Our May winner is none other than Emely Galeano!
Emely has been shooting for close to a decade, with her love for photography beginning on instant film when she was just 14. She started with a Fujifilm Instax Mini 90 Neo Classic, later picked up a Polaroid Supercolor 635CL in 2020, and eventually made the jump into 35mm film in October 2021 while she was a junior in college.
For Emely, moving into film felt like the next natural step. Her primary film camera is a Minolta Hi-Matic AF2, a point-and-shoot camera that fits perfectly with the way she likes to photograph. She loves the feeling of carrying a camera with her and capturing moments as they happen, almost like a “blink and you’ll miss it” feeling.
Lately, Emely has been shooting with Kodak UltraMax 400. She likes that the 400 ISO gives her the flexibility to shoot throughout the day, especially since she tends to take photos randomly as moments unfold. This summer, she hopes to shoot more 200 ISO film as well, including Kodak ColorPlus, Kodak Gold, and maybe some CineStill.
What draws Emely to film is its rawness. She loves that film captures things as they are, with colors, light, and imperfections that feel honest and alive. The warmth and nostalgia of film are what really hooked her. To Emely, a film photograph can make you feel like you are right back in that moment. Even when looking at other people’s film photos, she feels like she is stepping into the scene with them.
Because of that, Emely usually prefers not to heavily edit her images. Unless a photo comes out very overexposed, underexposed, or has an unusual hiccup, she likes to leave the colors and composition as they are. That approach comes from years of shooting instant film, where each frame is physical, imperfect, and one of a kind.
When asked whether she prefers film or digital, Emely’s answer is simple: definitely film. In her opinion, film evokes a more authentic and raw feeling. A Steven Spielberg quote has always stuck with her: “Digital film is a science, and film photography is a chemical miracle.” To Emely, that is exactly what film feels like: a mini miracle.
For now, Emely is focused on continuing to create and build her body of work. Eventually, she hopes to create a website to share her photography and possibly sell prints, but she is still figuring out the details.
Congratulations again to Emely Galeano, our May winner!
