Light it up

Thien Nguyen, also known as “Fifty” (@50mmfilm), made this image while shooting stills with a friend on Mulholland Drive by the Hollywood Bowl @50mmfilm

The renowned Los Angeles music venue is a popular spot for photographers, especially during sunset.

“If anyone’s been to the Bowl, you’ll see people shooting photos of the skyline or freeway,” Nguyen said. “People were looking at Ernie and I like we were weirdos. Probably thinking, why are these guys taking photos of a house?”

The area is home to many celebrities, which of course then prompted inquiries of whether the duo worked for the tabloids.

“Are you the paparazzi because I think Katy Perry lives there,” a girl asked. After Nguyen assured her that he did not work for TMZ, he showed her the prominent lights streaks picked up by his Canon 7D.

Though he used a DSLR, Nguyen considers himself a veteran film photographer and has always felt he was one of the last ones to transition to digital. “The majority [of photographers] will never load a roll of film,” he wrote in an email.

Nguyen said digital photographers will take hundreds of shots, hoping for the right one, but with film, he knows how to get the exposure exactly right in a single frame. “Shooting in film and learning its technical components, you become more of a master of your craft.”

The photographer said when using film, he feels more connected with the environment and his subject. “There’s something about the process of film I love.”

Whether you’ve shot on film or with a digital camera, share your L.A.-centric photos. Tag and/or follow Trishna Patel on Twitter and Instagram @trishlistLA for a chance to be featured.

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