Postcard from (this) Summer

End of the summer, and the beginning of a new season! 

Autumn makes me excited, and as in fact it is my favourite season of the whole 12-month year. Even the air smells different, and my walk to the subway stop feels different. Too bad that the autumn doesn’t stay with us for a long time. Autumn is more like so-called a summer fling for me, I guess –– something which happened so briefly, and left us with good memories at the end.

Anyway, lots of things happened over the summer: visiting Korea, losing wisdom teeth, playing a few concerts, hunting for wild mushrooms, purchasing a film camera, etc etc etc. Often I have bittersweet feelings for wrapping things up, but this time I don't have that feelings. Finally the autumn is here, and I had a great summer. 

(As I writing about my excitement for autumn, I thought of a scene from a movie, 500 Days of Summer, where Tom meets Autumn after his love for Summer did not work out the way he wished.) 

Here’s a photo I took over the summer. This was taken in Lake George, New York while I was attending a music festival there. 

Lake George, New York. 35mm / olympus om-2n

P.S. Here's a video of what I was talking about ... the final scene from 500 Days of Summer, where Tom meets Autumn ... 

Well, It Is Just a Hobby

I finally made a decision. It was long overdue. I bought a camera. 

1.1: I always wanted to take photos, but rather in a semi-professional way. Three years ago, I had opportunities to walk around different parts of New York due to my work. I visited many different neighbourhoods, and saw various cultures within the city. I wanted to archive the scenes I saw. 

1.2: So I started taking photos everywhere I went—from my neighbourhood to Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx. 

2.1: I used my iPhone to take photos. iPhones offer very simple editing tools, which I had some fun by changing the exposure level, the contrast level, the saturation level, etc. of the photos. I really had a great time walking around and taking photos. 

2.2: I started wanting a nice camera to really dive into the world of photography. But I also had a constant stream of what ifs. 

• What if I stop wanting to take photos immediately after purchasing a nice camera?

• What if I get tired of taking photos?

• What if I really suck at taking photos?

• What if I don’t make a progress?

Besides all those what ifs, there were a few more unforeseen circumstances which led me to not buying a camera. But the hobby continued. On the side note, I got better at taking photos on an iPhone over time. 

3.1: The strong desire to own a nice camera did not seem to disappear for a while. I was getting bored of taking photos, and checking them out instantly. Then I suddenly remembered how excited I was when I was waiting for rolls of film to be developed and see the printed pictures. 

3.2: There was a short period of attempting to make a pinhole camera out of a tin can or a wooden box. But then the joy of taking photos would be less greater than the joy of arts and craft. Plus, there will be no joy of waiting for a film roll to be developed. (On a side note, I can easily turn my SLR into a pinhole camera.)

3.3: I started looking for a used 35mm film camera. There are many places where you can look for a used film camera. There is always thrift stores, camera shops or even relatives’ attics. (As many people say, ‘New York City is a big playground.’)

3.4: After a thorough research, I found what I was looking for: Olympus OM-2N. It is extremely easy to use, and also it is considered to be a photographer’s camera. I am happy with my choice. I have about 4 to 5 rolls which I need to take in for a developing process. I won’t see the how well or badly I did with the camera for a while. 

4.1: Going back to the what ifs. I still did have the same what ifs after I purchased my Olympus. But this time, I had the answers for them.

• Q. What if I stop wanting to take photos immediately after purchasing a nice camera?

  • A: Used cameras aren’t that pricey that I can always stop and go back to.

• Q: What if I get tired of taking photos?

  • A: Then I can look for different 35mm cameras for not a lot of money.

• Q: What if I really suck at taking photos?

  • A: Especially the film photos, it takes a while to get used to it. Patience is genius.

• Q: What if I don’t make a progress?

  • A: Well, it’s just a hobby.