Film Isn't Dead & Neither Is Print ft. PAMPLEMOUSSE MAGAZINE - ISSUE 62
Meet Nora Lalle, film photographer, zine lover and founder of Pamplemousse magazine...
Housekeeping
This week you get a break from my ramblings and instead get to hear from Nora Lalle who runs the epic print magazine, Pamplemousse.
I am so excited to be featuring her and chatting about all things print, as well as the new issue centered around street photography that features work from all over the world. The Life issue is now available for preorder. Get your issue here!
I am also having a HUGE sale on prints right now with a whopping 40% off everything in the shop so head on over and get yourself something at a big discount or maybe do some Xmas shopping for an arty friend or family member!
I have been a bit absent form YouTube lately due to having so many other exciting projects on the go but… I do have a new video out now reviewing the brand new Autofocus 35mm lens from TT Artisans that is at a price point you just can’t say no to. It also comes with a very cool square lens hood that I am loving! Check out the video below and let me know if you have any other affordable lens options in the comments.
While we are on the topic of shooting digital I have also just released my warm film lightroom preset that is now available via my website and is what I used on all the photos that appear in the above video. That’s it from me though guys. Let’s hear from the lovely Nora Lalle!
Hey Nora, welcome to the Love Lucy weekly newsletter. I’m excited to chat with you! Can you let the readers know who you are, where you are and what you do?
Hey Lucy, thanks for having me! I’m an artist born and raised in San Francisco and I’ve been interested in photography and shooting film since I was 14. After almost 10 years of working at museums, galleries and other arts institutions, I decided to create Pamplemousse Magazine to celebrate analog photography and provide a platform for artists to share their work in print. I just got back home to San Francisco after an epic month traveling around Europe for work and play!
Tell us more about Pamplemousse publishing and how it first got started?
I’ve always loved zines and photo books and I started making small publications of my own work back in 2017. I had tons of photos and wanted to do something with them! Eventually I started collaborating with other photographers, putting out open calls on Instagram and building more of a catalog of print projects. During lockdown I made QuaranZine, which was a compilation of photography, art and writing from people all over the world and I’ve since referred to it as a historical document because of the crazy time period it came out of.
Pamplemousse Magazine came later and has evolved into a project that is really centered around community. I wanted to create a magazine that provides inspiration and resources and celebrates up and coming artists. There are so many talented people all over the world who shoot film, and the magazine is a way to connect them through print media.
Print isn’t an easy or affordable medium in this current climate but it’s such an important one to preserve. Can you talk about the team you have assembled and some ways you have made this a sustainable project that will continue?
I definitely feel like I’m up against a lot with a print magazine project in 2023. That said, I have a strong passion for print and I think seeing (especially analog) photography on paper is essential. There is something so unique and important about a tangible, physical photograph. Thankfully, I’m surrounded by people who feel the same and the community seems receptive and even hungry for this type of project. My Art Director Sasha Netchaev (@snetchaev) is a well established film photographer with some insane darkroom skills, so she brings that unique experience and passion to the project as well. My co-Editor and Content Director Erik Poppen (@erikpoppen_film) is also an experienced commercial and fine art photographer with a background in film and the darkroom, and he has contributed significantly to the editorial content and direction of the project as a whole.
Still, our production cost is quite high and the retail price reflects that. We try to pack each issue with content and design that is compelling and inspiring! In addition to using Instagram as a digital extension of the print magazine, I imagine we’ll eventually offer some of the articles and features online.
The upcoming issue was an open call centred around the theme of street photography. I’m interested to know how you define and interpret street photography Nora? I find there are a lot of strong opinions on what constitutes as street…
Defining “street photography” can definitely be controversial but I think my definition comes down to capturing an unplanned moment in an urban environment. This is a bit over simplified, but for me the key to street photography is the spontaneous moment frozen in time, usually including people. I look to some of the greats like Lee Friedlander and Garry Winogrand as examples of amazing street photography.
Am I right in saying that there seems to be a lot of film photographers in SF? I visited once and the area is so photogenic in many different ways.
There is such a vibrant, incredible community of film photographers in SF! I was lucky to connect with so many people when I worked at Photoworks SF - one of the area’s best photo labs. There are always photowalks, community meetups, exhibitions, group shows - just so much going on locally that really helps inspire me and keep me going. Plus it helps that San Francisco and the surrounding area is so beautiful to photograph!
What is on the horizon for Pamplemousse Nora? What do you dream it will grow into or become in the future?
At this point I’m focused on keeping the print magazine going, expanding our reach and building more community around the project. I’d love this publication to become a leading voice in the global photography world. My dream is to have a space that acts as the Pamplemousse headquarters, and is an office, gallery, event space, library, shop, community hang out all rolled into one. My purpose on this planet seems to be to make art and support other artists, so I hope that no matter how this evolves, I’ll always hold onto that goal.
Finally, can you tell the readers where to grab a copy, preorder the new issue or submit their work and how they can keep up to date with future callouts and things you are involved in!?
I’d recommend checking out our website for more information about the project, past issues, subscription and pre-order info. We have physical copies for sale at a handful of shops around the Bay Area, and we’re hoping to expand distribution soon. Our Instagram page is the best place to find updates on open submission calls and events, and we hope to continue to build an online following as the project grows.
*note: the website currently only supports shipping to US based addresses, but we’re working on global distribution. Please email hello@pamplemoussemagazine.com or send us a message on instagram if you are located outside of the US and would like to order a copy.
Always a real pleasure to read your interviews of talented artists!