an interview with kristina of no penny for them

kristina of no penny for them is a film girl and although i knew that, i still had to ask her about it. she lives in berlin and she also shares pictures on mostly berlin. both blogs will give you such a longing to see berlin that you'll probably even schedule a blog camp there (september 17-19, 2010). go and have a look, but first, see what kristina had to say. all of the photos in this post are from kristina's flickr photostream.

1. film or digital?

film. it’s a big love affair. the mystery of the roll hidden inside the camera, the wait for the processed film, the way it captures light. the tones, the grain. the way it makes an overexposure a beauty and and underexposure enigmatic.

that being said, i owe an awful lot to my tiny point-and-shoot digital camera. the seemingly unlimited number of tries you have to capture something, the immediate feed-back. it taught me almost everything i know about choosing a good angle, an interesting composition. i don’t know how many things i have photographed again and again and again with that little camera, until i had a result that i liked.

when it comes to digital, i really would like to learn more about processing one day, about using photoshop or lightroom. for now though, if i had to say film or digital for the rest of my life, it would be easy: film.

2. what is your dream camera?

cameras do make me very happy, i have a few vintage, manual cameras already. every one of them gives me different results. add in the factor of film, and you have an incredible range of options. i’m only starting to discover the possibilities.

anyway, we are talking anything goes, no financial restrictions here, right? in that case, my dream camera would be a 6x6 medium format camera – a hasselblad 500 c/m would make me very happy indeed. on a more realistic note, a nikon fm would be lovely too.

3. what do you do to unwind?

i read. which is a little nerdy, given that i make my living by reading – i translate and copy-edit books. still, since that is done on a computer screen most of the time, i find it wonderfully relaxing to curl up in bed with a good book.

apart from that, cooking with friends. nothing’s more relaxing than pottering in a kitchen with friends – and a glass of wine – catching up and feeling how the mouthwatering smell of dinner is slowly filling the room.

4. your favourite author?

you know what? at the moment i don’t have one, and i’m not happy about that. years ago i would have said virginia woolf and katherine mansfield. not that long ago i would have said siri hustved. at the moment i most enjoy reading cookbooks, or crime fiction by ian rankin. i do miss having a favourite novelist though. any ideas?

5. if you were going to go on an adventure, what would it be and who would you take along?

tough choice. i think i would love to take a road-trip across the U.S. with the boyfriend, ideally in a vintage mustang convertible. oh, with tons of time of course, an unlimited supply of film and enough dosh to stay in the nicest old b&bs and motels

6. coffee or tea?

both. really depends on my mood. coffee in the morning, unless i’m in london, having a full english breakfast – than it’s a nice brew for me, please (no milk though).

7. the best thing to visit in berlin?

you know, that really depends on who’s asking. i always like to get a feeling for what someone might like before recommending something. personally, i love berlin’s green side. like going for a walk on pfaueninsel (peaock island), taking the ferry to kladow, or - if you prefer to stay within the city proper - have a drink at the prater, berlin’s oldest beer garden.

8.  your best photo advice?

trust your instincts. and don’t be surprised when the photo you thought was a sure bet doesn’t quite work, while something you snapped in passing knocks you off your feet. some things work best when you don’t try too hard.

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thank you, kristina!! i love how this felt like we just sat down and had a chat over a cup of coffee.