A year inside a film lab can turn photography from an abstract interest into something physical. For Mila, it meant handling negatives, making scans, helping with everyday tasks and beginning to use film to preserve her own memories.
Why Berlin Photo Studio?
Mila is a 17-year-old student from Berlin. After changing schools, she needed to complete a one-year internship during her first year and chose Berlin Photo Studio as the place where she wanted to spend that time.
She describes photography as “just” a hobby, but it already has a clear function in her life. She uses it to document what happens around her and create a record of moments she wants to remember.
What did Mila do during the internship?
Most of her work focused on negatives, especially cutting and scanning them. She also helped with the varied everyday tasks that keep an analogue laboratory moving.
Those tasks may look small when viewed separately, but together they carry photographs from the development tank to a form the photographer can receive, recognise and keep. Cutting requires care. Scanning requires attention. Naming and organising prevent images from losing their context.
What did she bring to the studio?
Mila tried to help wherever she could. She also shared opinions and ideas when she felt a fresh perspective might improve something. New eyes are useful inside any repeated workflow: they notice steps that experienced people may have stopped questioning.
The studio, in return, gave her the opportunity to begin shooting analogue photographs and understand how an image travels from camera to negative to scan.
A practical camera for real life
Mila’s favourite camera is the Olympus Superzoom 120. She likes that it is small, practical and able to zoom a long way. It can be carried without turning every moment into a formal photographic production.
She does not have one favourite film stock. During the internship she mostly used film made by Berlin Photo Studio and was happy with the results. Her photography is mainly in colour, using C-41 and sometimes ECN-2 processing.
Photography as memory
Mila is most interested in documenting her life and holding on to memories. This is an important reminder that a photographic practice does not need to begin with professional ambitions. A camera can first be a way of noticing one’s own life.
In the future, she wants to continue learning about photography and create more memories with the team. The internship ends, but the relationship with images does not need to end with it.
Read more on Mila’s profile and explore the film processes she learned during her year inside the studio.
FAQ
What did Mila do at Berlin Photo Studio?
She mainly cut and scanned negatives and helped with the varied everyday tasks of the analogue laboratory.
Which camera does Mila use?
Her favourite camera is the Olympus Superzoom 120 because it is compact, practical and has a useful zoom range.
Which film processes did Mila use?
She mainly photographed with colour film processed in C-41 and occasionally used film developed in ECN-2.
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