Closing 2024 with a series of photos from trips taken this year, to document a necessary exercise in rekindling that familiar joy from photography. It was an uneasy relearning process to really see and shoot again after years of hibernation / hesitation / apathy that started during the C pandemic.

I laboured on through mediocre shots, many missed moments, rangefinder muscle memory failure, and worst of all, unlearning that darn habit to just shoot with the iPhone. Much as i love the convenience of iPhone photography, for me, it is the moral equivalent of drinking wine poured from a box: an all-to-easy, soulless pursuit that will slowly kill your love for the real deal.

A few mental notes from 2024's journey: manual focus is a bane on ageing eyes, i've lost some finesse with chatting up strangers, i sometimes still shoot what i think others want to see on socials, a drink or two before a photowalk helps, i still adore my outdated camera, especially when paired with just one fixed lens per trip, and most gratifying perhaps: waiting for days / weeks before downloading (or developing) the shots and seeing them for the first time with fresh eyes on a monitor; that still gives me an unmatched sense of adventure.

Photography in her simplest form, still sparks them joy sparkles. 2024 was a good year to rediscover a new kinship with this old friend and I'm pleased to share this collection of photos as a tale of how the journey unfolded, in all her glorious flaws and beauty.

thanks for coming along.

shots from a european summer (2023)

slowing down in Africa

February 26th, 2023

many firsts and much love

learning from masters

one month in black & white

February 26^th, 2023