2022 is ending soon, but it’s not over yet!
We have one more Substack to get through.
Recent headlines, zines, new cameras, film reviews, 2023 goals, youtube videos, and photography bloggers unite.
Let’s go!
RECENT HEADLINES IN FILM PHOTOGRAPHY
2023 Pixii Camera with World’s First 64-Bit Processor and True Monochrome
Dream Team Dubblefilm and Revolog Launch New Medium Format Specialty Films
Ricoh Imaging Ltd. Begins R&D for New Pentax Film Camera Series
Belfast Exposed 2023 Exhibition – She / Her / Hers / Herself by Anthony Luvera
Lomography Creates Free Film Scan Conversion Tool – The Lomo DigitaLIZA Lab
Camera Film Photo releases Kiki Pan 320 BW Film made in Germany
FILM-RELATED ACTIVITIES
Urban Contradictions Zine
Cringing, I pressed “post” on the release of a zine made over the summer (2022). You can read my internal strife about it on Instagram, but I struggled to announce this mainly due to imposter syndrome and doubts.
BUT, squishing down those voices which we know are ego-based insecurities, I hit post months later.
And whaddayaknow, more than 0 people ordered it!
So huge thank you to everyone that ordered a zine or shared it around socials, they are pretty much sold out now. Only a couple left!
The zines have been posted so if you ordered one, it will hopefully arrive soon after the Royal Mail Christmas strikes finish.
Zine is a word that has been on the tongue of many photographers this year.
I plan to make a video soon about the process of making this one because more than a few people asked me about this.
I’ll give away the short answer here though!
Canva & Mixam UK.
Ordered sample pack of paper types from Mixam UK
PDF of zine designed in Canva to Mixam’s specifications.
Ordered on Mixam’s website.
In 2022, I collected quite a few zines from other photographers. They are cheaper and easier to make and buy compared to a photobook, but more substantial and easier to find space to store them than a print.
Oftentimes, choosing a print for the home, it has to match. Well, if you are into matching! Maybe you aren’t, which is cool too. But many folks I know would pass by a print because it doesn’t fit the decor.
Now that I’ve put my own zine out there and over the scaries, I want to make more, champion them, get more from other photographers and friends.
It is SO nice to see the photographs printed compared to the screen.
Would you like to make a zine? Do you have one in the works? Reply to this email and let me know!
Our Stories on Film Zine
Speaking of zines, I want to shout out this new one (you probably have seen already!) led by Joey Chan called Our Stories on Film. You can find it here.
The website describes it better than me:
Recognising the need for greater representation and celebration of women and non-binary folk in the field of photography has led us to the creation of this zine — a curated print publication, beautifully designed for your sensory pleasure. Our goal for this zine is to elevate the photographic work of these artists globally and for viewers to see different perspectives of universal human experiences. - Our Stories on Film team (linked above)
New Camera - Who Dis?
I reviewed a few Lomography films in the recent past. Metropolis, Babylon, and Turquoise.
Sidebar: Turquoise review is now scheduled for January 9th on 35mmc! So on the same day I will publish my video on it as well, which is aimed to be complementary rather than repetitive.
Anyways, huge fan here. I’m not just saying this because they sent me film to test. I have had a big crush on them long before that. (And their copywriting!)
So when I realized I didn’t actually own a Lomography camera, well that HAD to be rectified. Hey, I’ll make any excuse for photography based retail therapy…
About a week after this realization, a Diana F+ showed up at the door. The NAMI edition. Isn’t it beautiful?!
I recently sold a bucketload of cameras so the purchase wasn’t painful.
The first roll loaded in was Fomapan 400 and shot around Cardiff this week. I am excited to develop the film in the next few days!
Diana Mini Review
Part of what prompted the purchase of the Diana F+ was reviewing the Diana Mini. Lomography sent me the camera to try out, however it was on a loan basis so it went back to them.
So why the 120 version instead of the Diana Mini?
Initially, I was going to get the Mini for myself, but then remembered, I have too many 35mm format cameras. Also something I will minimize in 2023. And, I could technically still shoot 35mm with the Diana F+ using adapters. A two in one won. So there we go…
I made a video reviewing the Diana Mini, which is going to also come out soon in the new year!
This image below was one of my favorite experimental shots from the adorable Lomography loaner.
Setting Goals for 2023
Do you set goals?
I used to strongly dislike goals or goal setting. There were things I wanted to do, yes, but the process of formalizing, tracking, measuring, stacking, and comparing was cringe.
In the past, this was because I thought of goals in the context of work.
Ladder-climbing in finance was never a goal of mine, was never something I had any drive to move forward with.
It was a placeholder until I could sort out what I wished to do with my time, skills, energy, etc and how to get there.
So when the email from HR would inevitably come around, or those required goal setting meetings with managers, it was a massively cringe process.
Sure, I met them, but painfully. It certainly wasn’t satisfying or meaningful.
Now I have a different perspective.
In the past couple years, I’ve started setting personal goals and followed through.
It’s been exciting, joyful, and fulfilling.
Goals are indespensable to wanted achievement of a specific thing.
But, key word, it has to be something we want.
Otherwise, it will get left in the dust or scratched.
And it can’t be too many because then we are spread thin.
Public announcement helps too because we can be held accountable. It’s all too easy to not tell anyone and then if you don’t achieve it, nobody knows you failed.
But failure is not a bad thing!
And it’s not shameful.
(Nothing is anything until we attach something to it)
Failure is not something we should shy away from other people knowing. Because the people that truly matter, won’t care that you failed. They will help you, pick you up, and encourage that you keep going.
Maybe after a rest or re-evaluation, but then onwards.
Goals can also be set at any time, re-evaluated at any time.
It doesn’t have to be each calendar year either. For example, I started my Youtube channel in September 2021 and set a goal to do one video a week for a year from then.
There are recommended ways to set goals, but if those don’t work for you, find your own way.
There is the “SMART” method that we used to use at work.
Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-Based.
For me, frequency-based goals work best over numbers-based.
One video per week. Instead of “get 1,000 subscribers”.
For me, what I make/learn tells me more about progress and accomplishment than how many subscribers have signed up to my channel.
Not that the number of subscribers says nothing, but my point is that we cannot 100% control how many people sign up to read or watch our creations.
So why use this as a focus? Why define our sucess and achievement on things we cannot truly control?
As we see in many areas, the numbers don’t equate to quality or true success.
Often, it is at the whims of society or trends or luck, etc.
Not always, but often. What is needed/desired, what is fashionable.
Hope this is making sense! Otherwise, I’m totally digging myself into a hole here. :)
This is a topic that an entire series of Substack posts could be dedicated to and it’s hard to glaze across the surface without diving underneath.
I’ll stop boring you and list my goals for next year now. :) Please tell me yours! I’d love to hear them.
2023 Creative Goals
Publish a Weekly Long Form Youtube Video
Publish Bi-Weekly Substack
Create a Substack podcast
As Patrick Rothfuss once said, “the best things come in threes” (Name of the Wind)
There are many more little goals, but if I make too many, I find myself not fully focused and prioritized on the most important ones.
There are also non-creative goals I have like dropping 20lbs, responding to messages/emails timely (I can hermit sometimes!), and reading 23 books.
But these are side dishes.
I’d LOVE to do more collaborations in 2023, so if anyone is interested in collaborating (zine, video, podcast), let me know!
If you want more inspiration for setting goals, check out Lucy Lumen and Matt Murray’s laughter-filled goal session here:
Recent Youtube Videos
3 Cameras from 2022
I first saw this on Alex Luyckx’s blog, a number of bloggers writing on three cameras they used in 2022.
See all their links below of the ones who have done it so far (source is from Alex Luyckx blog):
Mike Eckman
Aly’s Vintage Camera Alley
Canny Cameras
Aperture Preview
Down The Road
Camera Go Camera
PhotoThinking
Urban Adventure League
Johnny Martyr
Jim Graves
Alex Luyckx suggested that I also do it as part of the substack, so I think I’ve found a topic to include in the next one! But also, my recent video, cameras under 40, includes cameras I used and loved during 2023.
Signing off for 2022!
Well, that’s all for me today. With good planning and lots of coffee, I’ll be dipping my butter toffee candies in chocolate and rolling in pecans today and trying not to eat it all.
See you in the new year :)
Wishing you all the best!
-M