In my early 20’s i was exposed to the art of shooting photos on 35mm film.
I struggled with the idea of using such primitive technology because i was already using digital cameras daily. But some artists i looked up to were really into it so i had to know what all the fuss was about, but first i had to get my own film camera. The mix of adventure and anxiety that came with scouring thrift stores and antique shops to find the one for me ranged from exhilarating to intimidating. I couldn’t imagine spending $25 on a 35 year old camera and spending $20 to get a roll of film developed only to find out that it was broken all along.
Photo’s were taken and photo’s were developed, the camera worked and i was hooked.
My girlfriend (now Wife) and i went on a rampage sourcing, collecting and shooting with everything we could get our hands on, from old box brownies to the Pentax Auto 110 (one of the world smallest film cameras).
I started posting photo’s of my cameras on Instagram which caught the attention of my brother who said his friend was looking to buy one of those “cool old school film cameras”.
He asked if id sell one of mine and i started doing the math. I spent $25 on the camera and $20 developing a roll of film, so i can actually guarantee it works, saving my brothers friend the anxiety that nearly stopped me from purchasing it originally, surely thats worth something too. I asked for $80 and the deal was done.
But later on it hit me, i just made a profit by going antiquing and shooting photos..
I made my money in the least work-like way i could possibly imagine.
I didn’t go on to start a vintage camera empire, but that realisation stuck with me, circling my freedom chasing psyche for years. When i thought about what i wanted to with my life and how i wanted to make a living, i always thought of that specific sale.
It had to feel like that.
Want to learn a little more about me and why i feel qualified to speak on such topics? Checkout Finding Freedom where i break down my 10 year entrepreneurial journey into bite sized pieces.