Rolleiflex Challenge 3: Spring magnolias, hope and new beginnings
ABOUT THE SERIES
Welcome back to my year-long Rolleiflex Challenge — an analog photography project using my grandfather’s vintage camera from the 1960s. This series celebrates the nostalgia of medium format film through a modern lens.
Every month, I follow a theme and shoot at least one roll of 120 film using my Rolleiflex 2.8F. Then, I share a personal story, reflect on my artistic journey, and review the photos.
I launched this project to encourage mindful creativity and push my own creative growth. Along the way, I hope to inspire others to connect with the world around them and discover their own mindful, creative habits that spark joy. Thanks for following along!
To support this self-funded series, you can share this post with a friend or donate a roll of film.
INSPIRATION
During the first quarter of 2024, I centered my lens on nature with a connection to my Florida roots. First, I captured nostalgia in my childhood garden. Then, I documented an adventure into the swamps of the Everglades. Now, the third edition coincides with spring's long-awaited arrival, and I chose to focus on magnolias — a flower that symbolizes hope and new beginnings, which I think we all need a little more of lately. This particular roll was Kodak Gold 200 and you can read more about the film stock below in the Roll Review.
I also view magnolias as a link between my former home in Florida and my adopted home in Amsterdam. I still remember back in 2010 when I spotted magnolias during my first spring in Amsterdam! I always associated this flower with growing up in a southern climate and was surprised they could survive a harsh Dutch winter.
Besides their beauty, magnolias are a very hearty plant. That's why they’re a symbol of hope, strength, and resilience. Across cultures and throughout history, magnolias represent change, ushering in a season of renewal and signs of better days to come.
Nature grows in its own time, so while patiently awaiting the decisive moment when magnolias finally opened I learned more about their origins, cultural symbolism and traditional uses. Magnolias are one of the oldest flowering plants; over 200 species exist, and100 million-year-old flower fossils have also been discovered.
I found recipes for pickled magnolias and cookies and learned that their flavor actually depends on the color of the petals. How cool is that? Dark pink is bitter and spicy; pink with white tastes like ginger and cardamom, and white has a subtle lemon flavor. Have you ever eaten magnolias? I haven't yet, but I would love to test them next spring!
Magnolias in Amsterdam Oud-West
THE STORY BEHIND THE LENS
During my spring magnolia photo walk, I looked for natu’res unexpected offerings, signs of her quiet magic, details that add depth and nuance to my images. This time around, I was mesmerized by the delicate fuzz of magnolia buds, soft gradations of color in their petals, and the subtle movements of insects as they shuffled across the blossoms.
As Amsterdam slowly awakened in March, the ethereal magnolia took her sweet time to bloom, gradually replacing winter's dull scenery with cheerful bursts of pink, white, and purple flowers. At one point, I worried that I wouldn't be able to complete this project, and I didn't have a backup plan because it was already the end of the month. But I held on to the hope that nature would work in my favor and felt excitement and relief when it did. Magnolias opened with a blue sky as a brilliant backdrop behind the semi-bare trees. I watched light and shadow play between the branches and blossoms.
SPRING RENEWAL
Rise and shine! Spring is a time when light overtakes darkness, warmth replaces cold, and our world turns from bare to brilliant. This seasonal awakening calls us back outdoors to breathe in fresh, flower-scented air, and we start to dream of new beginnings. Little buds pop up on the branches as a reminder to appreciate nature's gifts.
Yet, to do that, we must also acknowledge the paradox that in nature and in our lives, change is the only constant. A circle rotating from growth to decay and renewal that comes with unexpected twists and turns. Accepting change shapes our growth and guides us to create something new in the next season.
This year, Amsterdam's spring was more grey and gloomy than usual. Pushing myself out into the cold for fresh air or photo walks, I noticed bare branches and dark clouds over the city, much like the heavy emotions that hang over me and our collective experience. Not just in a literal sense, waiting for a blue sky to appear, but also in a broader observation of society today. As a global collective, we experience heavy hearts because so many complex emotions are now woven into our everyday lives. I wish magnolias had the power to heal our wounded world, but for now, I'll continue to look at them as a sign of optimism, tenacity, and new chances.
“May beautiful new things spring into bloom in a thousand little ways you didn’t expect.”
Reflecting on magnolias as a symbol of renewal, I thought about the personal renewal I was going through. During the last few years, pandemic aside, I have faced some scary obstacles and life changes that negatively affected my energy. For a while, I was in survival mode and couldn't fully process the impact. It took some time to emotionally recover and revive my creativity. In times of uncertainty and heaviness, sometimes, hope is hard to come by, but it’s important not to lose sight of it.
Hope develops from lessons learned by overcoming complex experiences, and healing unfolds through hope. My spirit demanded time to rest and renew, so, just like nature, I entered hibernation mode last autumn and winter. Spring nurtured the plants back to life and with it, my creativity has bloomed and brightened.
With spring on the horizon, I resolved not to lose hope and committed myself to renewal and new beginnings.
Creativity also serves as a catalyst for healing, and that's part of why I committed to this self-assignment with my Rolleiflex. By diving back into photography, creating for my own enjoyment and sharing my work to connect with others, I've found a way back to feeling like myself again.
In difficult moments, I'm cautious not to fall into a spiral and attempt to ground myself in three elements: reflecting on gratitude, cultivating optimism, and connecting with nature.
Pictured above: red flowering currents that also emerge during the winter-to-spring transition.
Are you inspired by this story? Support this self-funded series by sharing this post or donating a roll of film.
Experimenting with double exposure
ROLL REFLECTION — Magnolias in Amsterdam, March 2024, Kodak Gold 200
Overall, I’m really happy with how this roll came out. I shot this series throughout the last week of March, then hopped on a flight to Spain. Ten days later, we returned to see the petals had withered and scattered on the ground — yet another reminder to live in the moment with gratitude because life is fleeting and fragile.
For this edition, I used Kodak Gold 200 instead of my usual Fuji Pro 400H. Despite the growing popularity of analog, rolls of film are crazy expensive these days. Honestly, I bought some Kodak Gold 200 film because it was affordable… but now it’s become a new favorite.
Kodak Gold is a reliable and popular film stock that’s been around forever and offers rich, warm colors (vs. the green tones of Fujifilm) and crispy sharpness. It has a fine grain and low ISO, which means it also needs a fair amount of light, but it also has a wide exposure latitude with room for over/underexposure. I shot this roll at box speed and noticed that even the frames on grey, cloudy days came out nicely. I’ve heard that Kodak Gold should not be used with tungsten lights, but since I only shoot in natural light, this has never been an issue.
And with that, the first quarter of my Rolleiflex Challenge is complete! Stay tuned for the next quarter as I focus on themes of connection and community. If you have suggestions for different films to try, please let me know!
Whether you’re new here or returning, thanks for following along. I appreciate your words of encouragement and it’s great to hear that photo stories have sparked curiosity for film photography. Does this project inspire you? Please support this self-funded series by sharing this post or donating a roll of film.
