April 29, 2025

Three days at a quiet monastery

It has been a while since my last trip to a quiet monastery. The path was muddy and longer than the map suggested, but the view at the end made up for it.

The light was windy, and footpaths kept pulling my attention away from anything I had planned to photograph. Working with an old film camera forces you to slow down. You think twice before pressing the shutter, and that changes the pictures.

Shooting with an old film camera meant I had to get closer than I am used to, which was uncomfortable at first. Locals barely noticed me. A man feeding gulls told me the place looks completely different in spring.

An elderly couple asked me to take their picture. I used their phone, then made one frame of them on mine. Walking back, I found a side street I had never noticed before, lined with tiny workshops.

The full set of photos will go into the archive once the film comes back from the lab.