online manifesto. “We want to be heard by everyone,” it read, in part. “We want to be as mainstream as Will Smith, as great as the Smiths, and as uplifting as Mr. Smith Goes To Washington.” The band has just issued its self-titled debut. Blossoms will also be guest editing magnetmagazine.com all week. Read our new feature on the band.

Charlie Salt: First things first. I’m a complete amateur—in other words, I “blag” it. My first attraction to photography came in the form of a Smiths photography book by Paul Slattery. It contained some really cool snaps of the band in and around Manchester, backstage at Glastonbury Festival and the dressing room at Norwich UEA. I remember thinking how effortless the shots were and how the beautiful grain complimented the dreariness of the ’80s. Why film? Well, I’ve always taken some form of camera with me wherever I’ve wandered, kicking off with an old digital Casio number always left on the sepia setting, desperately trying to achieve that “pastiche,” organic look_to no avail. I soon moved on to a film camera, where the results were unachievable from any digital I’d used. Don’t get me wrong; there was a lot of trial and error—like there is with any new hobby—but I don’t care what anyone says: Film is not dead. It captures something a lot more than a moment. 2017 sees me shooting primarily on my Canon AE1 Program 35mm and my beloved Pentax 6×7 Medium Format 120mm camera; she’s a thing of beauty. Anyway, enough with all the nerdy shit … I intend to compile a book at some point, entitled Blaggin’ It. Whether anyone will buy it is another story.