Shooting film and getting lost in the woods is easily my favourite way to find myself.
Melbourne, Australia, is a city known for its fast-paced, in-your-face street photography. However, there is a hidden world behind the mountain that lies on the outskirts of the city. Long gone are the early settlers that set up shop here more than a hundred years ago but with deep searching, stories begin to unfold.
As a passionate photographer, I head beyond the end of the marked trails, being careful not to damage the remote locations, and, using my medium-format Bronica camera, make images of all that I find.
On this day, the experience was nothing short of extraordinary, and the results were more than I could have imagined. Shot with Kodak Ektar 100 film, every photo, I think, shows the vast array of scenes in a tiny pocket of wilderness. Kodak Ektar, a film known for being typically saturated in colour, shows exactly how grey the area was. But also at the same time, shooting film like this brings out the vibrant touches of colour sprinkled through each frame.
What you find while shooting film
While exploring the forest, I stumbled upon an old abandoned house that was once a home to a family that had lived there more than a century ago. The decaying, crumbling house amidst the grey thickness of the woods was a sight that 100% stole my breath away. Definitely giving off Blair Witch vibes, it wasn’t long after leaving the ruins that an overwhelming sense of disturbance took over.
Only a few steps away from the hidden gem and I began to question my movements. At one point, not more than 20 steps away, I turned to check where I’d come from to find that the former residence had vanished, hidden by thick young sycamore trees.
Eventually finding my way out, I headed home where the process of developing and scanning the film at home added an extra layer of intimacy to the entire experience. It may be due to the adventure I had, and manually bringing the photographs to life, this roll in my eyes is a solid favourite for 2023. This was a fantastic day for shooting film.
Until next time, please enjoy a roll of Kodak Ektar 100 film.
