Photos taken by contributor PJ Brez, a 28-year-old man who lives in the South Korean countryside. He has experienced depression, loneliness, homesickness, and feelings of isolation. He teaches English conversation at a university in Korea, but photography is his passion.

About these photos: “Film photography can be quite fun and experimental. One technique that I’ve had some success with is the double exposure. They’re quite easy to do. Essentially, you take a photo, refrain from advancing the film, and then take another photo on the same frame of film. You can do this any number of times. The images will blend together.  Now, I’ve definitely blundered up many double exposures. Typically, the ones that aren’t successful are too busy and distracting to the eye. There’s just too much going on. I’ve found success in shooting simple subjects. Silhouettes work especially well because the dark areas, the shadows, will be filled in so to speak with the second shot.

These particular photos were taken at night and indoors using a crudely made plastic camera called a Holga. My model comes with several flashes, so I went for double exposing blue and red flash shots. I like the way those two tones contrast each other.  I think I got kind of lucky with these. Sure, I had an idea of how they would turn out but I couldn’t be sure until I developed and scanned the film. I think it’s important to have an idea of what you want to capture ahead of time. For example, with the kissing couple, I knew I didn’t want to keep them centered in the frame both times. That would lead to a very busy photo. So, on the second shot, I put them off in the corner so that the images wouldn’t overlap too much and be hard to read.

 Sometimes not planning out a double exposure works miraculously well. Other times you just get a mess. Either way, exploring experimental film photography helps me get out of the house and see the world a bit differently. It aids in training the eye. I’m often out scouring my surroundings for patterns and shadows. It keeps me observant. Living out alone in the countryside as I do can be very lonesome. Having a creative hobby that keeps me moving definitely assists in staying healthy in heart and mind.”

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