Some things I've learned so far from shooting film

The Holga 135 is a very forgiving camera.

Ektar 100 is a gorgeous film but ISO 100 means you really should shoot it in broad daylight if shooting at box speed.

Shooting daily life on digital produces this urge to make things Instagram-worthy. Shooting daily life on film means taking things as they are.

Instant film can be really beautiful, and a nice change of pace.

Keep rolls of 120 film tightly wound. First-time shooters, I'm looking at you!

A good lab is worth every penny. Not all labs are equal!

A good scan is hard to find.

Shooting film costs money with each press of the shutter, but don't be precious about it. Treat it as a gift. Make mistakes.

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Gearing up for Hyderabad

In just a few short weeks, I'll be taking my longest ever trip out of the United States: 30 days in Hyderabad, India. I'll fly from Detroit to Charlotte to London to Hyderabad, where I'll be living in a corporate apartment for the duration of my stay. It's going to be quite the experience.

While I'll be working quite a bit, I'm planning to take my trusty Nikon D3300 (kit lens plus 35mm prime) and Google Pixel to document my adventures. I'll be traveling alone, though I'm not sure I'll ever really be alone in a country of billions. I'm looking forward to spending time with my colleagues and experiencing life in Hyderabad while I'm there.

For the curious, the rest of my bag will include:
Bose On-Ear Wireless HeadphonesAnker SoundBuds CurveGorillaPod DSLR tripodGoogle PixelBookTwo spare battery packsChargers, adapters for international outlets, and cables out the wazooAn assortment of pens, pencils, a Sakura Koi watercolor kit, notebooks, and a …

From my zine: A Life Worth Living (WIP)

I made a short test zine via Google Photos last year, because sometimes we all need a reminder about what makes our lives worth living. And I wanted to try a test zine. But mostly the first thing.

It's not a consistent zine. Different formats, cameras, subjects, and color vs. black and white. But my life isn't consistent. It's a mess of moments, one after another. And I think it's pretty damn beautiful.

It's hot here

Today I decided to see some of Hyderabad. Being the adventurer that I am, I picked a walking route to the botanical gardens. "20 minutes? No problem!" I thought to myself. Even in 100°F heat, that should be plenty doable with enough water and sunscreen.Reader, it was not.After about 30 minutes hitting dead ends and nearly getting hit by tuktuks while turning redder that a tomato, I decided to try cooling off in a mall along the road. The security guards wanted to confiscate my camera, so I turned around and left. At that point I decided to call an Uber to take me back to the office.The Uber at least was prompt, clean, and fast. I felt awful using Uber, but for a foreigner who speaks no Hindi it's the best option by far.Takeaway: Hi-Tech City isn't a walkable part of Hyderabad except at grave risk of heat stroke or traffic accident, and I'm going to stick to taking an Uber anywhere I need to go.

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