Filmneverdie Shooters - An interview with Shannon Ly

So Shannon, where do you come from & what do you do for a living?

I've grown up and lived in Springvale (south-east Melbourne) my entire life. I'm currently a second-year student studying a Bachelor of Arts at Monash University.

How old are you?

Nineteen

How did you become inspired to shoot on film?

I did a photography elective in Year 10, and I have fond memories of working in the darkroom. When I was finishing high school and thinking about what hobbies to take up afterwards, I thought of that time, bought a few Lomography cameras and started taking photos again.

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

I shoot mostly 35mm, but I’ve been really getting into instant film lately, particularly 3x4 Polaroid peel-a-part film.

Why do you like this format?

35mm is so easy to shoot with and there are so many different varieties of film to play around with. Large-format Polaroids have the magic of pulling out the shot, waiting two minutes and peeling it to reveal gorgeous contrast and tonal quality.

Where do you see the future of analogue photography?

I think analogue photography has to keep reinventing itself to stay relevant in a world where digital has taken its place. It’s really important that well-loved films keep getting produced, but at the same time it’s great to see new, experimental films coming out, because it makes shooting analogue daring and creative. It definitely still has a future and isn’t going to die out anytime soon.