Offbeat Angles_

I grew up during a great upheaval in technology. From the year I was born in 1991 as the years progressed into the 2000s, cameras progressed from film to digital; video cameras from bulky video to small handheld; and cassette players turned to CD players turned to MP3 players. Then, in the 2010s, everything got put into a phone.

Of all the things that have been packed into a single smartphone, the two I miss most are portable music players and cameras. While I do want to touch on getting back into tangible means of listening to music, the following is all about cameras.

Trolly near Central in Hong Kong, September 2024.

One of my fondest memories of those years growing up before digital was picking up a disposable Kodak camera or two before a big summer trip. Without a care in the world for lighting, framing, the rule of thirds or any of that, I’d snap away joyfully – taking photos of anything and everything I liked. Then, I’d take it to get developed and wait for my photos to reach my hands 24 hours later in their big bulky envelope (with a side pocket for negatives, of course).

I can’t recall when my parents purchased our first digital camera, but that was it for film from then on. I didn’t pick up another film camera – or consider the ins and outs of photography through the lens of film – again until 2022, when I was living in Beijing.

Poster for the first photowalk I attended in 2022.

It was the height of summer that year when I got in touch with FilmNeverDie, a film photography business and collective, who were planning their first photowalk.

Now, not being in the know about photography stuff aside from a brief one-night course on ISO, aperture, and shutter speed I’d taken in Ningbo, I had no idea what a photowalk was. It was starting and finishing at a hutong-based architecture project called Micro Hutong that was always closed save for special occasions as this one, so I decided to check it out.

A view of Micro Hutong from the outside. It’s normally closed to the public.

This decision changed my relationship with film and photography forever.

I didn’t have the money for any film or disposable cameras FilmNeverDie was providing, so for that first walk I went armed with a tiny Canon point and shoot and my phone camera, but I fell in love with hearing from some enthusiasts about their reasons for picking up film and the photos they developed after.

Snapshot of a fellow photographer, Beijing 2022.

It became a habit from then on to write about and attend any photowalk or workshop FilmNeverDie put on, especially after I was gifted a Canon Autoboy Luna to use (the date stamp is stuck on 1994, hence the dates on most photos in this blog). I even managed to find myself leading a walk once; covering the history of some ancient sites around Beijing before letting folks loose to shoot away.

I also started buying film to try. Starting with FND’s Sora 400, I tried ISO 200 and 100 next. I eventually saved up enough – film and developing ain’t cheap in China – to get some rolls of Kodak and Fujifilm to try.

Family playing with a child outside my apartment complex, Beijing 2022.

I’ve since fallen in love with the process as a means of meditation.

Unlike with digital, you’ve only got up to 36 exposures to work with on a roll of film; there’s no room to play around with multiple shots. Thus, putting together or waiting for a shot, making sure everything is all set and ready to go… its a good means of taking a step back and taking things slow.

Poster for a photography exhibition in the West Bund area, Shanghai 2022.

Since returning to the US, I’ve found a photo shop in my hometown where I can get stuff developed (the results of which you’re seeing in this blog). I’ve even picked up some rolls of Kodak Ektar to try out again.

As with the best things in life, I still have a lot to learn with film. I’ll be posting the results of developed rolls here on a regular basis and talking about what I’m learning. Join me on my journey and follow me on Instagram (@offbeatangles_) to see more of my photography and other things I’ll be up to.