✦ The Person Behind the Camera

About Alex Mercer

Behind the scenes in Portugal
portugal, 2022
Portrait of Alex Mercer
β€” that's me

✦ A little bit about me

Hello. I'm Alex β€” photographer, wanderer, and devoted student of light.

I started making photographs seriously in 2014, when a friend lent me a 1976 Olympus OM-1 and a half-used roll of Tri-X. I shot the rest of that roll in an afternoon, dropped it at the lab, and spent the next three days thinking about nothing else. That feeling β€” the waiting, the not-knowing, the slow reveal β€” is one I've been chasing ever since.

I'm based between Lisbon, Portugal and wherever the next trip takes me. My work spans landscapes, street documentation, and quiet portrait work β€” united by a preference for available light, slow moments, and the honest imperfections that film allows.

I believe photography is fundamentally about memory: the feeling of a place, a mood, a slant of afternoon light. A photograph should transport you back to a moment, not just document it. I try to make images that feel like something, not just look like something.

10+ Years Shooting
340+ Rolls Developed
28 Countries Visited
4 Cameras in Rotation

The Bag

πŸ“·
Olympus OM-1
My main camera since 2014. Fully mechanical, all-metal, completely bulletproof. I trust it completely.
the one that started it all
🎞
Leica M6
For street work and travel. The rangefinder forces you to slow down, compose carefully, and commit.
quiet shutter, loud results
β—‰
Mamiya RB67
For portraits and landscapes when weight isn't a concern. 6Γ—7 negatives are extraordinary.
the brick. worth every gram.
πŸ”
Lenses
Zuiko 35mm f/2, Zuiko 50mm f/1.4, Summicron 35mm f/2 ASPH, Mamiya 127mm f/3.8.
less is more
🎞️
Favourite Films
Kodak Portra 400, Ilford HP5+, Cinestill 800T, Fuji Superia 400, and whatever expired stock I find at markets.
portra is always the right answer
πŸ§ͺ
Darkroom
I develop my own B&W at home: D-76, Rodinal, and HC-110 depending on the mood. Colour goes to the lab.
home darkroom, 2019–present

The Process

01
Observation

I walk before I shoot. Understanding the light, the rhythm of the place, the people moving through it. The camera stays in the bag until something stops me.

02
Exposure

Manual everything. I meter by eye more than by machine. Film is forgiving in shadow; protect the highlights and let the grain take care of the rest.

03
Development

B&W in the darkroom, colour at the lab. I trust Carmencita Film Lab in Valencia. Good lab relationships are underrated in film photography.

04
Editing

Minimal scanning adjustments only: base exposure and contrast. I don't add grain to digital β€” I just use film instead.

05
Curation

From 36 frames, maybe 3-4 make it. The ruthlessness of editing is where the photography actually happens β€” after the shutter.

06
Sharing

Here, on the blog, in small print runs. I still send physical prints to people occasionally. There's no substitute for a print in your hands.


Behind the Scenes

The home darkroom setup
the darkroom, 2am
Rows of film rolls ready to shoot
january haul
On location in the field
somewhere in tuscany
Contact sheets from a recent shoot
contact sheets, march 2025
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