A quiet start to 2026

Four, four rolls of film in 56 days this year… now that’s a slow start. From cold temperatures to grey days with flat light I have not been overly motivated to get out to shoot. This should have been a good time to organize negatives and photos or get some quality darkroom time, but no.

Motivation can be fickle; it’s easy to find during the spring and fall. Sometimes it takes a small victory such as a simple darkroom print; the anticipation of a new film, camera or technique.

This year I have had some minor successes. I am shooting the Pentax MV1, an aperture priority entry level 35 mm SLR (introduced in 1980). It’s an easy to use and simple camera and frees up my decision making without having to overthink. I continue to enjoy the look of Harman Phoenix II in 120 format. The colors this film produces I find interesting.

Most recently I shot a roll of Lomohrome Purple; what a cool film stock! Lomochrome produces intersting film stocks. I have enjoyed shooting the Turquoise stock and now have become a fan of Purple. The color renderings are very interesting and yeild a cool look to what may have otherwise been a bland image.

So maybe, just maybe I am finding some motivation at the end of this long winter.