Photography: Summers Past and Present
It doesn’t take much to take me back there, a couple of years ago in the late summer, together on the beach. The Rockaways were still under a lot of construction post-Sandy, and there were no crowds on that Wednesday in September, just us and a few others, enjoying the sun and the warmer ocean. 11 or 12 weeks pregnant, thinking that it was so obvious, that I was huge, so many new dawns opening up ahead. A lot of unexpected dreams and hope and changes and a lot of wondering about what everything would look like the following September. Snapping photos on the beach, just a few of us knowing our secret, a happy in-between time in the sun, eating sandwiches and jumping over waves.
A few years later and out comes the Holga again, this time in Queens, walking around the park, visiting the zoo. Pregnant again, happy, in love with our family. Luna riding along on your shoulders, screaming in delight at the sight of colourful parrots and large, dangerous cats. More sunshine, one Spring child and now a Summer child on her way. Sisters, hopefully best friends. Edifices from past world fairs, an empty carousel taking Luna for her first gleeful ride and ice cream from the grumpy vendor. Soft serve with a twist and maybe some sprinkles. The Unisphere looming over us, beautiful in its starkness. Look there’s Mexico and there’s England and there is the US, all part of your heritage, Luna. And yours too little summer baby.
I took two rolls of film to a photo place on Roosevelt and Main, the nearest place I could find. I used to just drop film off at Walgreens and never had an issue, ever. I use black and white film that has been made to be processed in a color processing machine. It’s really, really hard to actually mess up the development of 35mm film. REALLY hard. Well these people actually managed to expose part of the colour film before development and develop the black and white BACKWARDS. I’m talking backwards like in a mirror. Luckily due to some mistake on their end I only paid $7 and I also only looked at the photos when I got home, otherwise I would have lost it. Now I am just telling myself that it just makes them a little unique and different. And I will never be going there again. I also know this camera very well and it wasn’t a case of me doing anything wrong, it’s a simple camera and pretty foolproof. Anyway, the pictures still make for good memories!