“One of the greatest discoveries a man makes, one of his great surprises, is to find he can do what he was afraid he couldn’t do.”

– Henry Ford

This year began with an introduction to Medium Format Film Cameras. I had never even heard of such a thing and I needed to find one to use asap. Enter Charles Hepler a long time family friend. He heard of my need and showed up at my door with the Mamiya C330 Professional that had belonged to his dear father. I was afraid to touch it. Afraid I would break it. And mostly worried about someone trusting me with something of such great sentimental value. Charles assured me that he trusted me and left it in my care. He trusted me when I didn’t begin to trust myself. For that I am eternally grateful. This camera has been my nearly constant companion for the past year and oh the adventures we have had. I had no idea where this would take me.

Starting with pretty much zero knowledge, my adventures with this wonderful camera have helped me understand aperture, shutter speed, ISO, exposure, focusing, what the heck ground glass is, how to use a tripod, lighting, and so much more. It seems the more I learn, the more I realize I need to learn. After each adventure, this camera delivered its 12 frame roll of 120 black and white film and I then ventured into the many variables waiting in the darkroom. Lots of hours in the dark, enlarging, grain-focusing, dodging, burning, exposing and finally printing our masterpieces one by one. This week, I will be sharing one of my favorite images from this camera. It is very simple and represents both my faith and the concept of MA – open space. Photography is helping me to find that open space in my life and giving my creativity room to roam. I have indeed found a friend and our adventures continue.