Featured Artist - Sebastian Binder

We are super stoked to feature Sebastian Binder this month. He has a rad high contrast, black and white style with a good mix of street shots, portraiture, skate action and architecture. Check him out @halbformat

1. Name 
Sebastian Binder

2. Residence
Vienna, Austria

3. Years Shooting
The first camera I owned was a digital point-and-shoot, which I got for Christmas in 2003. I would leave it in auto mode and take photos of my friends while going out at night. My first proper manual camera I bought in 2007. So I'd say that's when I started - about eleven years ago.

4. Years Shooting Film
Well, I can't really give you a definite number. When I bought my first film camera, a Nikon FM2 in 2007, I shot a few rolls right away. But then I only picked it up here and there, usually when going on trips. The last time I used it was towards the end of 2010, when I went digital. Then, fast forward to January 2018, I read about half-frame cameras and immediately bought an Olympus Pen FT with a 38mm/1.8 lens. Right away I was really into it, but the third roll of film I loaded didn't advance properly and left me with one completely white frame. I had heard about worn-out gears being a weakness of this camera and thought it was broken. But in August I wanted to give it another go, thinking I might have loaded the film incorrectly. And sure enough everything still worked. I did get some overlapping frames on my last roll though, so I might have to pick up another Pen FT sometime soon.
So all in all, I did shoot film for about three years and now I'm only on my sixth roll with my Pen FT so far.

5. Why Film?
It probably is all the things people romanticise about. But to me it's mainly the simplicity of my camera and physical experience you get working with film.

6. Why Halfframe?
Initially I had a project in mind, which I still have to work on. But also because I generally prefer portrait orientation anyways and because the whole Pen F system is so compact, I can carry it all day. Also it's cool getting 72 frames on one roll of film.

7. What's your favorite Halfframe camera? What are your favorite films with halfframe? What's your favorite combo?
The only camera/lens combo I know so far is my Olympus Pen FT with 38mm/1.8, but I might pick up a Konica Recorder soon because I want a small point-and-shoot with flash and a 25mm lens. I also just ordered a Nikon to Pen Adapter, so I'll try some other lenses. Trying to shoot skateboarding with a fisheye will be fun!

For film I'm definitely into B&W. I tried a roll of colour negative film but it didn't feel right. For now I'm still trying out different films: so far Ilford HP5+, Lomography Earl Grey, Kentmere 400 and Ilford Pan 400.

8. What are you trying to do or show with your halfframe work?
I want to start developing my films and eventually learn darkroom printing. Just to do the whole process from start to finish. Those are the next steps I guess. Other than that I'd like to do more planned shooting. Just to see whether half-frame works for portraits, skateboarding, editorial kind of work. I enjoy doing street photography and the spontaneity, but it's also cool to have something planned and to work on a project at times.

9. When you aren't shooting halfframe you are shooting...
Digital for work and my kids.

10. Anything else you'd like us to know about you? Where to follow you beside on IG, etc.
First of all, I really want to thank you for reaching out and featuring my work. Also I'm rather new to film and half-frame photography and my main motivation is to document the things I see, to remember people or events. To remind me of all the good and bad times. So to realize there's people who appreciate those photos and getting all the feedback is incredible!