I shot my last roll of film ever this summer I think… film is getting too expensive even though I love it. It’s not the images themselves that are so special, even though they do hold the nostalgic styling that so many chase after in their imagery these days. It is the process and the outcome. I usually only shoot about 2-3 rolls of film a year, meaning I forget many of the images contained in the roll. When receiving my scans back it affords me the opportunity to reflect on those moments over the last 6 months. Many of those moments special in their own way. When shooting film I always allow my self the extra moment to take a deep breath and ask my self: “do I really need this photo.” For me film is about intentionality. A theme I have been trying to focus on more in my day to day life.
Aspen with R & T late summer.
It’s been a strange summer, one of both progress and reflection. As I prepare to turn a page into the next steps of my life I feel a duality of urgency for what lies ahead and also a reminiscent longing for what a great last 6/7 years I have spent chasing my dreams, growing as a person, making new friends, and accomplishing something’s I am quite proud of. I think we can be very quick to always be looking forward to whats next in life, especially at the pace we move through life in this day and age. One intention I set for my self this summer was to be present in the ‘suck’ when ever it may rear its ugly head. There are so many things in life we look forward to and when it arrives we are unsatisfied with how it came out to be. I realized that being present and aware in these moments and embracing it for what it is not only set intentionality in my life but a sense of calm in these moments when things didn’t live up to what I dreamed it to be or it is harder that I imagined it would be.
Solo Bike packing Trip Around Kananankis - August
I rode my bike around a mountain range near home in early August, something i’ve been meaning to do for many years. Re-discovering my ‘home’ roads and discovering some news zones as well was such a privilege and eye opening experience. One of my goals of the trip was to try to avoid listening to any music or podcasts, just listen to the wind in my ears and be present with every sound, smell, and noise. I felt so much more connected with the scenes and moments which I peddled through for the two days. To my surprise, the terrain and time passed almost faster than it would have with the addition of the music. Being present during these 48 hours reminded me that silence and listening to our own thoughts is the purest form of meditation and in my opinion, one of the healthiest forms of good mental health practice.
Due to the fact that I was solo on this adventure, I wanted to be intentional about the images I captured. I packed my point and shoot film camera and a point and shoot digital camera with me. I knew I would be sacrificing potential image quality, but in return I knew that the convenience of point and shoots would potentially allow me to capture images I wouldn’t be able to with a larger camera. This is something I continually battle with my self over. When capturing authenticity I want to be nimble and quick even if it means sacrificing image quality. While this might not come through on the images to the viewer, it allowed me to be more present during the ride without stopping too often.
Mount Marathon, Seward, AK. One of the most special gatherings of stoked humans I have ever been apart of.
Running around the hills at home for the first time in a while after a long hiatus from running due to a back injury. Wow, I forgot how much I love moving through the mountains like this.
The West Coast of BC, visiting old friends and family. August.
