Every now and again I stumble across these photos on an external hard drive. These grainy low-resolution murky relics hark back to those days of my early 20s when I was lost and full of angst. They represent some of my first big travels from home and first forays into digital photography. In early 2005, I was in the depth of a depression and had just dropped out of college feeling a general sense of indirection. After working a couple of shit jobs (including working in a fish processing plant) I decided maybe I needed to broaden my horizons. I didn’t formally quit school, so miraculously I was able to negotiate an exchange to the University of Stirling Scotland for the fall of 2005. The reset was successful and I was able to return to my regular program in 2006 and finish out my B.A. in geography. When I was finished, I returned to Europe in 2007 as I didn’t get to do much exploring the first go-around due to my course load.
I look back fondly on these photos. They represent adventures, early 20s naiveté, remind me of old travel companions, and a time when I put less pressure on myself to take so-called good photos. Shortly before I went, I picked up a used 4 megapixel 2001 Sony Cybershot camera from near the dawn of consumer digital photography. This was a lovely little camera that I remember using with joy. Looking back on the photos, I think they are also a good reminder that I don’t need the newest or best tech to capture images that I love and want to share. It’s easy in the photography world to get sucked into gear spec measurbation. In my experience, photography websites seemed designed to make us inadequate and and often discuss gear as a way to drive ad sales. I could be a great photographer if I just bought this $2,000 camera. While I admittedly like the gear aspect, I’ve tried to reign this in over the years as I believe most of the work is on the photographer to capture an engaging composition. A 4MP camera from 20 years ago sure has its limitations but it can still create images that sing.
These photos also represent a bit of a journey in processing. I’ve edited these photos a few times over the years. In 2012, I converted a bunch of them to black and white with the software Silver Efex. I added in a whole bunch of artificial grain in the effort. While they might be a bit overbaked, I think it lends a bit to the lower resolution look and I like it. Recently, I combed through the images again and converted a few to black and white with Adobe Lightroom.
I’m sure this isn’t the last time I’ll look at and re-process images from my 20s. It’s a fun way to remember experiences, interact with my past, and a good reminder that the onus of a good photograph falls on the person holding the camera—and not the device itself. I’m glad I can share them here for you enjoy.
Do you have a set of photographs that you’ve experienced a journey with?