Street Candy - A Treat for the Eyes

Tonight we are pleased to welcome our first ever batch of Street Candy to the store! This film took the photography community by storm last year, and was featured on multiple blogs and videos. To support the launch we sat down with the brains behind the brand - Mr Vincent Moschetti - to talk about his inspirations and background, and what makes Street Candy just a sweet delight.

Vincent, thank you so much for taking the time to talk to us! Let's start with the basics: name, background, and what lead you to this point of your life.

Bonjour! My name is Vincent from France and I’m 31 (like Yodica, it seems to be the perfect age to launch a film!) In another life I studied accountancy but quickly realised that it wasn’t made for me so shortly after, I’ve started traveling and lived in many countries across Europe. Photography has been part the journey for quite a while now and has been the source of many encounters and opportunities.

Vincent shot on Washi V Film

What made you start Street Candy films?

I’ve had the privilege to meet, among others, key characters of the film industry like Bellamy (JCH) or Washi Film who have been great sources of inspiration and gave me the motivation to bring a little something of my own to the community. Shortly after a few samples rolls of a forgotten film landed in my hands. It was very exciting to have a new black and white film to try and I got even more enthusiastic when I saw the first photos. It didn’t take me long to figure out that many photographers would also like to shoot with and that it deserved a chance to exist!

What has been your inspiration for the branding?

It basically comes from the combination of two ideas: that it belongs in the streets and that’s a treat for the eyes. I went through many versions to convey those ideas and this one was the simplest and most efficient way to tell our story.

Have there been any particularly challenging/interesting episodes so far?

Yes, a quite funny episode that I recently learned about! At the very beginning of Street Candy, my mother was handling the packing and shipping while I was away from home. One day, she had to bring 27 orders to the post office but it was snowing heavily so she walked the entire way. Kudos to my mom for her dedication to #keepfilmontime and her bravery against the elements!

How did you get into analogue photography?

After shooting with digital for a few years, I was getting a little bored and my cameras were staying more and more at home. At the same time I met colleagues at work who were still shooting film. In the beginning I wasn’t paying much attention to what they were doing but eventually one of them leant me an Olympus OM10 and I shot my first roll of film with it. This was a total failure because I didn’t load the film properly and it came out blank!

Even if this first experience was a disaster, I felt that it revived the flame inside me so I kept digging and eventually bought my first film camera. I ended up with a Mamiya M645 & 80mm Sekor f1.9. This is really the camera that brought me here today. I shot one roll of Ilford HP5 with it and as soon as I saw the first pictures I was hooked. From this day, I made the decision to sell all my digital equipment and commit to film only for at least a year…here we are 2 years later!

What is your favourite film to shoot (non-Street Candy)? Can you share your favourite picture taken on this film?

I’ve shot only a few rolls but really have a thing for the Lomochrome Turquoise. There’s even more excitement than usual because it's hard to predict the results. The last roll I shot had some pretty interesting images and I can’t wait to show you them all in a new video coming out soon. Here’s a little spoiler ;)

What is your favourite thing about shooting with Street Candy? Can you share your favourite picture taken on this film?

I love its high contrast and the rich tonalities of gray you can get from it. Here’s a good example of what I like about it.

What is your favourite camera and why - photo please!

Hasselblad Xpan! Almost 2 years that I own this camera and I’m still amazed every time I grab it. I treated myself with this beauty for my 30th birthday… Best birthday ever!!

What do you hope to achieve with Street Candy?

For me, it’s important to support all existing films and the activity of their manufacturers. We’ve lost enough emulsions already and I believe that’s important to preserve the ones we have left, whichever they are.

What would be your advice to someone who has never shot film photography before?

It’s Wonderland, come and join us!

And finally...if you could create any film in the world, what would it be?

Before making Street Candy, I wanted to create a colour film that would match the colours of my blog On Film Only with pink highlights and blue shadows. Maybe I should get in touch with Yodica!

Apart from that, next goal for us would be to have the ATM400 rolled in our own canisters with DX code so it can be used in every camera.

I’m also thinking to bring ATM400 in 120 but the minimum order is way beyond what I can afford right now…maybe a crowdfunding campaign will come up at some point, we’ll see.

Vincent - thanks so much for talking to us, and for helping keep film alive. Long may it last and we look forward to seeing what you create next!