Jess Giles of Yourintimatenoise and her dog Luna. Photo by Esther Kang. All other photos by Jess Giles (Yourintimatenoise).
Just a few weeks into her first photography class in community college back in Redding, Jess Giles got her $800 digital SLR camera stolen. A friend had loaned it to her, and he felt bad that she had to pay for something she barely had a chance to use. So he gave her a spare Minolta film camera.
Marley Rae of Bootleg Orchestra.
“I had to drop out and I took a dark room class instead,” Giles recounted. “I fell in love at that point. I’ve never really gone back to digital at all. That camera’s the one I’ve used for the past six years until last month. It broke finally.”
That serendipitous event marked the beginning of her curious, experimental and deepening foray into the craft of analog photography. Since 2012 — the year she followed a high school friend’s footsteps out to Long Beach after attending a house show on her first visit — Giles has made herself known as Yourintimatenoise, a collaborative project with mostly Long Beach musicians.
Tatiana Velazquez of I/O.
Her series of portraits are largely comprised with intimate nature-based portraits and behind-the-scenes shots with a growing portfolio of local musicians and friends, including Rudy De Anda, Brenda Carsey, Marley Rae (Bootleg Orchestra), Candra (Meow Twins), Tatiana Velazquez (I/O) and LA-based group Naiswan.
Back in Redding, the small Sacramento Valley town where she was born and raised, the natural environment was her muse. She went through countless rolls shooting the beauty she saw around her.
Rudy De Anda.
“A lot of water, a lot of trees,” she explained. “It was usually all very nature-oriented because I grew up around lakes and rivers. And a lot of my dog and friends too — we went hiking almost every day.”
Since coming to Long Beach, she found a new muse in the local music scene and its constituents, many of whom have become friends. Keen to explore the relationship between music and analog photography, Yourintimatenoise is the result of marrying her two true passions. She’s also currently finishing up her degree in music business at Berkelee College of Music.
Candra of Meow Twins.
“Long Beach gives people the room to breathe, whereas somewhere like in Oakland or SF, people feel like they have to be so crazy in order to be recognized or noticed,” she said. “But in Long Beach everyone’s chill and gonna let you do your thing and be supportive. You see the same people at shows — sometimes you look around and every single person there you know them by what art they do.”
Giles’ style centers around multiple exposures and the interplay of colors. Inspired by the process of Edie Sunday — one of her favorite photographers — she began experimenting with soaking film in various substances, including bleach, coffee and even urine.
Self-portrait of Jess Giles.
“I’ve only had two volunteers other than myself,” she said, laughing. “It’s a little bit weird for people, I think.”
Much of it is trial and error, she said, taking note of what worked and what didn’t, what developed what type of tone and color. She thrives on this experimental aspect of the process, both pre- and post-development, with no two roll ever being the same.
“Film feels a lot more real to me,” she said. “You have to put more thought into it, and I really like the different variables that go into it. It’s very much about capturing a moment in time.”
Brenda Carsey.
Looking forward, she wants to continue the legacy of her Falcon’s Nest biannual art shows, which she curated in her old garage. For the next one this summer, she’s planning to move the show to the beach in her RV.
As for Yourintimatenoise, she said she’s looking forward to collaborating on more photo shoots with local musicians while being open to exploring different contexts, such as tour photography.
“There’s no better feeling than to know that you can connect with someone creatively,” Giles said.
For more information, visit YourIntimateNoise.com. You can also find her work on Instagram at @YourIntimateNoise.