Riots in Chile: Nikon FE10 + Kodak Double X
Written and Photographed by Enrique Javier
We have been protesting since October 18, 2019. Even though we are in a democracy, the government has responded with brutal violence. The police shoot pellets in our faces. There are already 200 people who have lost at least 1 eye to riot control tactics.
Artist
My name is Enrique Javier, I am from Santiago, Chile, and I have been shooting for approximately 10 years. I switch between analog and digital, although my heart is really analog. My "specialty" is street photography, with emphasis on the scenes of daily life in which spaces of humanity are seen in the city. In spite of this series, this year I have also started to shoot portraits, especially using medium format. You can find more of my work on my Instagram and Flickr.
Gear and film stock
First, my 35mm camera a Nikon FE10 (a plastic camera that was not even made by Nikon), is excellent for street because of its lightweight build - around 450g/1 lb - in addition to having shutter priority. My lenses are: Nikon 28mm 2.8 ais (my favorite for its amazing sharpness, but sometimes difficult to use because of how wide it is), the 35mm f2 AF D and the 50mm f1.8 AF D. With this camera I shoot mainly Kodak Double X (movie film) because I love the grain and the traditional look it gives in its results. I think it adds a touch of photojournalism look. One day I used Kodak T-Max 400 that I adore for the deep blacks it gives.
Second, one day a friend lent me his Hasselblad Xpan and I was able to use it for an afternoon (everyone's dream). I used the standard 45mm f4 lens and Kodak Tri-X 400 (which was my favorite Kodak black & white film).
Third, in addition to analog, I have been using my Fujifilm XT2 with my adapted Nikon lenses. In the first few days, I tried not to use digital but it has already been more than a month of protests and my film stocks are running in short supply. The results of the XT2 with the Nikon glass are just lovely and still keep that analog look.
All the photos are taken in the afternoon when the protests begin, here in the southern hemisphere at this time of the year it gets dark around 7-8 pm. We are in the transition from spring to summer, so the days have been somewhat cloudy which helps cut the harsh lighting and create softer shadows.
Riots in Chile Change History
Despite Chile’s high-income and stable government, relative to the rest of Latin America, the country suffers from income inequality and the privatization of almost all public services. As a result, the cost of living in the country is very expensive. We have been protesting since October 18, 2019. Even though we are in a democracy, the government has responded with brutal violence. The police shoot pellets in our faces. There are already 200 people who have lost at least 1 eye to riot control tactics.
Photographing these protests in CHile’s Capital, Santiago has changed me deeply. I started photographing these protests as an isolated event, like other occasional manifestations. They were simply a challenge to practice street photography since these situations in their infinite and simultaneous stimulus are perfect for improving the photographic eye.
Little by little, I have been taking the historical weight of these days. Thankful to have the opportunity to capture these events with my camera, there is something unique that is happening in my country. Protests this massive and intense in Chile are a novelty in our recent history. I have been able to process it with the work of the other fellow photographers and also mine. It has been incredibly difficult, but I believe it’s a story that must be told.
In that sense, I have experienced many emotions these days, witnessing the scenes that take place in the street that go from joy to fear through despair. I had the unpleasant experience of receiving a pair of plastic pellets in the head by the police, I can say that I have never felt that the photographic exercise was as significant as these days. For all the above, I am infinitely grateful to all those with whom I have been able to share these days touring the streets of Santiago. Some faces were covered to protect the identity of people from the police.
Development and Scanning
Kodak Double X film was developed using D96 (the recommended developer for that film). The Tri-X and T-Max was developed with Ilford DDX. A Paterson tank was used for at-home-development. Epson V600 was the scanner used.
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