Rolleiflex Challenge 11: An Autumn Trip To Paris Photo
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 in 2024, 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!
THE STORY BEHIND THE LENS
In November, I hopped on a train from Amsterdam to Paris, heading to Paris Photo to take myself on an Artist Date inspired by Julia Cameron's book "The Artist's Way." This month's Rolleiflex Challenge captures these moody autumn days and explores the delicate balance between solitary artistic pursuit and community connection. Weekend highlights included long walks through Paris, catching up with friends and connecting with other photographers whose work I admire.
I enjoyed connecting with other women photographers, listening to interesting panel discussions and exploring incredible stunning visuals. There's something so magical about seeing art up close and the opportunity to connect with the people behind it. I also attended two talks with Tyler Mitchell over the weekend, and his portraits inspired me to think about focusing my lens on people in the future.
Paris Paris Photo is an annual event the largest photography fair in the world, with 244 exhibitors from around the globe! Last year, I went to Paris Photo for the first time, and I arranged to meet up with a dear friend from high school who had been living in Paris for a few months. Funny enough, during our teenage years, Keith used to join me on photo walks back in Orlando, so the timing of our meetup felt serendipitous since it was also the weekend of our 20th high school reunion.
Parisian scenes on Kodak Portra 400
AUTUMN IN PARIS: EMBRACING GREY DAYS
I crossed my fingers for vibrant autumn colors and scenes of chic Parisians enjoying the iconic city, but there's always an opportunity to create meaningful images even in less-than-ideal weather conditions. Creative boundaries stimulate our brains, and I titled the series a Rolleiflex Challenge for a reason, so murky weather was just something I had to accept.
Given the misty natural light conditions, I opted for 400 ISO film since it offers flexibility in low-light conditions while maintaining the fine grain that I prefer. Between the drizzle, I managed to shoot a roll of Kodak Portra 400 with my Rolleiflex (and a few frames on Fuji Pro 400H). The muted, soft light of November in Paris was great for capturing the city's architectural details and street scenes without harsh shadows. I shot box speed but could've probably pushed it one or two stops.
Something about autumn feels quintessentially Parisian to me – cool, crisp November days wrapped in fog, the scent of roasted chestnuts, views of the Seine River and Eiffel Tower disappearing into misty horizons. I'm lucky to have so many memories of Paris throughout my life, and this season reminds me of our visits to France during my autumn school holidays. There's something about a blanket of fog that feels cozy and nostalgic. Oddly enough, I loathe this type of weather in Amsterdam, but a new environment makes it more appealing.
The consistently wet conditions had me reaching for my weather-resistant Fuji XT5 more frequently than my Rollflex. Check out some of my digital photos from Paris.
THE BENEFITS OF SOLO TRAVEL & ARTIST DATES
This may sound counterintuitive, but hear me out — stepping away from friends and taking time for yourself is the key to a great trip. I think it’s crucial to balance your personal and social time, and this not only allowed me to find deeper connections to the artwork, but I got to meet ups with friends to discuss our different experiences. Traveling solo is your moment to write your unique story; the only way to do that is to be open and experience the real world in person and follow your own flow.
Full transparency: as much as I love to travel, sometimes I struggle with anxiety, which can pop up when exploring a new place on my own. But once I get out of my head and out the door, I end up cherishing my alone time because I get to follow my own path at my own pace. I notice that I'm usually more open to connecting with new people and more in tune with the details around me when I'm on my own – perhaps because when traveling with a friend, it's easy to lean on them for conversation instead of opening up to the scene around me.
Paris Photo is a perfect example of tangible experiences and honest conversations with strangers that I would have missed if I were only focused on chatting with someone familiar. So next time you plan a trip, consider taking a few hours or days to yourself to see how that feels. You may find that you’re more open too.
Luxembourg Gardens, vintage car, and dahlias shot on Kodak Portra 400.
TIPS FOR VISITING PARIS PHOTO
Paris Photo is an exciting and overwhelming sensory experience – thousands of attendees, hundreds of galleries, and endless inspiration. To take it all in, my approach was simple but effective: I planned to visit the fair multiple times over the weekend and chose to experience parts of my visit alone and strategically planned meetups with friends throughout the event.
On the first day, I started visiting with friends who kindly gave me free entry (thanks, Keith!) and met up with art connections. In the following days, I explored solo, allowing myself to get lost in the exhibitions that caught my eye without feeling rushed or influenced by others' preferences.
I always keep a notebook to jot down ideas and inspirations and this was handy to remember the names of photographers whose work resonated with me and galleries I wanted to research further. I filled my camera backpack with extra film, batteries and snacks. 'Cause let's be real, Paris is very expensive, and I'm traveling on an artist's budget.
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View of Paris Photo inside the Grand Palais. Shot on Kodak Portra 400.
THE VALUE OF ARTIST DATES
If y'all aren't already familiar with Julia Cameron's book, "The Artist's Way," I recommend checking it out. Part of this 12-week workbook revolves around weekly "artist dates," encouraging you to nurture your inner creative child. While I often take myself out on creative adventures in Amsterdam – usually a walk in the park, visiting a museum, or the Concertgebouw – a trip to Paris Photo was, of course, a more luxurious option.
Reality Check — Of course, I understand that a long weekend in Paris is a rather unique experience and perhaps not accessible to everyone. However, the principles shared here can be applied anywhere, for any creative medium, not just photography.
You can look for exhibitions in your nearest city, join local photo walks, attend a phone-free drawing night at a local cafe, or walk around and explore your neighborhood with fresh eyes. The key is to maintain that balance between solitary creative practice and community connection, whether you're photographing the Seine, your neighborhood, or a local farmers market.
Creative challenges give us a reason to look around with fresh eyes, and that's something you can do anywhere, anytime, for free. Do you have a fun suggestion for an Artist’s Date? Let me know and I’ll try it too.
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.
