Waiting isn’t always a bad thing.

Picked up a Nikon L35AF on eBay for fifty bucks. Said a small prayer, loaded it with Kodak Portra 400, and hoped for the best.

It’s been a while since I shot film, and there’s something about not being able to check the back of the camera that makes everything feel more… real. Documenting the kids growing up this way feels different. The images hit harder — maybe it’s the film grain, the color, the contrast, or just the wait.

I try to get this look in Lightroom, but digital never quite lands the same. There’s something about film that just feels finished straight out of the scanner.

Sent the rolls off to State Film Lab in Montana. When the email hits — “Your film is ready” — it’s like opening a surprise you forgot you ordered. Here are a few of my favorites from those first rolls.