Chasing Nostalgia – My Journey into Film Photography

Hi, I’m Kate! I’m an amateur film photographer currently based in Arkansas, but I spent the first 26 years of my life in Michigan, spending most of my life surrounded by the Great Lakes, beach towns, and endless forests. Being around those landscapes inspired me and shaped the way I see light, color and nostalgia – elements I try to capture in my photos. Outside of photography, you’ll find me watching sports (mostly football and basketball), traveling and exploring new places when I can, or spending time with my partner and our two cats – Alfie and Ollie.

My love for photography started a few years ago when I bought a Canon EOS Mark II digital camera, thinking it would spark my creativity. But the more I shot, the more I found myself feeling disconnected from the process. Digital photography felt fast – almost too fast. I’d take hundreds of photos, scroll through them immediately, then spend forever picking the “best” shots. It felt like I was spending more time staring at a screen than actually experiencing what I was trying to capture. I wanted something slower, more personal – something that felt more intentional.

That’s when I decided to give film a shot (no pun intended). After about a year of shooting digital, I took a leap of faith and traded my digital camera for a Minolta x-700 and never looked back. I loved everything about it – the imperfections, the warmth, and the fact that it naturally had the nostalgic feel I was looking for. In a modern world where thousands of digital photos sit forgotten or untouched on hard drives, film forces me to be more intentional. The deliberate choice of film stock, the sound of the shutter, the anticipation of waiting for scans to come back – it all makes every shot feel more meaningful and brings purpose to what I hope to capture. With only 24-36 frames per roll, every shot matters. I get to be in the moment instead of worrying about editing later. And honestly, I just love the warm tones film gives me straight out of the camera.