Simon Taulelle
In an increasingly digital world, Simon Taulelle from the Shimano Gravel Alliance is a huge fan of everything analogue.
Most high-end smartphones boast multi-lens cameras, are capable of shooting in low light and can display the image instantly in pin sharp, ultra-high definition,
yet are small enough to easily fit in your jersey pocket.
Ignoring the insanely high cost of purchasing on of these phones, doesn’t carrying around a
heavy and often bulky analogue camera fitted with a roll of expensive black &white transparency film might seem like something of an anachronism?
Simon agrees, but even so, using an analogue camera to capture the highlights of his gravel riding trips is his preferred medium.
"Don't get me wrong" he says "I have nothing against new technology, on the contrary, but I just think that some things have disappeared a little too prematurely from the radar."
We asked him how he selects which image to take and which to ignore? "In what I call "="analogue bikepacking", photos
are counted in a way that they never are when shooting digitally. Each image costs a certain price and you can't take an
unlimited stock of films in your bikepacking bags. So, you have to take your time and you’ll become more demanding on what you are going to photograph"
"What I like most is the look of the image" he continues. “For me there is that grain that always gives a timeless look to film photography. Each type of film will create different emotions,
textures and colours and this medium contributes, in my humble opinion, to make these photos more physical but above all more palpable than digital files."
We asked him how he selects which image to take and which to ignore? “In what I call “analogue bikepacking”, photos are counted in a way that they never are when shooting digitally. Each image costs a certain price and you can't take an unlimited stock of films in your bikepacking bags. So, you have to take your time and you’ll become more demanding on what you are going to photograph”
Simon summed up his attitude towards gravel photography “Don't get me wrong, I love the smartphones and I think you can capture great photos with one, but for me the love of analogue photography is much more than a trend,
it's a way of photographing that fits a lot with my style of riding and travelling. And who doesn't love a little bit of #partypace?"
We couldn't agree more! If you would like to see more of Simon’s analogue photography (albeit mainly in colour), then check out his Insta profile here