Sometimes interesting photographs happen by complete accident. More often than not I wouldn’t exactly call these moments works of genius, but the results can be fun all the same. This “self portrait” is a perfect example. I was walking around the streets of Portland with my Olympus XA4 as I often do, photographing nothing special in particular, and when winding on a fresh roll of film I accidentally managed to capture myself framed by a nearby building.
Sure, it may be an exposure right up my nose and not exactly flattering, but it was a fun little surprise when I pulled the roll of film out of the developing tank all the same. I like when I’m surprised. That’s part of the fun!
Photographed with an Olympus XA4 and Ilford HP5 35mm film.
On a side note, this image is also a perfect example of the chunky grain I like with Ilford HP5 when souped up in Rodinal. I don’t often publish my 35mm photographs simply because I don’t do a huge amount of “serious” work with 35mm but this image illustrates an aesthetic that really tickles my fancy. It’s like looking at a single frame to a French New Wave film from the early days of Godard or Agnes Varda. Deep void like shadows and grain the size of grains of sand. I love it.
