I don’t always shoot film, but…

San Dieguito County Park, Del Mar, California, Sept. 2020

….. when I do I forget what’s on the roll.

I can openly admit that I’ve become a spoiled digital shooter since I started studying photography & digital imaging two years ago. Knowing that I have 1000s of exposures at my dispense and the ability to go back and delete is indeed a luxury I didn’t have in my early days of shooting film.

I noticed early on in my experience of shooting digitally how the luxury became somewhat of a crutch. Often, I would shoot without thinking, knowing that I could always go back and delete. Sometimes I wouldn’t even review my photos while I was out shooting. I’d instead wait until I got home to check my photos in Lightroom.

I realized this method was working against me after accumulating 100s of “shit photos” and a few good ones. Why go through the hassle of driving to a place to shoot, go home, and not be fully satisfied with what I was making? Why waste my own time (and hard drive space)? I got back into shooting film earlier this year, and it’s reminded me that slowing down and being intentional is something I NEEDED to apply to my digital work.

I recently had this roll of film processed that I started shooting earlier this Fall. Until seeing my photos a few days ago, I forgot what was on the roll of film. Between school, a family death, and this pandemic, I’ve honestly lacked the inspiration to create anything new outside of schoolwork. I’ve relied heavily on my digital camera out of convenience, shooting on film only when I felt the experience was something worth savoring.

The moments I collected on this roll of film are the result of pushing myself to create despite these odd times. Below are some of my favorite shots. These were captured between September to December 2020 on Kodak Ektar 100 in various spots around San Diego.