The Chalets in Hocking Hills

Rather than trying to find things to do around my Mom’s place this summer, she suggested that the three of us — she and Connor and myself — go on a trip and see some nature. I suggested Hocking Hills, since it’s only a few hours’ drive, and I decided to take a chance on romance and book an Airbnb for the first time. The Chalets in Hocking Hills were more expensive than a hotel would have been, but having an A-frame to ourselves was totally worth it.

We visited Cedar Falls and Conkle’s Hollow, enjoyed some local restaurants, and did a lot of driving. More photos to come, but for now I’ll sum up the trip by saying that we’ve already decided that this needs to be an annual tradition from now on.

Ann Arbor Art Fairs 2024

Yesterday morning, we got out and about much earlier than usual for a Saturday. We hadn’t been to the Ann Arbor Art Fairs in years, and we were itching to get out of town and do something different — or, at least, Aaron and I were. Connor was just along for the ride.

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Revisiting My Disused Collection of Film Cameras

The last time I loaded up a film camera to take out on a day trip was Spring Break of 2023, and it didn’t go well. My beloved HolgaMod had been idle for so long that the shutter seized up, and I had to try my hand at disassembling it and lubricating the moving parts to get it working again.

Today, we’re preparing to head out on a very similar day trip, and I’m contemplating which camera to bring (and whether to bring one at all). Film is a lot more expensive than it used to be, as is developing, but photography is still a hobby I enjoy.

Even if I kind of forgot that I enjoy photography.

Having my most recent irreplaceable parcel of undeveloped film get lost in the U.S. Postal System en route to California for processing really put a damper on my desire to keep shooting film. As I’ve been looking through my old blog posts of test rolls and film photography in general, though, I’m reminded of how much I do enjoy film photography.

I’m also reminded that I never did finish my analysis of which cameras in my collection need work, are good for selfies, are best for low light, et cetera. I may work on that, so that I can choose a proper axe more easily the next time we head out on a photo-worthy day trip.