What I See

I decided a few weeks ago that I was getting tired of how fast my life always seemed. So I decided I would try and slow things down a bit (I did a post about it – Slowing Down)

Part of that process was that I decided to start photographing on film. It takes away that instant gratification but it more importantly removes that sense of everything having to be pixel perfect right off the bat

All these are shot on an old Nikon F55 with 50mm f1.8 Prime using Kodak tri-x 400ASA. The last 5 frames on a 36exp film hadn’t advanced properly in the 20+ year old Nikon but, I know that for next time and will either stop early or use 24exp to reduce tension

The rest of the roll though, barring a couple with a little soft focus in low light, I’m actually pretty happy with

Anyway, here’s a few I just scanned. Not edited other than to crop the edges from the scanner. In fact, you can see the dust on the scanner bed still because I wanted ti let the character of the process, the camera and the film come through

Now, I am very new to photography. This is actually the first roll of film l’ve used since I was a kid with a disposable quick snap camera. This roll has helped me learn a few things about the camera and, looking at the pictures, a few things about light, contrast and composition

The most important thing I’ve learned though is to let myself be in the moment. Taking that brief pause to stop and breathe makes a huge difference to how I see things. With just a few exposures available too, it encourages me to slow my pace and absorb more of what’s around me. I think that has already been a valuable experience

I’ve already started the next roll and I’m looking forward to being that bit more present in the moment. Your feedback is very welcome. Thanks for taking the time to look. I’m sure there will be more to come