a roll of film a month: june
Happy Monday, friends! Just popping in and playing catch up because I realise that I’ve skipped a blog post (or three) since my promise. On the plus side, you guys, I’ve already crossed three items off my list of 41 things to do before I turn 42. I know it’s nothing to write home about but I’m a mom, remember, which means that I have about 15% of the time and 20% of the energy that most people have.
Inspired by the lovely Astrid, one of my goals this year is to shoot a roll of film a month. It feels so good to lug around my old Pentax again. That thing is a tank. A rusty old tank with lots of buttons and settings and a bona fide light meter and a clunky click that lets everyone within a mile radius know that I’ve just taken a picture. Bear with me while I get used to her again. It’s a whole new/old world, playing with depths of field and apertures and different film. I love Instagram, I really do, but sometimes it feels like I’m taking pictures for other people rather than for myself. I hesitate, I fret over whether or not the photo is good enough, fits in with the rest of my grid, is too yellow, too red, too boring. I’m full of instacurities. The struggle is real (and a bit pathetic) and these days I’m feeling the need to slow it right down. There’s something refreshing about having to wait to see the results, even if the results aren’t always what you’d hoped for. And there aren’t a thousand filters to choose from. The film is the filter, take it or leave it. Case in point, this Fuji C200 roll came out quite red and there ain’t nothin’ I can do about it. I mean, I could Photoshop it but then I might as well go digital.
Here are just some of my favourite shots from mid-June to early July. Strawberry picking and fresh sheets on the line and birthday celebrations and BBQs and tomatoes off the vine and paddling pools. All the best that summer has to offer.
Do you shoot film? If so, I’d love to know why. Which camera do you use and what’s your favourite film?
wonderingsandwanderings.com 
those butt shots are going to look amazing at her 21st 🙂
instacurities – ha ha ha Bravo on the three things done. Love the paddling pool shot. It looks like the little one is diving in. A diving bird. 🙂 xxxooo
Absolutely gorgeous!
I miss your Pentax photos!
You know, I have a Pentax K1000 a long time, but it was retired. The fact of having to spend money on films and labs made me leave this side. I was reading your blog and reading the book of Gretchen Rubin, Happiness Project, I decided it was time to “spend wisely” and give me permission for this little pleasure. Here, in Brazil, we don’t have many varieties of films, so I choose to used Fuji Superia X-Tra ISO 400. And you? What film do you choose?
I like to shoot with film. There’s something about it that sounds like magic to me. You create something without seeing, composed with care and then, you leave it, you have to trust. The expectation is always positive (that thing about anticipation, right?), and when you take the photos in your hands, they always surprise you. Even when something go wrong, has a special touch. And this is it. All pictures seem more special. Unique. No one else has this, just you, they are like relics.
And it’s like you said, no matter how good is the filter you apply in your digital photos, they never achieve this result. It’s a much more emotional outcome than anything else.
Jeanine, i’d like to comment more in your blog, because i really like to read. But my english is very weird, i’m trying to translate portuguese to english with google! Be patience with me, please! Sry my bad english, ok? 🙂
You can say what you want about digital but it will never quite reach the exquisiteness of film. And I say that as someone who never uses film because I love the instant gratification and all the filters of digital. But seeing your photos I am thinking I should learn how my film camera works. If you ever did a course, Jeanine, I would take it!
Precious little girl! I think these are most wonderful, and I think I like them all the more because you can’t do anything about the red…perfect!
Ohhh. I am logged into my class’s blog… up there. Hi. It’s Megsie!
Oh Wren, you little dreamboat! that one of her hugging her teddy on the bed is beautiful. Love that you do this xx