A Glorious Disaster

You know those days when everything that could go wrong just enthusiastically does? That was me a few days ago.

The plan was simple: an experimental boudoir shoot to test out a few cameras and film stocks I hadn’t used before. A fun little trial run to see what worked, what didn’t, and what I might fall in love with.

From the start, it felt like my gear had formed a secret pact to sabotage the whole operation. Maybe they sensed how much work I had planned and just collectively decided, “Absolutely not.” My medium format camera gave up after a few frames—just stopped working, like it had better things to do. The roll? Completely unsalvageable.

Then came the second camera, which decided that accurate exposure was optional and went rogue by four stops. Most of the shots looked like they were taken during a lunar eclipse inside a closet. Still holding onto hope (and possibly denial), I attempted to “push” the film a couple of stops during development to salvage something. Instead, I cooked it—slow-roasted it into oblivion. The negatives came out looking like I had tried to develop them over a campfire.

Miraculously, a few photos survived. Barely. This experience was fun, frustrating, educational, and weirdly entertaining. And I’m ready to do it all over again—because that’s just who I am.✌

Cameras used: Pentax 645, Canon EOS IV, Holga 120N. Film Used: Amber T800 and Illford Delta 3200.