Lights of Summer

I once said to somebody that the world of film photography, and learning about it all, was similar in nature to opera, or fine wine – they are bottomless pits of niche expertise where you can keep on learning forever – which is a little intimidating.

Nevertheless, I took my first camera film in at least a decade to the developing shop to be developed this weekend. It had taken me all summer to finish the film. Convinced that I would be embarrassingly handed a packet of blank photographs, I was surprised to see that they all came out, and not just that, but split themselves merrily into two distinct camps: the light summer, and the dark.

As today happens to be a day of luminescent pastels and sunshine in Bristol, I thought I'd post these summer lights, with all their pastelled optimism, and save the darks for later this week, when it will probably be grey and dark, raining, and altogether more fitting.

The lights are all luminescent and bright, while the darks are underexposed and brooding. It sums up the summer we've had quite well: there has been some lovely hot light, but plenty cold dark.