FilmNeverDie Shooters - An interview Jason Barraclough

So, where do you come from, how old are you & what do you do for a living?

My name is Jason Barraclough and I am a 32 year old doctor. Born and raised in Melbourne but currently based in Norway. I'm frequently back in Australia for work and family.

How did you become inspired to shoot on film?

When I was growing up, film was really the only option to take photos with. It was my maternal grandfather who bought me my first camera (Pentax MZ-50 SLR) when I was 17 before a trip to Japan.

When he saw that I could handle the camera using its auto features, he gave me his old camera (Canon FTb) - my first manual camera - which I still use today.

My dad soon gave me my first rangefinder (his dad's old camera) which was a Yashica 35. Although I couldn't understand how to use it at the time, this camera would later inspire my enthusiasm for rangefinders.

I continued to shoot film until 2003, when I bought my first dSLR (Pentax *ist D). Before this, I preferred to shoot infrared and slides most, with some of my favourite shots being taken on slides.

I was reintroduced to film 10 years later, when my mum bought me a FED-2 rangefinder for a birthday present. I then moved to Darwin and my obsession with Soviet rangefinders began.

What format do you shoot? 35mm, Polaroid, 8 x 10 etc

I shoot predominantly on 35mm with the occasional stint in 120mm. I develop my own black and white and colour films. I like the control over the process.

Why do you like this format?

For me, shooting on film is about the whole process. It forces me to go back to basics, think about composition and light and about how to get the effect I want. The feeling of reward after getting a great photo come out of the developer is a bit nicer than getting an instant picture on the screen for me. My rangefinders are also less intrusive than my dSLR and make minimal noise - something I really like with street photography.

I also like the way film renders extreme highlights with its dynamic range (something that digital cameras are still quite poor at).

Where do you see the future of analogue photography?

I think that analogue photography is something that will always have a following of people. The number of times I have heard people say "film is dead" makes me chuckle. People are sentimental beings, and younger people often shoot using their parents' equipment because of the story behind the gear.

With the number of photography clubs and film revival groups starting up, this to me means that film is here to stay, albeit part of an alternative culture. I'm cool with that.

What is a dream project that you want to work on?

A dream project to me would be to do a series of infrared portraits much like Richard Mosse's "The Enclave" and "Infra". I love infrared film, both colour and black and white. I can always hope I one day get the chance...

You can check out Jason's work on

Instagram: @j.k.barraclough
Tumblr: jkbarraclough
Flickr:https://www.flickr.com/photos/jasonbarraclough/