Duran Levinson

is a South African, born in 1987. He works out of Capetown, South Africa. The home country of one of my favorite groups,…”Die Antwoord”. But I digress. He started shooting film while studying analog cinematography in film school. It was an instant love affair he harbors to this day. It’s not like he didn’t try digital. He did,… but felt there was something missing. Some aspect of the imaging and process that was failing to satisfy and enable him to achieve his artistic vision.

Duran Levinson and Contax

When looking for a 35mm camera, he developed an obsession for Contax and it’s Zeiss glass, and went to a Contax T2. Eventually, he added a Contax G2 with 28mm lens to his arsenal. When asked, he says, “After graduating I wanted to take photos and start working on my photography but I found digital wasn’t for me. I didn’t enjoy shooting my creative work on it and I re-discovered film. I’m currently working as a freelance filmmaker shooting analog travel photography in my spare time between freelance jobs.” However, when the client or job call for it, he has no problem shooting digitally for them, whether still or video.

While he finds his inspiration all around him, it’s the Hollywood classic horror and sci-fi films that most excite him. From ‘The Shining’ to ‘A Space Odyssey’.

The Wider, The Better

He has always had a preference for wide angle lenses when shooting stills. Most of the time he’s shooting 21mm, 24mm and 35mm,….the 38mm on the T2 almost seems like a telephoto to him.

Duran Levinson really expresses himself in both moving and still images, and considers his still work more of a hobby. After all, he is a filmmaker. But when pushed on the seemingly obsessive love of film, he just says, “Film is just gorgeous. I love the whole process of loading, shooting, developing and seeing the results for the first time. I love / hate the whole process.” The love/hate thing is pretty common for the “Film Is Not Dead” folks.

Some say the up and coming filmies are “misguided”, but Duran Levinson is proof otherwise. He likes to comment, ” it’s a black hole, but I gladly throw money into it”. Achieving a vision sometimes takes you to a path less traveled. These images are from his travels to Hong Kong, Korea and Thailand and show that “counterculture” is international. As are beautiful women and tattoos. Find Contax T2