Last Saturday was Kailyn’s first and Josh’s sixth birthday party. We knew going into the weekend rain was in the forecast but since the party was indoors at a rec center, we weren’t worried. The back part of the center had a big enclosed area, perfect to let little Nicolas run around and burn some energy. When I took him out there, we found this hanging in the sky. Luckily we had the whole back area to ourselves, I found a great spot on a bench and propped my camera on my camera bag as a make-shift tripod.

While working on a personal project this weekend, I ran into my old gear. It brought me back to where my love for photography started and how much it’s changed.

Toward the end of 2001 I was living in L.A. and realized I didn’t want to continue my career in animation. I decided I needed to go back to school to explore my creative options. Before venturing off to Boston to get my degree, I bought this Nikon FM2. Although I was majoring in Design, I found myself gravitating toward the photo department and spent a lot of time in the darkrooms.

Looking at my old stuff reminded me of all the hard work and fun that took place in those darkrooms. There is something to be said about the confidence you build in your self when you can shoot with a fully manual camera that only needs a watch battery to help you meter. Even if the battery fails, you don’t need it for the camera to function. As old as this camera gets, I don’t think I can give it up.