Los Angeles 2025

Between Past and Present: The Art of Loona Moon

Blending vintage aesthetics with a modern sensibility, Loona Moon creates film photographs that feel both timeless and alive. Her work reflects a deep connection to authenticity, spontaneity, and emotion, celebrating the beauty of natural light, human connection, and the imperfect magic that only analogue photography can capture.

Hello Loona, thank you for giving us the chance to learn more about you and your beautiful work. To begin, could you introduce yourself to our readers?
Thank you for the invitation to be a part of your wonderful magazine! I feel so honored and excited to share my work here.

To introduce myself, I’m Loona Moon, and I love photography! Ever since my mom gave me a Kodak point-and-shoot in fourth grade, cameras have been precious and fascinating to me. I’ve been working with film since taking a darkroom class in 2018, which was an experience that totally transformed my life. Through film, I’ve found community, inspiration, and artistic challenges that led to growth. Finding this art form is something I am very grateful for.

Your images often carry a vintage atmosphere through styling and wardrobe, yet your compositions and poses feel very contemporary. How did you arrive at this blend of classic and modern elements?
This mix is a reflection of my personality, it’s what feels “real” to me. I’m always after this particular feeling of finding what is real to me, both in what I create and the art I enjoy. It’s hard to explain what exactly that means, but I think it’s something every artist is doing with their work, and it’s different for everyone. For my work, I try to guide people toward poses that feel natural, primal, or interactive. It’s often the case that a pose will happen intuitively, without a lot of guidance from me.

Much of your work is created outdoors, with carefully chosen backgrounds that complement both the model and the clothing. Are these locations the result of instinct and spontaneity, or do you plan them in advance?
We usually have a general idea of our destination, but we are also pretty spontaneous and love to pull over to see what we can see. My friends and I have spots we like to go back to, things can change so much through the course of the year, and I find that returning to the same area can be very inspiring. But basically, the farther we can get from a main road, the better.

Which cameras are currently part of your creative toolkit?
For the first few years I was shooting, I was only using my trusty Nikon F2, but my bags are a lot heavier these days. My camera bag is usually equipped with: Mamiya C220, Nikon F2, Yashica D, Polaroid One Shot, and my Instax mini. I recently got a Holga, I’m excited to try it out, and a Bronica that I have to get fixed. If the mood strikes, I’ll bring my 4×5 Crown Graflex along for the ride, and on occasion, I’ll bring out my whole wet plate kit for a special shoot. I always use multiple cameras when I’m shooting because I like to have different versions of my favorite shots.

Whether in black and white or colour, is there a particular film stock that you favour above others?
I buy Ilford HP5+ in bulk a few times a year and fill in the gaps with the odd Kodak Gold or Cinestill 400D. Taking a chance on a mysterious roll of expired film is fun too, which I’ll keep doing even though I recently experienced the heartbreak of getting a blank roll back. It happens!

When it comes to developing and scanning your negatives, do you prefer doing it yourself at home, or relying on a professional lab?
I’ve gone back and forth between using a lab and home developing through different times in my life. There are positives to both! But to save on costs, I’m preferring to develop and scan at home right now.

Thank you again for having me!

You can find my work at @loonamoonphotos on IG and see my website at: https://loonamoon.vercel.app/