just one picture: Filling Hydrangea

Mai Quynh on 21. June 2024

Filling Hydrangea

2023

At first I wasn't convinced by the picture of the hydrangea, underexposed, too dark. But I still found something beautiful about it. At least beautiful enough for the wall because I had put it on my wall. My perception changed over time and now I quite like it. Has it developped that way because I saw it more often or has the spark always been there?

The picture of this hydrangea is one of many pictures that were created in impatience. Impatience for the other pictures already taken on the same roll. Impatience to see the pictures that were of real interest.

I affectionately call this way of seeing "filling the film". And I'm looking forward to showing more photos of this kind, I still have a few stored in my cupboard.

This has been the Fotokioskso far, this time I call it the format only one picture. It is not decided yet how this format will be called eventually and I am still on my way of finding out.

Camera + lens: Minolta Dynax 7000i + Minolta AF 100mm Macro f/2.8
Film: Kodak Professional Portra 160
Development + scan: ON FILM LAB

Strawberry tartlet

Mai Quynh on 31. January 2024

A strawberry tartlet. How it tasted? I wish I could remember. But it did look pretty, with that golden paper plate (although not much is left on the picture and we have nothing at all). Very photogenic. That's what we have to admit to the strawberry tartlet, don't we?

On that day, in a city that was quite unfamiliar to me, (in the truest sense of the word) I sweetened my time in a café. I was watching people and maybe they were watching me too. You saw each other, a small smile flitted across your face as you saw each other, and then you turned back to your newspaper or notebook.

Well fortified, I set off again to explore the city. To a place that I like to visit in every city: the Botanical Garden. The S-Bahn took me a few stops further west - until I was ready to get off at station Klein Flottbek.

Camera + lens: Minolta 9000 AF + Minolta AF 50mm f1.4
Film: KODAK 100T-MAX
Development + scan: Charlie Engel Lab 2.0

Summer vineyards | Between pixel and grain

Mai Quynh on 15. January 2024

"It must look megaaaa here in summer!"

That's what we said to ourselves as we stood on the banks of the Rhine in the town of Bingen, about 30 kilometres west of Mainz. There you have a wonderful view of the vineyards opposite. However, on a weekend in January this year, when we decided to explore the area, it was all very dreary. Dreary and icy cold.

On the other side of the Rhine, diagonally from Bingen, lies the town of Rüdesheim. It's probably best known for its instagrammable town corners. We were quite astonished when Rüdesheim was pretty much dead. Many shops are closed from January to March, Rüdesheim seems to have adapted to tourism. At least we had some gastronomic offeres. So we could sit down in a café.

Last summer, I went for a long walk with friends not far away from Bingen and Rüdesheim. That particular January weekend, we travelled past the station by train where we started and ended our long walk last year.

In anticipation of summer - but above all to warm up on my mind - I brought a view of the vineyards from exactly that day. I remember very warm temperatures and sweet white grape juice. I also remember a short nap on the bench. I can hardly wait for the warmer and longer days.

Camera + lens: Minolta Dynax 7000i, Minolta AF 50 mm
Film: Kodak Professional Portra 160
Development + scan: ON FILM LAB