Why I Shoot Film on Summer Vacation (and What I’ve Learned From Mixing Formats)
Discover why I bring film cameras on vacation, the gear and film stocks I pack, and what I’ve learned after two summers of traveling with family and film.
The slower I shoot, the more I remember. Film gives our summers space to breathe.
Why Summer Is Made for Film
Summer, for me, holds a kind of dreamy chaos, sun-drenched, sticky, wild, and a little nostalgic even as it happens. When we pack up for our family trips (road trips, camping weekends, or just a few days at the coast) I always make space in my bag for film.
There’s something about the way film renders the season: light-soaked, imperfect, honest. It doesn’t capture everything, and that’s exactly the point.
Choosing Film on Purpose
Digital photography is efficient. Convenient. Sharp. But when I shoot film, especially while traveling with my family, I slow down. I see things differently. I don’t take the same photo five times; I wait for the photo.
It’s also a boundary. I’m not scrolling through the back of the camera while the kid and dog are sprinting toward the tide. I’m just… watching. Waiting. Remembering.
Film slows me down.
It teaches me to shoot less.
The results feel like memories, not records.
What’s In My Bag
This year I’m keeping it simple:
Nikon N80 – My go-to 35mm camera. Lightweight, reliable autofocus, and perfect for chasing kids and dogs along the beach.
Fujifilm GA645 – A dream for travel. It’s compact for a medium format camera, and the fixed lens rangefinder style works beautifully for scenic landscapes. I don’t bring it everywhere, but when I do, it’s the one I reach for when the light and the view demand something special.
Lenses: Just two: my trusty 50mm f/1.4 and a 24mm f/2.8 for wide, environmental frames.
I carry everything in a Think Tank Retrospective 5, and I use Moment’s film pouches to organize rolls. Last year I brought both a Canon 1N and a Nikon FM2, but I found that the Canon, while excellent, was just too heavy for travel. It’s my main 35mm for client sessions now. As for the FM2, I love it, but with a fast-moving little one and a dog in the frame, autofocus wins. If I still had a slow moving baby I would likely stick with the slowness of the Nikon FM2.
Nikon N80 + 50mm 1.4 + 24mm 2.8, Fujifilm GA645, and used film waiting to be developed from our last vacation.
What I Shoot With (And Why)
My summer film choices are simple, budget-friendly, and beautiful in bright light:
Kodak Gold 200 – Perfect for high sun and warm tones. I love pushing it to 400 for a little extra grit.
Ultramax 400 – A reliable, flexible stock with good latitude and pop.
Ilford HP3 – My favorite black-and-white. I’ll push it all the way to 1600 when I want mood or need extra speed.
I’ve experimented with Fujifilm 200 and 400 but found they didn’t match the tones or contrast I was looking for. The greens never quite landed for me, especially compared to Kodak’s warmth.
This summer, I’m sticking with just two color stocks and one black-and-white. Simple is better when time is short and film is precious.
Lessons From Two Summers
The first summer I brought film along, I didn’t fully commit. I had my digital camera with me at all times and juggling both left me feeling stuck in my photographer brain. I’d swap cameras mid-scene, scroll through previews, and try to make quick choices that pulled me out of the moment.
In the end, I liked my film photos more. They told the real story. My digital files? Still buried on a hard drive.
These days, one of the biggest perks of film is how manageable it makes my personal work. There are fewer files to cull, no RAW files to edit, and when the scans come back, they’re usually 95–100% done. I don’t obsess over color or crop. They’re just… ready. Ready to print, ready to frame, ready to share.
It’s also a relief to leave the tangle of chargers behind. No more worrying about whether everything is fully charged before we head out for the day.
Film doesn’t just change how I shoot. It changes what I bring home—and how much energy I have left to enjoy it.
This Year’s Game Plan
This summer, I’m packing intentionally:
One 35mm camera with two lenses. One medium format camera for scenic shots.
A handful of rolls: two color, one black and white.
Film pouches organized and pre-loaded.
No backup gear “just in case.”
A point-and-shoot for my son, because he wants to remember too. I chose the Kodak Ektar H35 (a half frame point and shoot) for him this year instead of disposable because it actually gives him more frames when I pop in a roll of 36.
The goal isn’t to capture everything. It’s to be in it, and come away with memories I actually want to hold onto—not hundreds of files I’ll never sort through.
Vacation doesn’t need to feel like work. And film helps me draw that line.
Why I Keep Choosing Film
Even with the unpredictability, the delayed gratification, the lab fees, film brings me back to something simple. Something creative. And something grounded in trust; that I don’t need to see the image to know it mattered.
It reminds me that summer is fleeting. That my son won’t always climb into bed with sandy feet. That I won’t always have to pack six kinds of snacks before we leave the driveway. These are the messy, beautiful years. And film sees them the way I do.
Last year one of our family vacations was a camping trip to Cape Disappointment State Park. There’s a long jetty you can walk out onto as the waves break on the rocks around you. My son waited and waited to be sprayed by the perfect wave to hit the rocks. The first photo below is that mist splashing him. I’ll never forget how happy he was when it finally splashed him and how wet his face was after. The second photo, backlit in golden sun, he was still wet as we hiked back to the car.
I don’t need 2,000 photos. I need 20 that make me feel something.
Curious About Film?
If you’ve ever been tempted to shoot film on vacation, I say try it. Just one roll. Just one walk. You don’t need to get it all right, you just need to let go of perfect and let it feel like summer.
Baby Raena - Fresh 48 at Providence Regional Medical Center Everett
Welcome baby Raena! Everyone is so excited you’re here. Especially your big sister who couldn’t take her eyes off of you.
Date & Time of Birth: 3/11 at 7:04 am
Weight: 7lb 15oz
Length: 21.25”
Summer's End - Seattle Documentary Newborn Session
So newborn session myth #1: Newborn sessions have to be scheduled within the first 2 weeks after birth.
NOPE!
Guess what? You can schedule them whenever you want or whenever works for your family.
Because I had taken their birth photos too, this family wanted to wait a little for their newborn photos. And that totally works!
While many people want to schedule newborn photos within the first two weeks at home, in reality there’s nothing wrong with waiting a few more weeks. If you think you missed your window because you didn’t schedule something sooner, I’m here to tell you, don’t stress about it. Just take the photos. Babies don’t last.
This family became so special to me. Not only was I their birth doula & photographer, but I had also taken (documentary) maternity photos for them as well. It was so fun to watch their family grow in front of my eyes and camera. As summer crept to a close it was fun how I had spent that entire season of the year and life with them.
LOOKING FOR A NEWBORN PHOTOGRAPHER?
Year in the Life Sessions - 2023 Enrollment
Year in the Life
Year-round family documentary photo packages that capture your family in this season of life and get you back into those family moments and photos where you belong!
That’s time of year again! Enrollment is now open for next year’s Year in the Life!
If you are a parent who strives to remember the dance parties in the kitchen, the tears on the floor, the warm embrace of tiny sticky fingers, and even the parental multi-tasking master you are at the moment… and at the same time want to be in your own family photos and have them preserved in a way your family can revisit time and time again… you’re in the right place!
How is your family's legacy being recorded and preserved? When was the last time you printed photos or made an album? And more importantly, of the photos you do take of your family, are you in those photos? Will your children be able to see YOU - being silly, being a parent, being your true self - when they look back at your family photos one day?
Each year I craft a yearbook for my own family assembled from photos of our everyday life taken throughout the entire year. And of course, being my family's photographer, I am missing in 95% of the images. I work really hard to ensure I end up in those remaining 5% each year…
What if you didn't have to work as hard as I do each year? What if the hard work could be done for you? You could have your year documented in an honest and true way, a family album created custom for you, and ensure no one is missing from your family photos as well!
These are Year in the Life Sessions where I ensure your own family's story is captured on camera either monthly, bi-monthly, or quarterly so you can get back to just being present with your family and know your family’s story will be preserved!
Allowing more everyday family moments to be captured for the future.
Year in the Life Packages
I offer three different Year in the Life packages to meet every size, budget, and need. With years of experience as a photographer and countless hours documenting real moments under my belt, you can rest easy knowing that no matter which package you choose, your family is in good hands and your final photographs will be memorable and print-worthy.
Monthly Sessions (12)
Each month starting January of 2023 you’ll have a 1 hour family session.
12 Sessions - $2400
Bi-Monthly Sessions (6)
Every other month starting January or February of 2023 you’ll have a 1 hour family session.
6 Sessions - $2100
Quarterly Sessions
(4)
Every 3 months starting in March of 2023 you’ll have a 1 hour family session.
4 Sessions - $1800
What to expect
Fill out the contact form below to get started. Then we’ll schedule a quick chat to discuss how the entire process works and some ideas of activities or day to day life moments we can make sure to capture for your family throughout the year.
Next I’ll send over your invoice and contract to make it official.
Once you’re officially on my calendar for the year, you’ll receive a workbook and family questionnaire so I can learn a bit more about your family before your first session.
Your first session! Your first documentary family session will take place in either January, February, or March depending on which package you’ve chosen.
After each session you’ll view and receive your images in your personal online gallery. As a VIP customer you’ll also have a discount on other printed photo products through your gallery.
After your final session of the year you’ll receive a custom 8x8 Handcrafted Family Photo Album prepared just for you.
Super-parents deserve to be in photos too.
It’s time to get in those family photos and create a family heirloom at the same time.
Documentary Maternity Session - Home & Woodland Park Rose Garden - Seattle, Wa
With a spunky little one already keeping them on their toes, Kaci admitted to me this pregnancy hadn’t been documented as much as her first. So needless to say, she was excited to get some photos of these last weeks as a family of 3 before the newest little family member arrives. A documentary maternity session fit their family perfectly as their son got to just be himself as we took a small walk from their home to the Woodland Park Rose Garden together before lunch and nap time. Someone is going to be a great big brother!
