I had some old film lying around and decided to use it up recently. The photos are of nothing really, just little bits of downtown–patterns and scenery I liked. I’m not totally thrilled with the images (let’s be honest, I’m clearly out of practice) or the quality of the prints, but I am glad to have shot something other than digital for a change. My light meter was acting up (of course, blame the equipment), but hopefully that’ll be fixed once I replace the battery.

I have such fond memories of looking through my dad’s photos when I was a kid. I’d lie on the floor in my bedroom and endlessly flip through albums or hold slides up to the sunlight, marveling at how vibrant and real they seemed–somehow both ordinary and dreamlike at the same time. There’s a beauty to film, and to the art of patience, that can’t be replicated. I used my film camera a lot in high school and some of college and early marriage (I’ve got a large box of my own prints–memories worth saving–I’d like to put into albums or frame), but lately I’ve barely picked it up. I’m going to commit to using it more often. It’ll be good to preserve something and discipline myself to appreciate the slowness of real life.

This afternoon I’m headed to Durham, NC with my mother-in-law on a very last minute trip to visit her cousin. I’ve never been before so I’m excited to finally get the chance. David and I had plans to go to Kentucky and Cincinnati with his dad in a few weeks, but this has been a stressful, hectic, and unpredictable season for us so that’s been put on hold. It’ll be nice to get away for a few days anyway, even if my other half is staying behind. I’ll be packing a few rolls of film for sure.