Film 03// Coming Home

A few months ago my three best friends from high school and I spent a gorgeous afternoon catching up after years of being apart and it was one of my absolute favorite days. We've spent the last few years separated by states and continents, busy schedules and different life paths, but as soon as we were reunited it felt like we are 16 and wild and careless and free again. Being surrounded by these amazing women made me forget about life's current stresses and helped me reground myself, which is something I needed very very much.

We started off at Hog Island Oysters in Tomales for some afternoon snacks and catching up, then ventured over to Marilyn's parents' house in Pt. Reyes. Her house has always been a safe haven for me, a place to escape when we were in high school and be free. We spent so many nights taking over their cozy cottage and even though it's been years since I've been back, the second I walked in was greeted by a feeling of comfort and tranquility. It felt like home.

I love these girls dearly and can't express how wonderful it was to be around them again. We each have such different perspectives on life and love, but no matter where we are or who we've become we have a profound respect and love for one another. They are my soul sisters and it's days like this that refresh my view of the world and of myself. I'm so grateful for their support and love and look forward to many more days like this spent laughing and loving each other in the warm West Marin sun.

Film // 02

Full blog post with more photos found here.

After my amazing experience at the Jose Villa workshop in Napa I was itching to play with a Contax 645 camera. After some thorough research, I found a great deal on a body and lens and decided to pull the trigger without ever shooting with one. Crazy, maybe, but this camera is amazing and I knew I would love it. And boy, was I right.

A few weeks ago I finally found some time to take a couple practice rolls with my Dad in our backyard and we had a field day running around during the gorgeous November sunset. My dad is the one who first got me into photography- he loaned me his Nikkromat 35 mm film camera in high school and has been my mentor and advisor for this hobby turned obsession throughout the years- which is why it means so much to share this passion with him. He has a film collection to die for, and his affinity for beautiful film cameras has been passed down to me. We spent the afternoon oogling over the gorgeous Contax 645 body and the beauty of the way it photographs and. I was nervous to get the film back, thinking they’d all turn out extremely over exposed or blurry, but I have to say that I’m so very pleased with how things turned out. And of course, the first thing I did was text my dad a photo of the contact sheets and we both oogled some more over how they turned out.

Film // 01

A few months back I dusted off my old film camera and rediscovered my love for this type of photography. I took three rolls of film in a matter of 2 hours and got caught up in the joy of actually taking pictures instead of what the final outcome would be. Film will always have a special place in my heart since that's where my love for photography began, and let's be real, digital doesn't even compare to the gorgeous, pure colors that film can create. It wasn't until I had the photos developed that I discovered images from years ago (literally... there were photos from a roadtrip we took up north in 2011.) Obsessed.

Back to the basics

I fell in love with photography because of my film camera. My handy-dandy Nikkormat film camera. There is no greater feeling that hearing that mechanical click after you've carefully crafted the composition of your image, because with only 25 pictures per roll, you have to make sure each one is just right. You have to calculate each image and adjust settings by pulling metals nobs and leavers, not just one plastic button, which makes you really think about how the aperture and shutter speed will affect each image. And the wait time, oh the wait time, between hearing that click and actually seeing the final product. I get to dream and ponder about what's on that plastic roll of film, and every time I pick up my photos it's like Christmas has come early.

Since getting a digital camera, I'm sad to say that I can count on one hand the number of times I've picked up my Nikkormat and gone out to shoot. Digital cameras are just so easy- they provide the instant gratification of seeing your work which allows room to change setting and composition, and usually leads to five or thirty of the same picture. You can upload them, edit them, and see your final product within minutes of doing a shoot. It makes taking photos fast, easy, and carefree. But for some reason, I've never felt 100% comfortable with that plastic camera with hundreds of buttons and settings to choose from in my hand. Recently I've felt obsessed with getting the right exposure, instead of the right moment, and have felt slightly burdened by editing my work. I've felt like I've lost that feeling of why I love to take pictures. 

Today I replaced the battery in my old Nikkormat and went out in my parent's backyard to shoot. And boy, it felt so good to restore that confidence and feel comfortable with my camera. It brought me back to the basics by making me actually think about what I was doing with my camera. Instead of seeing something I liked and pressing the shutter button multiple time, I spent a few minutes crafting the composition and got that jolt of excitement with each click. I kicked myself a few times when I automatically looked down at the back of the camera to see the image, but immediately got that sense of excitement again about how the images recorded on that plastic roll would look. Walking around with this camera reminded me of why I love taking photos: the joy of uncovering beautiful moments and sights and putting my own spin on what I see around me.

Oh film, I just love you. I can't wait to use up this roll and see what pictures (perfect exposure or not) I'll get back.