Blog #20 - Between Rolls, Rooms, and Reboots

It’s been one of those in-between weeks where not much seems to happen on paper, but when you stop and look around, everything feels slightly different. The kind of week where things don’t necessarily move forward in big jumps, but there’s this quiet sense that stuff’s rearranging itself in the background.

Last weekend’s C3 arts event set the tone for it, really. It was only my second one, but already it felt more familiar, same faces, same creative buzz, same relaxed kind of vibe that happens whenever a bunch of artists, photographers, and makers end up in one room together. I’m still finding my feet in that world, but each time I go it feels a bit less like I’m crashing someone else’s party.

Then this landed today from the organisers and stopped me in my tracks:

“creativescollabcollective ❤️ your art & energy is beaut…. And you’re a big part of this initiative - you will always have a place with us @imacameraguynow 🙌”

I’ve never really thought of myself as creative, so reading that from the people running it meant a lot. For someone who usually hides behind the camera, that kind of message hits differently.

It’s funny, I don’t think about photography in those terms very often. I just turn up, take photos, tidy them up, and move on to the next thing. But every now and again something like that makes you stop and see what other people see in your work. It’s reassuring, but also a little strange, especially when you’re still figuring out what kind of photographer you even are.

One of the exhibitors at the C3 event.

Since that weekend, I’ve been back to my usual habit of experimenting with whatever’s lying around. I put film through three cameras this week: the Lubitel TLR, the Fujica ST801, and the Zeiss Ikon. They’re all new to me, so I’ve got absolutely no idea whether anything will come out. Half the fun is not knowing.

The Lubitel feels more like operating a small Soviet puzzle box than taking a photo, and the Zeiss has the sort of build that makes you slow down even when you don’t mean to.

The Fujica though, that’s a bit of a different story. I’ve used a few of them now and I’m starting to get a feel for how they handle. There’s something satisfying about those old M42-mount bodies. You have to think more, and that forces you to actually see what you’re shooting. I’m not sure any of these rolls will come back as planned, but that’s part of the process. Film teaches you patience whether you want it to or not.

While those rolls are off somewhere in a lab, I’ve been getting used to something completely different: the Fujifilm X-E5. I picked it up as a smaller, more compact camera for days when I don’t want to drag the Sony kit around, and it’s been a bit of a revelation. The autofocus is lightning-fast — newer tech versus a seven-year-old Sony, I suppose — and the film simulations are honestly mind-blowing.

It’s a strange mix of nostalgia and newness. The digital side of me loves the speed and precision, while the film side of me loves the way it feels like shooting rolls again. The colours straight out of the camera are incredible, and I’ve been playing around with Classic Chrome and Nostalgic Negative to see what fits. I know plenty of people say film simulations are just filters with fancier names, but there’s something about the way Fuji handles tone that makes you want to keep experimenting.

It’s also refreshing not having to make so many decisions before even leaving the house. With the Sony, I spend ten minutes debating lenses. With the Fuji, it’s one camera, one lens, and go. It’s light enough to actually want to take out every day, and that alone changes how I shoot.

Taken on the Fujifilm

On the home front, things have shifted too. Emma has finally claimed the spare room for her crafting, which honestly looks amazing. It’s filled with colour and fabric and tools and has this calm energy about it that makes sense for her. That change has accidentally freed up a huge amount of space in the hobby room for me and Bow, and it already feels like a proper fresh start.

We spent an afternoon rearranging everything, my shelves of vintage cameras, her ever-growing Lego projects, and all the random bits that didn’t have a home before. It’s strange how clearing a room can clear your head too. The hobby room’s always been a bit of a mix of me tinkering with cameras and her building whatever comes to mind, but now it feels more like our shared creative space again.

I’ve lined up the vintage cameras in the standard Ikea Billy bookcase, more as a display than anything else, though it’s hard not to keep picking them up.

There’s something nice about being able to see them rather than keeping them boxed away. The Fujicas, the Zeiss, the Lubitel, even the battered old Brownie that barely functions, they’ve all got stories waiting to be told.

Bow’s been giving her verdicts too, mainly based on how “cool” they look. She’s still fully claimed the Sony NEX-5R as hers, which feels right. She’s even started asking questions about focusing, which is equal parts brilliant and terrifying.

All this reorganising probably links back to something I’ve been thinking about for a while, printing. Or rather, not printing. I’ve realised that for all the time I spend taking and editing photos, most of them just end up sitting on hard drives. They never really see daylight. It feels like leaving a story half-told.

I’ve been considering how to change that, maybe through home printing, but it’s not something I’ve acted on yet. The more I think about it, the more it feels like the logical next step. I like the idea of completing the cycle from shot to print. Having something physical, even if it’s just a small photo on a desk, feels more satisfying than another digital folder. The tricky bit isn’t printing them, it’s figuring out how to display them without turning the house into a gallery.

For now, it’s just an idea floating around in my head, but one that keeps coming back. Maybe that’s enough of a sign that it’s worth exploring later.

A questionable self portrait on the Fujifilm X-E5

Somewhere in the middle of all that, I’ve also been getting gear together for a few days away. It’ll be a mix of family time and a bit of photography in the gaps. The area we’re heading to is known for its dark skies, so I’m hoping to give astrophotography another proper go. Not that I haven’t seen incredible skies before, the Arctic set that bar a long time ago, but this time feels different. The kit’s better, I understand more, and I’m ready to try again properly.

I’ve packed the tripod, remote trigger, and a couple of lenses that have been sitting patiently waiting for their chance. I’ve got a couple of apps lined up to help with positioning, though knowing me I’ll still end up going by instinct. I’d rather react to the scene than over-plan it.

The nice thing is that this trip isn’t just about photos. It’s about slowing down a bit, spending time with Emma and Bow, and letting photography fit around that rather than the other way round. I’ll take whatever I get, whether that’s a few good astro shots or just some quiet moments that make me want to pick up the camera in the first place.

When I look back on the week as a whole, it’s actually been more productive than I thought. The C3 event reminded me that what I’m doing connects with people, even if I don’t always see it that way. The film cameras kept me curious, reminding me that I’m still learning with every frame. The Fujifilm has reignited that sense of fun in photography that sometimes gets lost when you overthink things. And the changes at home have made the creative side of life feel a bit more balanced again.

None of it’s flashy, but it all feels like part of the same quiet reset. Making space, trying things out, and not rushing for the next big thing. Photography doesn’t always need to be about milestones or achievements. Sometimes it’s just about keeping the cycle going — taking photos, testing gear, making space, thinking ahead.

Right now, there are three rolls of film waiting somewhere in the dark, a new camera still surprising me every time I pick it up, and a hobby room thats been revamped. That’s more than enough to call it progress.

Just because I don't have many images from this week to share, here's Jean who was celebrating her 89th birthday at the C3 event. So beautiful!

So no grand story this week. Just a few small steps forward, a few quiet reboots, and a reminder that the in-between bits matter just as much as the big ones.