We are very excited to feature JR. Kingdon on our latest spotlight! Check out his images and interview below.

Hi there! Introduce yourself to the Negative Supply community.

“Hey everyone! My name is JR Kingdon and I’m an amateur photographer based out of Ontario, Canada. I shoot a variety of different subjects and they change quite often! I also run a mini-lab based out of my house. I was tired of waiting 3 months for my film to be developed from our only local lab and I was sure everyone else in my area felt the same way. I named it Niagara Film Co. and it’s been up and running since September of 2020.”

Q: How did you first discover your passion for photography?

“t’s actually kind of a funny story. I’ve always had interest in photography and while I was in high school I got huge into concert photography while going to local shows/concerts and seeing the photographers shoot in the pit. I was a broke high school student that couldn’t afford a camera and knew it was too expensive to ask my parents for one. I ended up putting that idea on the back burner.”

“Fast forward a few years, I was being pushed to go back to school after a failed attempt at graphic design and figured Photography would be a pretty good option. I thought “Hey, I can learn photography, AND get a camera…IM IN!”. From there I did a 2 year college program where I learned the basics of photography, got to utilize a bunch of studio equipment, and make some amazing friends along the way. Now, 3 years later, I’m still enjoying getting out to shoot, testing out new film cameras, and trying new styles.”

Q: What do you enjoy most about shooting film?

“It’s a cliche answer but it’s the same reason I collect vinyl. I love the tangible aspect of it. Picking out a roll, loading it up, shooting it, developing, and scanning or printing is all so hands on. It just makes you feel more connected to the image versus shooting a million photos on a SD card, picking your favourite, moving a few sliders on Lightroom and exporting the image. Not that there is anything wrong with that of course!” 

“It also slows me down. I was that guy who would shoot his XT3 on burst mode shooting 16fps and then going through 2,000 photos after an hour shoot. Being able to do that made me ignore any of the “rules” of photography, or composition, or anything really because I knew that there was bound to be one good photo out of those 2,000 shots.” 

“Or maybe I’m just a hipster. I guess it depends on who you ask haha.”

Q: What are some of your favorite film stock?

I”’ve gotta go with the obvious and say the Portra line. Portra 400 is my go to for just about everything and 800 really has a special place in my heart. As of late, Cinestill 800T at night has been really capturing my interest. I’ve only shot about 5 rolls of it but every time I scan a roll in I fall more in love with it. Considering I never shoot night time photography I love that it really pushes me out of my comfort zone. “

Q: What inspires you most when it comes to your photography?

“It’s really other creatives. Scrolling through instagram and seeing amazing work people are creating, or watching photo walk videos on YouTube seriously gets me itching to go out and shoot. I used to be very picky on what I shot. It was only portraits and only outdoors. As of the last year I’ve been really pushing myself to get out and shoot whatever whether that’s a run down car, an abandoned building, a landscape, or a planned out portrait. I’ve really been wanting to get into collecting photo books as well. I’m sure that would be an amazing source of inspiration (and look good in my office on the bookshelf). So feel free to send any recommendations my way!”

Q: How have our Negative Supply tools helped your workflow?

“It’s just made EVERYTHING easier. I used an Epson V600 before this and waiting 40 minutes for some scans was just not my vibe. I picked up the 35mm carrier for myself after following the kickstarter, seeing a bunch of people using it and finally deciding I needed one. I also remember picking up my first medium format cameras and immediately knowing the first thing I needed was the 120 carrier. Being able to scan a whole roll in 2 minutes is a game changer especially with running a small scale lab. I’m scanning 20+ rolls a week and doing that with a flatbed would just result in me going bald from either stress or pulling my hair out. Whichever comes first.

My next purchases will be a Negative Supply copy stand to replace my janky rigged up copy stand, a better light, and the pro riser (definitely with that dust brush) as well as some small accessories. My goal by the end of 2021 (budget allowing) is to transfer my scanning process from my lab to be run 100% on Negative Supply products”

Q: What camera are you using for scanning?

“Right now I’m using a Fujifilm X-T3 with a 7Artisans 60mm macro lens and it’s working perfectly for me! The only upgrade I might make is a better macro lens like one of the Fujinon macros, although that’s not a priority at the moment. 

We’d like to thanks to JR for sharing his work with us! You can check out more of his work on Instagram. Check out the tools JR used below! And if you’d like be featured on our blog send us a email at contact@negativesupply.co