Rolleiflex Challenge 4: Creative Connections
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.
EXPLORING A NEW THEME: CONNECTIONS
Entering the second quarter of my Rolleiflex Challenge, I chose to explore the theme of connection and this time, I’m diving deeper into vulnerability. When we have positive connections and inspiring, reciprocal friendships, our creativity can flourish! In April, I set out to (re)reconnect with three friends and freelance creatives — an old friend, a new friend, and a photography friend.
We shared meaningful conversations during walks in different areas of the city. These simple outings inspired me to get outside (and out of my head) and strengthened my ties with fellow female artists in Amsterdam. Discourse with other women is so fulfilling and affirming. Each walk brought us together while providing inspiration and validation, strengthening our bond through supportive, encouraging conversations.
For this challenge, my goal was not a specific subject or scene but instead engaging in an experience and conversations surrounding the moment I clicked my shutter. I like that each of the photos in this series stands independently, but the entire story provides more context to what we’re each going through in our artistic journeys.
INSPIRATION
Navigating life in Amsterdam feels different this year—the city and I have shifted immensely. Change can be challenging but also opens doors to new connections and opportunities.Why explore connections? As an emotive storyteller, my personal life will always be tied to my artwork. I've tried to keep them separate at times, but this felt unauthentic. After the lockdown, I experienced an extended period of isolation while helping my mom recover from a medical emergency in Florida. So, 2024 feels like the year that I'm finally emerging from hibernation, entering a metamorphosis and finding my new sense of 'normalcy' (if such a thing even exists anymore?). We're all figuring out how to navigate our changes in the wild frontier of adulting in a post-pandemic, hyper-demanding, digital-obsessed world.
Life changes significantly in your 30s, and a question often arises: How do we maintain and form new friendships in real life?
It's tricky to find the time to connect with friends throughout different phases of adulthood — our 30s chapter includes new challenging elements and added responsibilities as we balance our careers, partners, and families. For freelancers, it's another level because we often work solo, without a consistent routine; there's another layer of isolation and a need for connections as we hang on and try to enjoy the rollercoaster of freelance life.
Above: Scenes from a rainy day in the Huis Marseille Garden and around the old city center. Rolleiflex 2.8F / Kodak Gold 200
THE STORY BEHIND THE LENS
I met with three very different women on different days and had three inspiring experiences. First, I met up with Angela, who you might remember her from our winter adventure to the dunes. She's a talented Amsterdam-based photographer who creates Polaroid portraits. It was a windy, rainy day, so our proposed walk along Prinsengracht turned out to be an extended visit to the Huis Marseille photo museum, where we spent most of the afternoon thrumming through photography books in the museum's library. I loved this cozy activity and discovered inspiration for a photo book I've been slowly putting together. Some points of our conversation felt like mentoring sessions. Having a friend with a shared passion is essential, but Angela is also someone I look up to for photography advice, and that's refreshing. I'm grateful for her feedback and encouragement.
Next, I took a long walk through the Niewmarkt area with Elise, a brand-new friend and budding film photographer who I met through Creative Mornings. We took our cameras for a walk through the Nieuwemarket area, which brought back many memories from different chapters of my Amsterdam life many moons ago. We discussed our individual experiences of moving abroad solo many years ago, touching on the joys and challenges we've overcome along the way. Amsterdam is a very transient city, so having friends that (physically) stick around is tricky to find, and it's a bit unusual to meet other internationals who have been here for a decade or longer. Most Dutch people haven't been in Amsterdam for as long as we have stuck around!
Then, I caught up with Linda, a long-time close friend and fellow writer, who is adapting to the journey of new motherhood. We've been friends for years and often call each other colleagues because we work solo but together so frequently. You might remember Linda from our interview and discussion about Mindfulness and Creativity. Sharing the path along our mental health journey is such an important topic to bring to light, and I appreciate that we have created a safe space to share. During our walk through Rembrantpark, we visited the little goat farm and lamented the endless grey days in Amsterdam. As I finish editing this story, I can sadly report that it's still grey, cold and rainy here… in June! As writers, it's no surprise we took a deep dive into how the creative industry is shifting negatively and the future of writing as a craft in a world that prioritizes AI-generated buzzwords over meaningful storytelling. AI is a valuable tool, but at the end of the day, I believe that if you want a story written with depth that will trigger an emotive response value, nothing can replace the power and value of our human experience. That's my two cents.
Despite the differences in people and places, each afternoon held vulnerable, heartfelt, candid conversations. Looking back, I notice overlapping topics like navigating career challenges, our creative journeys, future goals, finding new inspiration and our shared slow adaptation to this new sense of Amsterdam and where we fit into it. I appreciate friends who are able to be open and honest and love that the universe puts people in your corner who are going through something similar or have a helpful perspective.
There are many changes in your 30s, and I've tweaked my social circle to reflect quality over quantity. During our different phases of adulthood, I value the strength of long-term friendships and also want to keep space open for building new ones. Forming genuine connections takes time and effort. It can feel vulnerable or awkward, but it's so fulfilling.
I hope my stories motivate you to join an event with like-minded people, be the first to say 'hello' to someone new or invite a friend for a walk to catch up. Fresh and physical movement also inspires creativity, so that's yet another reason to get outside once you've finished reading this post.
A lot changes in your 30s, and I’ve tweaked my social circle to reflect quality over quantity. During our different phases of adulthood, I value the strength of long-term friendships and also want to keep space open for building new ones. Forming genuine connections takes time and effort, it can feel vulnerable or awkward but it’s so fulfilling.
I hope my story will motivate you to join an event with like-minded people, be the first to say, ‘hello’ to someone new, or invite a friend for a walk to catch up. Fresh and physical movement also inspires creativity, so that’s yet another reason to get outside once you’ve finished reading this post.
Above and below: Scenes of spring emerging in Amsterdam’s historic center. Rolleiflex 2.8F / Kodak Gold 200
Are you inspired by this story? Support this self-funded series by sharing this post or donating a roll of film.
Below: Double exposure of Linda with her baby and assorted nature in Rembrandtpark. Rolleiflex 2.8F / Kodak Gold 200
ROLL REFLECTION: WHAT WENT WELL… OR NOT?
I shot three rolls of Kodak Gold 200 with my Rolleiflex. That resulted in 36 photos, which is a lot to share in one blog post. Instead, I selected my favorites to share now and will share more on Instagram later. Stay tuned!
My favorite is the first photo of Groenburgwal, one of Amsterdam’s most adorable canals. I love that this shot looks like an oil painting. Did you know Monet painted the same scene? It’s called, The Zuiderkerk, Amsterdam (Looking up the Groenburgwal). I love discovering creative historical connections in Amsterdam; living here really does feel like living in a painting.
Another favorite is the double-exposure portrait of Linda and her baby. I love that I incorporated my beloved flowers into a portrait, and it has inspired me to try more double exposures in the future! I used to shoot a lot of these with my Holga back i the day.
What would I have done differently? I wish I had taken portraits of each friend to mark the occasion. I will explore creating more portraits in the upcoming editions.
Along with getting some great shots shared above, some didn't come out as expected. A few were underexposed, still usable, but not ideal (like the cute dog below). There was a missed moment with a fantastic older woman whose outfit matched a cluster of tulips. I tried to catch her in time but missed the shot. I captured that pink rose perfectly in one frame, and when I readjusted for a different perspective, the clouds shifted, and my exposure went goofy. Again, it's not a bad photo, but it's different from what I had intended.
I'm sharing the hiccups because transparency is essential, and the internet is full of overly curated feeds. Remember that no matter where you are in your photography journey, you'll always have a few frames that don't work out. And that's okay! Part of the joy of film photography is embracing the unexpected. Sometimes, you get happy accidents or an opportunity to learn and try again. In this edition, I'm reminded to remember my light meter and use it instead of relying only on the built-in meter (which is pretty reliable). I'm not even a full year into my Rolleiflex journey, so I'm still learning along the way. We're learning together!
On another note, let's chat about labs in Amsterdam. I've gone to the same developing lab for years (change is hard, you know), but lately, I have experienced a handful of sloppy issues. They often return my film scans formatted or cropped incorrectly, which is frustrating, expensive, time-consuming to fix, and, most of all, avoidable. It might be time to try a different route. I prefer to work with a photo lab in Amsterdam, with a team I can visit and chat with in person. Any recommendations?
If there's a local lab that you love, let me know. Thanks!Below: A few of the shots that didn’t make the cut…
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.
