Capturing life on film
A flea market, a vintage camera, and a second chance
Last week, I visited Nice, France with my friend and business partner,
. Early into the trip, we stumbled upon a flea market and I saw a table of old cameras. I’m from Rochester, NY, home of Eastman Kodak, so when I saw a Brownie Flash Camera “Made in France” I thought it would be the perfect souvenir.
Tammi knew I wanted the camera. I knew I wanted the camera. However, I was anxious in the busy market and intimidated to speak French with the vendor. So, we walked back to the apartment. As soon as we arrived home, I knew I’d made a mistake.
Before I could think much about it, I was walking the 30 minutes back to the flea market—this time determined to get that camera.
The vendor was kind. I spoke with him about whether the camera was in working order. He helped me choose the one with the best lens and wrapped it up for my journey home. After this initial hurdle, my conversations in French with shop owners became one of my favorite parts of the trip.
The Brownie added a new dimension to my time in France. I researched the film, found a shop to pick up a couple rolls and figured out how to modify the spools to fit my camera. I snapped photos in the apartment, at the sea, in the streets of Nice, and during our day trip to Antibes.
A week later, I was home in Rochester again. I went to our local photo lab straight away. Today, I received the printed and digital photos. I’ve included my favorites in the gallery above. I also picked up a used Kodak point-and-shoot camera at the photo lab. My oldest kiddo is using it now.
The decision to turn around and go back to the flea market was well worth it.
Light makes photography. Embrace light. Admire it. Love it. But above all, know light. Know it for all you are worth, and you will know the key to photography.
George Eastman
That camera belonged with YOU! Beautiful images.
Love, love, love this account of your experience in France! What a score!! The mood of these images is lovely!! Very cool!!