Tom Adams - An Interview
Who is Tom Adams?
"My name is Tom, I am 24 and I am a philosophy student in Manchester."
When did you discover film?
I discovered film about 2 years ago. I saw a cheap Olympus OM-10 in a charity shop and really liked the look of it and then I bought this Stephen Shore book and just loved the imagery throughout and didn’t look back from there!
Winter Swimming in Oslo // Olympus OM-1 x Fujicolor Superia X-TRA800
What is it about 35mm that you like?
Firstly, I prefer the whole method of shooting on film due to the extra care you need to take when taking photos. Obviously shooting digitally requires diligence and care, but I think there’s more pressure on you to make the shots count with a film camera. Secondly, I find it really exciting bringing a roll to get developed and waiting to see the results and, lastly, I simply prefer the quality of image that shooting on film produces.
What do you shoot on?
The original OM-10 that I bought actually turned out to be broken so I part-exchanged it for an Olympus OM-1 and that’s been my main camera since then, but I’ve recently bought a Leica Mini II and this is fast becoming my camera of choice! To be honest, I’m pretty happy with my current cameras - neither of them are exceptional but they both serve different purposes and both do their jobs really well.
Swimming Solo // Olympus OM-1 x Fujicolor Superia X-TRA800
What makes you take a photograph?
I don’t think there’s anything specific that inspires me to go out and take photographs, it’s more of a ritual for me now. I like to walk a lot and bringing my camera with me makes these walks more interesting and stimulating. I’ve travelled quite a lot in recent years too and that’s obviously conducive to taking a lot of photographs as well!
What is your best experience shooting on film?
I recently went hiking in the Peak District on my own and it was a really foggy and miserable day and I thought it was going to be a bit of a photographic write-off. Instead, it turned out to be the perfect conditions for some really interesting shots! I was using Ilford HP5 Plus on my Olympus and the photos came back better than I had expected. I was out for a about 7 hours and saw less than 10 people the whole time I was out and with the fog surrounding the peaks there was this really calm, surreal and lonely atmosphere and I think the photos really reflected that.
Tennis Court // Olympus OM-1 x Fujicolor Superia X-TRA800
What is your favourite way to display your photos?
I like instagram and tumblr for displaying photos. I like to keep it simple and both of these formats allow that. I have a lot of my photos stuck on my wall as well.
Brighton Beach // Olympus OM-1 x Fujicolor Superia X-TRA800
What right now is really inspiring you and influencing your photos?
Since I bought my Leica, i’ve started to find aesthetic interest in pretty much everything! I used to prefer images of interesting subjects e.g. beautiful landscapes etc. - but i’ve recently been more interested in how mundane, everyday subjects and views can be made infinitely more interesting when seen from different perspectives and the way in which film shots can embellish supposedly ‘boring’ subject matter.
Instagram: @thmsdms
Tumblr: thmsdms.tumblr.com
Please take a look at Tom's sites for more of his photos!
Empty Seats // Leica Mini II x Expired Film
Peak District // Olympus OM-1 x Ilford HP5 Plus
Peak District // Olympus OM-1 x Ilford HP5 Plus
Peak District // Olympus OM-1 x Ilford HP5 Plus
Peak District // Olympus OM-1 x Ilford HP5 Plus