RECLAIMING OLD PASSIONS

Everyone who knows me has probably heard me discuss my recent journey through The Artist's Way. I've 100% drunk the Kool-Aid and praise the book as a useful tool for becoming unstuck creatively. It became a handy guide for remembering past passions, one of mine being photography.

Taking photos has always been a thing I've done for fun. I was the friend who always had a disposable camera on me, ready to capture so many of the random moments my friends and I shared. Even when digital cameras really started to become popular, I loved bringing my trusty disposable. There was a thrill associated with not knowing what the photos were going to look like until I finally picked them up from the local Walgreens. In college, I still did much of the same except I had a few toy cameras and the benefit of taking a basic photo class to learn more of the technical skills associated with photography.

I write all this to say that on my journey through The Artist's Way, I realized how much I missed taking film photos. Even going through my Facebook photo albums, seeing old film photos brought me a sense of joy. There is a therapeutic element to taking a walk, camera in tow, and capturing whatever my eye is drawn to. It's a practice I've slowly been working to reclaim because I'd lost that small joy in my day-to-day life. Much like music, taking photos was a way to take the stresses that seemed to fill my daily life and funnel it into something creative that was just for me. I've never wanted it to be anything other than that.

A few months ago, I finally took the first step to start taking film photos again by buying a toy camera. Unfortunately, all of my film cameras are boxed up at my parent's house. I still regret not bringing at least my basic Canon AE-1 (a staple for any photo student) with me when I moved to LA, opting instead to bring my DSLR knowing I'd likely have to shoot the occasional video. For now, my toy camera has been fitting the bill and I can't wait to get my first two rolls developed. I brought it with me while I explored Sonoma, on my vacation trip to Palm Springs, and a recent wedding in Escondido.

I look forward to using photography again as another way to be creative. It's something I realized I really needed.

I mentioned earlier in the post going back and looking at some of my film photos on Facebook. Below are a few favorites taken between 2006 and 2010. I would recommend hitting the arrow button at the top right to see the full images. Sadly, the slideshow feature crops them unless it's expanded.