Rolleiflex Challenge 6: Creative Adaptation
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.
This project launched to encourage mindful creativity and push my creative growth. Along the way, I aim to inspire others to slow down, connect with the world around them and discover their own 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 CREATIVE CONNECTIONS: PART THREE
During the second quarter of my Rolleiflex Challenge, I explored the theme of creative connections. For April’s challenge, I connected with three other freelance women sharing vulnerable conversations. In May, I went out of my comfort zone and joined a photowalk with 60 other photographers.
Part three of this creative connections theme centers around creative adaptation — the ability to pivot an idea and work with what you’ve got. This mindset is especially helpful when the circumstances don’t go as planned which is exaclty what happend this month. But hey, it’s all part of the journey.
Mid-Year Check In
Before we dig into the story, I’d like to say thanks for following along with my Rolleiflex series so far! If you’re new here, welcome! In 2024, I committed to sharing my visual storytelling more consistently. Now, halfway through the year, I’m proud for sticking to this creative project month after month. As a freelancer who often juggles a lot of client demands at once, my personal projects tend to suffer from inconsistency… but that’s all changing now.
Last year, I reconnected with my heirloom Rolleiflex which allowed me to explore new avenues of creativity while kick-starting new ideas. I definitely feel a lot more confident using a TLR camera today versus last summer when I got to use my Rollei for the first time in over 20 years!
Your enthusiastic support has given so much motivation! Despite challenges this month, I still managed to shoot two rolls of Kodak Gold 200 in June. It felt good to follow through on my commitment to this year-long series. June was a reminder that it’s, ‘better done than perfect’ so, here we are.
LESSONS IN ADAPTABILITY
It’s hard to believe we’re halfway through 2024 especially because Amsterdam is the city that the sunshine forgot. Summer is allegedly in season but it feels like autumn has been around for months. As a natural light photographer, I must admit that Amsterdam’s gloomy weather is sometimes frustrating. Overcast days are one thing, but weeks of rain can stifle my creativity.
Nature is a recurring element in my art, and all year long I cross my fingers hoping for warm days extended hours of sunshine that last past bedtime. But that wasn’t the case this year.
In June, the unhinged weather wasn’t the only disaster. I also got wiped out with the ‘Rona for a few weeks (yup, that’s apparently still lurking around) which left me little time or energy to create my June series. Anyway, this wasn’t meant to be a rant of excuses but a reminder that sometimes, life just don’t go as planned. Creativity is built between boundaries and the right circumstances must fall in place to bring an idea to life.
Oud West, Amsterdam. Double exposures created in camera.
June was a lesson in adaptability
By the end of the last week of the month, my mental and physical energy returned. After resting and isolating at home for weeks, stepping outside for a deep breath of fresh air felt exhilarating. Illness puts life into perspective, reminding us how powerful our bodies are and to never take simple joys, like creativity or energetic walks through the park, for granted.
Passing through the rose garden, a sound-bath meditation circle had just taken place, and they decorated a tree with white doves calling for peace (see the photo above). As they gently blew in the wind, I through about how connecting with nature has always provided healing. In that moment, I felt so much gratitude for fresh air, sunshine, and my ability to safely enjoy my day without negativity or conflict around me.
Hydrangea in Vondelpark.
Wandering through Vondelpark, I found bundles of lush hydrangeas and was captivated by their textured leaves and shadows. Working with a TLR camera means sometimes the viewing and taking lenses are slightly off. These shots didn’t come out exactly as I had envisioned, but that’s okay because ‘mistakes’ and not getting the results we expected are lessons in adaptability too.
CREATING SPACE FOR WOMEN WHO SHOOT FILM
Let’s get real for a moment. Photography has long been a male-dominated space, where bearded dues with inflated egos love to mansplain about their gear. So often, my conversations with other women photographers eventually touches on an experience of felling outnumbered, undervalued, or uncomfortable. This has happens in the classroom, the darkroom, on photowalks or major events like Paris Photo Fair. Many women find it challenging to navigate an environment that can feel exclusionary. Now, don’t get me wrong, I’ve also had some impactful (male) photography mentors but it’s 2024 and this old boys club mentality has got to go.
Representation matters. It’s essential to encourage more diversity in the photography world, women and people of color have unique perspectives to share and bring their distinct experiences into their work. It’s time to create a more inclusive and supportive space for women in photography, where their voices and visions are equally valued. Personally, I’m getting bored of rolling my eyes when a guy offers unsolicited advice or sarcastic commentary and I know that this type of energy puts a lot of women off too.
I’ve long wished for an encouraging femme film community here in Amsterdam and realized that I should create the space myself.
For a while, I’ve been thinking about ways to create an encouraging, creative space in the photography community. And decided that the only way to get what I want is to create the space myself!
Welcome to Film Femmes
Our group started very organically by simply bringing all the rad film photography gals I know together and from there, we got the ball rolling.
At the end of June, we held our first meet-up with a photo walk around Amsterdam’s Nieuwe Meer. The prompt was simple: bring a film camera, pack some snacks, and get ready for a positive, creative afternoon!
Film gals in the forest during our first meet-up.
Want to join our next Film Gals Meet Up? Shoot me a DM, and I’ll keep you in the loop!
Moments along the Nieuwe Meer.
Thanks for following along. If you’d like to support this self-funded series by sharing this post or donating a roll of film. With the rising price of film, it costs €50/month for a roll of film, processing & scanning. Your contributions help cover the cost of keeping this project alive all year long. Thanks for your support!
