Film Favorites: Shenandoah National Park 2022

Spending a few days outside in nature for Memorial Day weekend made for the perfect getaway. We usually stay in towns close to National Parks (unless we’re camping), but we ended up staying in the park at Big Meadows Lodge. It was so fun waking up inside the park each day! The longer we were there the more I liked Shenandoah. And for a holiday weekend, it really didn’t feel that busy. The cabins were somewhat rustic, but they were pretty budget friendly, and definitely a step up from camping. We ate dinner each day at the lodge’s restaurant and it was surprisingly good for park food. Wild blackberries grow throughout the park later in the summer, so a lot of the menu items had blackberries worked in.

If I had to describe Shenandoah in two words, it would be “hikes” and “overlooks”. The main park road is like a big long spine with tons of hikes and overlooks branching out from it. When it comes to hiking, I’m all about putting in the least amount of effort for the most amount of payoff, and all of the hikes we did are ones I’d recommend. They’re all around two miles, not a ton of elevation gain, and the trails or view points were really pretty. We did the Appalachian Trail Hike, Dark Hollow Falls Hike, and Stony Man Hike. I’d recommend doing all three if you have the time, but if I had to choose just one, Stony Man Hike delivered the best views. My favorite overlook to stop along the road for photos was Range View Overlook.

Pentax 645n and Nikon F100 on Kodak Portra 400 and Ilford XP2 film.

Film Favorites: 2017

I bought a copy of J.D. Salinger's Nine Stories during one of my last weeks in New York and started reading it on my subway commute to and from work. A lot of Salinger's stories are set in Manhattan, so at the time, it felt like a fitting read. I finished it towards the end of last year, unsure of what direction I wanted to take my career as well as my life in general. I laughed out loud when I read this line: "The worst thing that being an artist could do to you would be that it would make you slightly unhappy constantly." I think I might frame that and put it in my workspace someday. Not because I don't like what I do, but because it's a good reminder that it's easy to be dissatisfied, rather than satisfied, with your own work.

My grandpa passed away in February. I miss his humor and the way he'd kiss my forehead as we said goodbye, his cheshire cat grin and his famous double-handed wave. So often when I think about the frustrations of being an artist, I think back to Christmas time halfway through my photography degree. I had just finished a mentally taxing semester, and my grandpa asked me how photography was going. My response was less than positive. "You know what I would do?" he said, "I would look for what brings you joy in photography and focus on that." 

This year I focused on what brings me joy in photography. I traveled, experimented, collaborated with friends, shot more film, and taught other people photography skills. In 2018, I hope to do more of all of those things.

Pentax 645n, Nikon F100, and Yashica Mat 124G on Kodak, Fuji, and Ilford film.

Film Favorites: New York City 2016

Living in New York this summer was healing and lonely and exhausting and freeing all at the same time. I had an incredible internship with James Ransom, working for clients like West Elm, Weight Watchers, and Family Circle Magazine. A good portion of my time was also spent at Food52 headquarters, where I would help edit videos or assist and digital tech. Each day after work, I’d walk different neighborhoods in Manhattan, making photographs and trying all of the ice cream places I could find. The images on this post are a few of my favorites from those after-work walks and weekends spent exploring.

Nikon F100 and Yashica Mat 124G on Kodak Portra 400, Ilford XP2, and Ilford HP5 film.