Ada Hamza is full of creative motivation, which began to mean freedom to her in the form of photography during her law studies. He is slowly adding to his collection of analog cameras, and with them he weaves his personal story, interwoven with humorous situations and travels. She will present a series of photographs from California on February 24 at the Šiška Cinema.
We caught up one Friday afternoon, when most people, waiting for the end of the week, are praying all four of themselves. But that day, Ada Hamza was gnawing at the theft of her computer and photographic lens, which happened to her and her friends in Venice a few days earlier. That's why she wasn't in a very good mood at first, but over a soothing mint tea we had a pleasant chat about cameras, analog photography and her trip to California, which, despite the beautiful trail on the photographic film, didn't make such a unique impression. Ada was not at a loss for words, and with the charm that testifies to her love for this art, we indulged in her world of documentation through photographs, which are something existing and tangible.
A future lawyer who unleashes her creativity in photography. How did your creative journey begin?
I studied law, which I plan to finish this year, but during my studies I realized that I was also interested in photography. I didn't plan anything, I needed something creative to do. Probably because I'm surrounded by such people - the boy is from the Academy (Academy of Fine Arts, op. a.), so through him I met a lot of friends with whom I connected more, maybe because I'm more hippie-minded and not so bureaucratic, official. That's exactly why I took my studies lightly, but I'm very happy that I studied it, because I have a different knowledge, a different view of the world. Now I realize that I would also like to deal with this, so I decided to finish my studies. Namely, I found a bridge between creativity and law, namely in copyright law or intellectual property law.
How long have you been doing photography?
The photo came quite spontaneously. I started taking photos and fell into this world. I mostly educated myself through friends and people I know and internet communities.
Also at what workshops?
No, all alone. I also learned the technique myself. I bought many different cameras and learned with them. When those around me found out that I was shooting on film, they just gave me a camera.
What cameras do you use?
I have a huge collection of cameras at home, some of which I have never used. If I had gotten my hands on one of them five years ago, I wouldn't have known what to do with it - what is the open aperture, the time... When I see the camera now, I know exactly what kind of lens it has, what kind of aperture it has, and everything that could be done to do with it. I mostly shoot with three cameras. The Canon EOS5 is a professional SLR analog camera, I always have a Contax T2 with me because it is very reliable and of good quality, I also use a Chaiko.
What do you usually use them for?
Chaika makes grainy photos, so I use it for personal pictures or personal documentation because it creates a beautiful and dreamy atmosphere. Many of the photographs that will be exhibited at the exhibition are taken with Chaika. The Contax is a Japanese camera, sharper, and the Canon EOS is a professional camera that I use for work, as the images are good and sharp. I used it for a product photo for a Pop up home. Do you develop the photos yourself? No, I have them developed. If you wanted to grow it yourself, you need to buy chemicals and have a suitable space for it. A lot of equipment is needed and it's expensive, so I've never tried it myself. I develop the film and scan it directly onto a CD, or they do it for me where I have it developed. I guess you've seen quite a bit of the world. Where is home for you? Definitely in Ljubljana. She will always be in Ljubljana, but she would like to live somewhere else for a while.
If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you build your dream house?
After the American trip, I am very drawn to New York, and so is Juri (boyfriend, op. a.).
But what actually pulled you across the pond?
The purpose of the trip was somehow business. At the beginning of the summer, Jurij started a Kickstarter campaign, which was quite successful, and for this purpose we went to New York to send mudguards (Jurij makes Musguard mudguards for bikes, op. a.) and arrange matters with distributors. For Juri, the trip was more business, for me more vacation, relaxing.
What did you like so much that you moved there?
The dynamics of the big city suited us. Jurij launched his product very successfully and he found that there they are more receptive to certain things, the market is bigger, and at the same time everything is happening faster. We both fell a little bit in love with New York, even though it wasn't our first time there. We saw it through different eyes, because a friend lives there and for a few days we had the opportunity to peek into life there. In a completely ordinary life, not a tourist one. We actually managed to avoid Times Square in 15 days. I feel that I have a lot of energy to live in such a city, at least for a year or two.
At the exhibition, you will display photographs from California. How come there are no photos from New York on display?
Because I don't even have any from New York. So we flew around and worked all day, visiting bike shops and seeing exhibitions. In addition, we arrived just in time for a heat wave, so I was physically unable to take photos, let alone take in the environment and buildings around me. How did you experience California? It was colder, even about 15 degrees Celsius less in San Francisco. We came unprepared, imagining that we would be in dresses and shorts, but then it turned out to be something else entirely, especially the coastal area of San Francisco, which was covered in fog and therefore only about 13 degrees during the day Celsius, which allowed me to buy jeans because I had nothing to wear.
How long and where were you in California?
14 days. We flew to San Francisco and continued our journey by car to Los Angeles. Would you like to use them more? Definitely not.
Why? I have a feeling that California has not impressed you, while some of us are very drawn there.
Of course, because you think it's great. In childhood and growing up, we saw all those movies about California and we have in our heads that it is something romantic and beautiful.
How do you view the series of California photos today, more than half a year later?
I find it interesting, because the pictures are completely different from what is there in reality. It is very fascinating - the land is extremely photogenic, but to live there... No way. I do not. LA is very spread out and huge, and there is no European-friendly public transport, so you have to go everywhere by car. I myself do not have a driving test, I travel either by bicycle or by public transport, so the fact that you have to spend so much time in the car has a particularly bad effect on me. The city is divided and each trip to the other end takes two hours. People are constantly on the road there. You can't just come and walk around the center because there isn't one. There is a very good book by artist Miranda July It chooses you, which is about how people from different walks of life and walks of life don't mix in LA. If I compare it to New York, you are always among people there. Everyone takes the subway and the city is much more alive and the interaction of different people is constant. This is exactly why July's book is interesting - she conducted interviews with people she would never have met, so it represents a unique insight into the local society.
So you saw much more than just Los Angeles, you got a peek into life behind its scenes. Where did you live?
We lived with a Slovene who was filming something there at the time. We slept at his place and since he surfs, he took us to see where he works, we went out together and lived a normal life. Since we had a car, we went through the interior of the desert and came back through the exterior, we saw Big Sur and a national park with beautiful nature - forests, hills, rocks, cliffs...
How many photos did you bring home with you?
I took about ten films, each with 36 pictures, so about 360 pictures.
Can you describe the series of photographs that we will see at the exhibition?
These were real-time recordings. California was fascinating to me in terms of architecture and urban environment. It is completely different from here, the houses are different, the cars are different, the lines on the road and public lighting are different. A lot of things are supplemented, compiled, there is some garbage everywhere and everything is more raw. People live in their nice houses and maybe have the interior even better, but the environment is a bit outdated, as if no one cares about it. I was particularly fascinated by anomalies in the urban environment, which I also photographed. And nature itself, Big Sur, for example.
Do they have any parks there?
I think so, but we didn't really see them. We went to long beaches, which is also interesting in its own way. Everyone is surfing and that was nice to see. Everyone is engaged in sports, although the sea is not suitable for swimming, as the waves are huge. But it's nice to see old gentlemen who you think are well into their years come with their surfboards and hit the waves. And those palm trees... mmm, they really fascinated me. They are quite thin and very tall, a couple of ten meters.
What is important to you in photography?
Humor is very important to me, so I hope that this shows through my photos - funny, funny, bizarre situations.
What bizarre situation comes to your mind at this moment and you caught it on camera?
I have a very happy picture, I also published it on the blog, namely a red car standing in front of a red tree. It's not bizarre, but it's funny. As if it were a staged situation, which it is not.
So those are also the things that first catch your eye?
Yes, mainly anomalies in the environment. Things that exist, but no one has had any influence on them. I also find it interesting what people do to their houses, how their cactus grows strangely, for example. It's the little things that other people don't notice that catch my attention. I also follow other people and their works, photographers that are interesting to me. Now I have sharpened my taste a little; in the beginning I liked a lot of things, but now less and they have to be coherent, consistent. The idea must be personal and original. Through a series of photographs, the personality of the photographer can be seen, or what he wants to show. Anyone can take a good photo, so I think the highlight is a coherent series that shows what a person likes, what interests them, how they look at the world, what values they have.
When you just mentioned the photographers. Which one of them inspires you the most?
Currently, I like Wolfgang Tillmans, a German photographer. He's a genius, but it's hard to put his genius into words. His entire oeuvre represents what he is like. If I saw three of his pictures, I probably wouldn't think there was anything genius about it. At the same time, he also published several books in which he talks about his work, and through this theory, thinking and ideas, people perceive him in a completely different way.
What was your biggest challenge when photographing California?
Nothing. I take photography completely lightly, I'm not burdened and I don't plan. If I go on a trip, I always have my camera with me, but I don't bother with the fact that I need to take a picture of something. It's some documentation and it's something that I'm interested in at that moment. If I were without a camera, I would have this in my head.
Which part of the world would you like to explore with your camera in the future?
Asia. I've been drawn to Seoul lately, so I'd really like to go to South Korea. And to Japan.
Check out some of Ada's photos in the gallery below.
