Today is Christmas Eve, and I’m just now getting around to sharing some of the film photos that I took over the summer. I found myself primarily reaching for my film cameras this summer, especially once my Nikon F3 was returned after being CLA’d. The biggest thing I want to work on in the coming year is my film photography workflow. Right now I wait until I have 4-6 rolls of film ready to be sent out, which means those rolls will come back with photos taken months prior. That leads me to this moment: sharing photos from this summer on December 24. In any case, here are some of my favorite shots on film from this summer. These were all taken on my Nikon F3 with my 50mm Nikon Series E lens on a variety of film stocks, but mainly Kodak Gold 200 and Fujicolor Superia 400. Most of these shots are from some hikes that we went on, perusing around town, walks in the park, and an MLB Draft League game in our hometown. 

I can’t resist photographing lily pads in the summertime.

This year, we were lucky enough to have some of my family members visit us over the summer. The main objective during their time here was to visit Hersheypark. I took a couple of cameras with me and I've finally gotten the film developed and scanned, and I'm excited to share those photos with you now. This day really felt like a classic family summer vacation. 

This first wave of photos were shot on film.

Obligatory film photo of a cool car.

Photos from here on are digital.

We stopped at the confectionary after a long, sweaty day and relaxed with some gourmet Hershey desserts.

This is my favorite photo I shot on this day. I'm slowly becoming more comfortable with the people aspect of street photography and I'm quite proud of this one.

Earlier this year I treated myself to a really nice lens for my Lumix. After looking through the various lens offerings, the Leica Summilux line of high-end M43 lenses really stuck out. I was particularly attracted to the Summilux 25mm/1.4 II and eventually bit the bullet. While I was really after the nifty fifty focal length, the lens is also touted as an ideal portrait lens thanks to its wide 1.4 aperture. Although I've taken the lens out for occasional photo walks, I decided to get my tripod out and practice taking my own portrait. I spent a couple of afternoons around home finding different settings and thought I'd share my experience being the main subject of my own photos. 

This sequence was inspired by this mirror I'd recently thrifted and hung in our bedroom. These were off the cuff, and I wasn't wearing my contacts or glasses, so gauging the focus and exposure took a lot of trial and error. This was by far the most challenging sequence, but it's also the one that evokes a sense of accomplishment in me. 

The bokeh in these shots made me want to play with the layers in the photo. In these I'm holding up the small potted lavender plant I keep out on our balcony. I was after a pop of color and I'd say the purple accomplishes that. 

I decided to hold a bouquet of dried flowers as I didn't know what to do with my hands.

Despite the focus and distracting nail color, this is one of my favorite shots.

I wanted to try this top-down angle, but the ground was quite uneven. Though I trust my tripod, I was too apprehensive to keep my camera in such a precarious position for much longer.

Recreating the photos from the day prior. Despite it being redundant, I like it.

This was my first attempt at being my own subject and I genuinely enjoyed it so much more than I thought I would. setting up my tripod, posing, and figuring things out on my own were challenges I'd never really faced before. I'm looking forward to my next burst of inspiration to have another portrait session.

Camera: Panasonic Lumix G95

Lens: Leica DG Summilux 25mm f/1.4 II

Processed in Lightroom