my photography journey began in 2011, when my parents gifted me a point-and-shoot digital camera, though i had been obsessively taking photos since i got my first flip phone in 2006. (i still shoot a fair bit on my smartphone, but not as much anymore.) i started posting my photos on tumblr in december 2011 and literally haven't stopped. then, in 2022, a friend of mine got into film photography and i thought, hey, i could do that too. i bought a little point-and-shoot and i was having a lot of fun, but at the same time i was in the market for a new hobby... when i visited my parents that year, my dad suggested i might like darkroom work, so i found a class and signed up.

i've been working in the darkroom every weekend since. i just took to it instantly. and i guess since i'd been taking photos religiously for over a decade beforehand, my eye was already trained, so i came to the darkroom and it wasn't long before i had a style, a vision, and technical expertise. it's so rare to learn a new skill as an adult and find out you're a natural at it. i feel very lucky. i treasure the experience, and the community i've found. it's no understatement to say that film changed my life.

in the years since, i've been fortunate enough to accrue a nice collection of cameras, mostly vintage. some are from the family archives. other times i just got lucky at resale stores and flea markets.

and in case you're wondering, i do all my black and white work in kodak tri-X — i shoot it at ISO 320 and under-develop by about 15% in the darkroom to get rich details in the shadows. my go-to high-speed is ilford delta. i'm still experimenting with colour, but i love kodak gold and ektar.

i will turn this into a proper shrine with pictures and descriptions one day, but for now, these are my cameras and gear:

☆ canon powershot A2000 IS (2008)

☆ ilford sprite ii (teal and white) (2022)

☆ canon F-1 (ca 1975) (this is the main camera i shoot with)

☆ holga (ca 2010s)

☆ martex (ca 1960s) (this is a reskinned yashica and it is broken lol)

☆ agfa synchro box (ca 1940s) (yet to use)

☆ olympus OM-20 (ca 1983) (this was a recent aquisition and it's so lightweight that i've been using it a lot as well)

☆ halina A1 (ca 1960) (yet to use)

☆ kodak vest pocket (ca 1905) (yet to use)

☆ other gear: sunpak B 300 flash, weston master universal exposure meter