Over the past few months I’ve been making a conscious effort to try and shoot more film. I used to do so constantly, but the increasing cost and effort involved had become a real obstacle. Rather than just using my collection of odd-ball cameras and enjoying their idiosyncracies, I found that I was instead saving my stash of 35mm for big trips or particularly ‘special occasions’ – imposing an unreasonably high threshold both on what would ‘deserve’ or suit film, as well as expectations on the results. This inevitably and ironically meant that I ended up barely using them at all.
I look back fondly on the years where I never left the house without a film camera, where so much of my early 20s was captured in a limited series of frames through dusty lenses, and I want to get back into that habit. As wonderful and convenient as digital can be (particularly in low light), the results never quite bring the same level of satisfaction for days out with pals, BBQs in the park, or the otherwise seemingly ordinary moments that make up our lives, and form the basis of our wistful memories down the line.
Having an independent lab down the street has definitely made a big difference, or at least, it has now that I’ve gotten over the idea that I’ll have to pay someone else to develop my film (I even get them to scan it now!)… though I do still have plenty of black and white rolls that I need to work through.
I’ve already talked about this at some length previously, but I’m glad to report that half-way through 2024, some of the spark and love for film that I used to have has returned, and it’s becoming more of a consistent feature again. Below are a series of frames from the last six(ish) months, which haven’t made it into other dedicated posts of their own like these from Athens, or these from the Garden of Cosmic Speculation. Hopefully I’ll have a lot more to share in the coming wee while too.
