From my early childhood I have a memory of my parents shooting a couple photos during the holiday season, a couple more during my birthday party, maybe ten or twenty on the family vacation and then–when the roll of 24 exposures was used up–they’d pop the film outta the back of the camera and throw it in the drawer. Usually after about another month or two they’d re-discover the roll. And they’d run it down to the local drugstore, retrieve it a week or two later and voila! We’d be looking at pictures that were already a year old or more. We of course, didn’t care. This is the way photography just ‘was’. And i suspect that if you’re in your late 20’s or 30’s or older that you may have had similar memories.
While I’m talking of these things like they’re a hundred years ago, funny thing that a similar thing happened to me just recently. It’s a little different in that we’re talking moving pictures. I’ve got this waaay cool, old Bolex 8mm movie camera that I bought at a used camera about 15 years ago. Sometime last year I was plowing through old gear and I stumbled on that great old camera and….lo and behold…there were a handful of undeveloped film cartridges. I zipped them across country to one of the only places left that was developing this old Kodak stock and what I got back brought a huge smile to my face. Me and a couple of buddies–Scott who you know well and another buddy Glen–from more than a DECADE AGO with long skateboards, baggy shorts and pants, cruising down long, rolling hills… during the summertime in the nearby Cascade Mountains. We sewed that footage together just recently and I’m happy to share it with you here today for fun.
And as a reminder. If by chance you occasionally shoot film (or you always shoot it?) and if you’ve got undeveloped rolls laying around. Go develop them. I’m banking the results will be worth your time.
[Thanks to The Dutchess & The Duke for the soundtrack. Also, this post was inspired by this great post: The Zen of Undeveloped Film over at LaPuraVida]
How come there’s camera shake when the camera is on the asphalt? Is that added in post prod.?
I know there are plenty of other people who have said, “I had something similar happen to me.” But I think my version of this story will be a little different, so I’ll share it.
I work for a Wilderness Therapy Program. The short version of my job is that I hike and camp with students 11-18 years old who have a variety of issues–from drug use to behavioral issues. It’s not a boot camp; it’s not tough love stuff–it’s overseen by the state and very safe.
Anyway, I was on a trip–instructors go out for two weeks at a time–and we found a role of 35mm film in the middle of the desert. I’m talking about out in the middle of nowhere. The closest town is 30 miles away, and it’s got a population under 5000. I was stoked to get it processed and see what, if anything, was on it.
To be honest, I paid ~10 bucks to get the images put on a CD–there were only 10 on the roll I think–and was a little disappointed in the results. I was expecting some sweet shots, but only got some random stuff; I couldn’t even figure out where the pictures were of.
Despite all that, finding old film rolls is always a fun trip to the past.
This is brilliant, I’m in my ealry 30’s & just the colours remind me of a time when things were so much simpler … & great choice of sound track BTW
Thanks for sharing your personal stuff with all of us … It’s great to see a small part of your life & a great photographer being ‘real’ or ‘true’ …. Love it!
I’m only just starting out, but U have helped inspire me 🙂
2:16 is rather humorous!
Awesome, finding surprise stuff from the past. Thanks for sharing it with us.
On another topic – David Hobby called. He wants his shorts back. :^)