S2.E4 – Lauren Marcelle on Large Format Film, Portraiture, and Community

In this episode of f/22, Zach Hodges sits down with film portrait photographer Lauren Marcelle at Bild Expo in New York City.

Lauren shares her journey from shooting Polaroid as a kid to working in 4x5 and 8x10 large format film. She talks about why slowing down matters, what it takes to make a single meaningful frame, and why portraiture gives her something street and landscape photography never could: real human connection.

They also dive into Cameras & Coffee, the community meetup she helped bring from the Bay Area to NYC, and why “just showing up” might be the most important step any creative can take.

📌 This episode explores:
• Falling back in love with film
• The discipline of large format photography
• Finding your niche after years of experimentation
• Creating space for connection through portraiture
• Building intentional creative community

Follow Lauren:
Website: laurenmarcellephotography.com
VSCO: vsco.co/laurenmarcellephoto/gallery

Chapters:
00:00 Slowing Down with Large Format
00:37 Lauren’s Film Photography Journey
02:12 Cameras & Coffee Origins
03:32 What to Expect at a Meetup
04:20 Overcoming Social Anxiety
05:10 Why Community Matters
06:44 Shooting 8x10 Portraits
08:02 The Magic of One Frame
09:08 Finding Her Focus in Portraiture
11:05 Where to See Lauren’s Work

Hashtags:
#LargeFormatPhotography #FilmPhotography #PortraitPhotography #8x10 #Polaroid #PhotographyCommunity #CamerasAndCoffee #F22Series