Photos: Before and During Covid

Since the pandemic came to BC, I’ve been picking up my film cameras a lot less than I’d like. For February, my birth month, I resolved to shoot a roll of film over the course of the month to document my day-to-day. When I travelled home to East Van for Family Day long weekend, I also discovered a seemingly undeveloped roll of film on my bookshelf. I had no idea how long it had been sitting there, or when I had shot it, but I brought it back with me to Victoria to have developed and scanned. As far as I can tell, mostly from the Christmas decorations, this roll is from December 2019.

I also had my birthday roll developed and scanned, and have included some of those photos below. Can you tell which are pre- or during Covid?

J

Photos of the Fourth Wave

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A Year of Film Photography

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It’s been over a year since I began shooting film, so I’m taking this opportunity to reflect on how much I’ve grown to love taking pictures on film.

First, a note of gratitude to Peter for getting me into film and assuring me that I didn’t need to be “good”, just that I needed to have fun. It turns out that being “good” makes picking up my processed film and scans more fun, but I take equal enjoyment out of shooting the rolls that turn out well as I do the ones that don’t.

Continuing to be creative through film has also been a great way to switch gears after hours of doing readings or writing assignments. There’s a lot of pressure (externally and self-imposed) to do well that comes with being in school alongside peers who are equally keen. Shooting film gives me an outlet to be creative and relieve some of that pressure by taking power away from the perfectionist voice in my head. Film photography does that by forcing me to (a) be at peace with not knowing how the photo will turn out for at least two days, and (b) to appreciate how my photos turn out regardless of what my intentions were (largely because I’ve forgotten what they were by the time I get my scans back).

Below are a few of my favourites from the latest roll—enjoy!

J

*These were all shot on my Olympus Stylus Zoom and HP5

Here I Come, Victoria (Again)

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Victoria Chinatown, Summer 2018

I have exciting news to share: I’m going to be a law student at the University of Victoria starting September 2019!

Today I graduated with a BA in Political Science from the University of British Columbia. It took me a total of six years to finish my degree, but six is the new five is the new four, right?

If you know me, you know how much I love planning and having things go according to said plans. As it turns out (quelle surprise) life doesn’t always go exactly to plan. Instead of a 4-year degree in Political Science with a Minor in French, I got a 6-year degree in Political Science, with a year exchange in Paris, and a year on academic leave to work for the BC government. 

I have so much gratitude for all of the experiences and learnings I got to take in over those 6 years. I met some of my best friends. I unexpectedly enjoyed political theory. I discovered intersectional feminism. I decided it was best for my GPA to stop taking French courses (and go to France instead). I worked in government. I took the LSAT (three horrible times), and I got into law school!

What’s next?

It’s been quite the whirlwind journey. I’m not sure what the summer has in store, but come September you can expect more photography from Victoria. I hope to be able to continue using film photography as a mindfulness tool to get me through what I can only imagine are the challenges of being in law school. Stay tuned and follow along with me as I head back to being a BC Ferries frequent-rider and discover more of Victoria than what I had while I worked there (admittedly very little).

To check out photos of Victoria from my year in government, head to ‘Film Photography’.

P.S. I’m also on the lookout for housing in Victoria, so any leads are much appreciated!

J

Chinatown Spring Festival Parade

Over the past decade, I’ve attended most of the annual Spring Festival Parades in Vancouver’s Chinatown to celebrate Lunar New Year. Most of those years I spent ‘in’ the parade, helping to hand out lai see filled with candies for a variety of elected officials. As a result I have braved many cold, often rainy, and as these photos capture, sometimes snowy parade routes!

This year I got the opportunity to shoot some photos of the dancers of Vancouver Academy of Dance and the Strathcona Dance Company. If you’ve ever been, you know that they are one of the best, cutest, and most colourful parts of the parade. And if you haven’t been, these photos are just a glimpse.

For more from the event, head over to ‘Film Photography’.

Welcome

Hello! Welcome to my new platform for photo-sharing.

Over the past several years I’ve slowly taken a greater interest in photography as a form of self-expression, sharing experiences, and a tool to combat mental health issues like anxiety.

In 2018 I found myself spending too much time on social media, which inadvertently led to increased feelings of anxiety and difficulties being mindful of the present moment. What I also discovered in 2018 was film photography (many thanks to my partner, Peter, for that). Photography, specifically with film, has been a great tool for me to reconnect with the present, to slow down, to take fewer things in life for granted. There is something centering about knowing that you have a limited number of shots on each roll of film, and that you have to make each one count.

Shooting film has made me a happier person, but the outset of 2019 left me searching for ways to continue sharing photos outside of social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram that were detrimental to my mental health.

I haven’t decided to eliminate my presence on social media altogether, but expect fewer posts on those platforms, and more updates here. I’ll be posting most photos, without comment, on the ‘Film Photography’ page, and any photos or series I feel deserve more reflection here on the blog.

Thanks for stopping by!

J