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12 months of film – April

In April, I took a lot of photos for my personal film challenge. I managed to shoot almost five rolls of film. This was partly thanks to the good weather, feeling motivated, and having a week off from work.

The photos were taken with my:

  • Canon P, using the Canon 35mm f2.8 LTM and the 50mm Jupiter 8
  • Canon MC with its 35mm lens

I used the following film stocks:

  • HP5, pulled to ISO 200 and developed in HC110
  • Kodak Gold
  • Kodak Ultramax
  • Kodak Portra 160

All the films were scanned at home using my Fujifilm X-E4 and a Minolta 50mm Macro lens. The color films were developed by my local lab.

A forest scene depicts tall, leafless trees casting long shadows on the forest floor.A traditional Chinese-style building is surrounded by trees and greenery.A serene garden scene features a pond, lush greenery, and a distant traditional-style pavilion.A person is partially submerged in a pond surrounded by rocks and lush greenery.A vibrant park scene features people walking along a path surrounded by lush greenery and a blooming pink tree under a clear blue sky.A large, solitary tree stands in the middle of a sunlit, grassy field under a clear blue sky.A vibrant garden scene features a prominent orange flower surrounded by various pink and white blooms.Potted pink hydrangeas are arranged in a sunlit indoor space next to wooden furniture.A serene garden features tall trees, a wooden pathway, and a glimpse of a building in the background.A small domed building with large windows is nestled among lush trees and greenery.A peaceful garden scene features a small gazebo surrounded by lush greenery, trees, and a winding gravel path.A scenic garden path winds through lush greenery with trees and shrubs, leading to a small structure in the background under a clear blue sky.A stone pathway leads uphill through a lush garden filled with blooming pink and white flowers under a clear blue sky.A person sits on a bench by a riverside, with trees and a boat in the background.A tall, modern skyscraper with a cylindrical section is set against a clear blue sky, with a more traditional building in the foreground.A modern cityscape features a tall glass building surrounded by construction sites, street barriers, and a red bike lane.A person in a blue dress is sitting on a ledge in a bustling urban plaza with people walking by and modern buildings in the background.A car is parked on a street beside a large tree covered in pink blossoms in front of a house.
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One Scene, Two Cameras, Three Versions of a Photo

Last October, I spent my vacation on the Amalfi Coast. Positano was, of course, one of the most spectacular places I visited.
I decided to shoot hybrid on this trip, using both my digital camera and two analog cameras loaded with 35mm film.

Probably my favorite photo from that day in Positano is one I shared early on my website, which later inspired a small series called Positano in October.
The photo exists in both digital and analog versions—in this case, the film version was taken on Kodak Gold.

Usually, I prefer the colors from my film images over the digital ones. But with this particular scene, it was the opposite. The version I originally posted was the digital one, because the way I edited the RAW file matched what I had imagined when I took the shot. The film scan I got from the lab just didn’t have the qualities I love about film. The colors were off, there was too much contrast, and I lost a lot of detail in the highlights and shadows. It was still a decent photo, but just not quite right.

Image shot on Kodak Gold with the Canon P and the Canon 35mm f2.8 LTM, scanned by my local lab.

As time went by, I started getting into scanning my color film myself. I had already been scanning my black-and-white negatives because I develop those at home.
I kept thinking about rescanning that Positano photo myself, but never got around to it—until last weekend, when I finally had the time. I scanned the negative and processed it with Negative Lab Pro, and the result speaks for itself. There’s so much more detail in the shadows and highlights, and the colors look much closer to what I had in mind. It has all the character of the digital photo, but without the clinical sharpness or the sometimes unrealistic dynamic range. To me, it just feels more pleasant.

Image shot on Kodak Gold with the Canon P and the Canon 35mm f2.8 LTM, scanned at home with the Fujifilm X-E4 and Minolta 50mm Macro, processed with Negative Lab Pro

I guess the lesson here is: if you can, scan your own negatives. Photo labs can’t always recreate your creative vision—it’s something you have to do yourself.

For reference, here’s the digital image once again. I used Fuji’s Astia simulation as a starting point and tweaked the contrast and white balance until it looked the way I wanted.

Digital image shot on the Fujifilm X-E4 and XF23mmF2 R WR

The digital photo was shot on the Fujifilm X-E4 and XF23mmF2 R WR. The analog photo was shot on the Canon P and the Canon 35mm f2.8 LTM with Kodak Gold.

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12 months of film – March

In March I barely shot one roll of film. I’m not sure why, but that’s how it is. On top of that, I wasn’t really feeling inspired, so the shots I got are, let’s say, mediocre. But that’s part of the challenge.

I shot these frames with the Canon MC on Kodak Gold. The film was developed by my local lab and then scanned by me using my Fuji X-E4 with the Minolta 50 mm Macro lens. Post-processing was done in Lightroom with Negative Lab Pro.

Here are some of the images I ended up with:

Trees cast long shadows on a grassy lawn, with a stone wall and dense trees in the background.A tree-lined tram track stretches into the distance, flanked by platforms and surrounded by urban buildings on a sunny day.A city street scene features a historic building with blooming cherry blossom trees and a few people on the sidewalk near a crosswalk.A city street lined with trees and buildings leads to a tall skyscraper in the background.A street scene shows a poster on a cylindrical surface featuring a smiling person next to a tree and parked cars with blooming cherry blossoms in the background.A serene landscape features a calm river reflecting trees, including one with white blossoms, under a partly cloudy sky.
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12 months of film - February

In my pursuit of shooting more film regularly in 2025, I shot two rolls of film in February. Both rolls were captured using my Minolta X-700 with the 35mm f/1.8 lens.

  • One roll of Ilford HP5, shot at 800 ISO with a yellow filter. I developed it at home in HC-110 Solution A and scanned it using my Fuji X-E4 and the Minolta MD 50mm macro lens.
  • One roll of Kodak Portra 800, which was developed and scanned by my local lab.

The images were taken in and around the Städel Museum in Frankfurt, the Bahnhofsviertel area, the city center of Frankfurt, and within the scenic landscapes of the Odenwald region.

A tall, modern skyscraper with a wavy facade stretches towards a clear blue sky, viewed from a low angle with parts of nearby buildings visible.A group of performers entertain a crowd in an urban area, with one person balancing a stack of cans on their head.A small wooden structure is mounted on a wheeled platform, situated on a grassy hill with a scenic landscape in the background.A winding rural road passes through a grassy landscape with hay bales wrapped in plastic, surrounded by trees and hills in the background.A rainbow flag waves prominently in front of historic buildings in a public square.A small building with a gray garage door is surrounded by trees and fenced, featuring red paint and black, Asian script on the wall.A group of people is gathered outdoors with one person holding a sign that reads COLLEGE HAS US SO OUT OF TOUCH WITH REALITY & I CAN'T FAX CRATE.A black and white photograph depicts a narrow urban street flanked by tall buildings, with a modern tower centered in the background under a clear sky.Stone balusters are aligned, casting shadows in a black-and-white setting.A black and white photograph features branches with clusters of small flowers in focus against a blurred background.A person leans on a railing overlooking a cityscape with skyscrapers and a river.A black-and-white photograph captures a large, historic stone building with ornate architectural details set against a backdrop of a city street.Three people are walking up a set of stairs in a black and white photograph.A cityscape features modern buildings, bare trees, and people walking along a paved park area with benches.A sleek, spiral staircase is partially enclosed by a curved, black-and-white wall, creating an abstract and modern architectural feature.A spiral staircase captured from above creates a mesmerizing geometric pattern in black and white.A tall, modern building with an angular, geometric facade is shown from a low perspective against a clear sky.A person is observing a large, detailed artwork mounted on a wall in a spacious, modern gallery setting.
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12 months of film - January

As I wrote at the beginning of the year I’m shooting at least one roll of film every month throughout 2025. In January, I actually ended up shooting two rolls—here are some of my favorite images from those rolls. All were captured on Ilford HP5+ at ISO 400, using my Minolta X700 with a Minolta MD 35mm f/1.8 lens and a yellow filter. The photos were taken around Frankfurt—either on my street photography walks or during visits to my local park.

(Developed in HC110 Dilution B at home. Scanned with my Fuji X-E4 and the Minolta MD 50mm macro lens)

A grand neoclassical building with an ornate facade stands in the background, surrounded by people walking in a plaza with a fountain in the foreground.A fast-moving train crosses a graffiti-covered bridge while a solitary person walks along the side.A city skyline with modern buildings is reflected in a calm river.A collection of industrial buildings with tall chimneys is reflected in a body of water under a clear sky.A group of ducks is resting on a dock by a river, with a city skyline and bridge in the background.Two people sit on a bench overlooking a river with a cityscape in the background.A person is sitting on a bench next to a clock structure on a sidewalk, while several people walk on the adjacent cobblestone path.A black-and-white photo captures a person pointing towards a building with tall windows and statues, partially shadowed by architectural elements.A poster featuring a man with the word ZUVERSICHT is attached to a pole on a city street.A park landscape featuring bare trees and a prominent tower in the background under a clear sky, with a few people walking along a path.
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New Year’s Film Resolution

Trailer with Spoilers

tldr: I’m doing a photo challenge in 2025: shooting at least one roll of film every month to stay creative and consistent.

The Origin Story

For as long as I can remember, I’ve wanted to take photos. As a child, I would watch my father use his Canon SLR, and I couldn’t wait to play with it—I wanted one of my own. When I received my first camera—a Voigtländer film point-and-shoot—for my ninth birthday, I became a photographer. And I’ve never really stopped being one since.

I was always the guy with a camera on school trips, birthdays, and family parties. At one point, I even considered studying something photography-related. That didn’t happen, but I never stopped taking pictures. I became the one people asked about photos from the latest social event. For a while, photography felt more like a chore than a hobby, and I took fewer pictures, often just using my phone. But a few years ago, I felt the urge to re-embrace photography. Exploring new genres and cameras, I’ve reached a point where I’m taking more photos than ever—both digital and film.

With Great Cameras Comes Great Responsibility

One of the reasons I’m shooting more these days is that I try to keep things interesting.
Last year, I set myself a challenge: to shoot exclusively with a 35mm focal length (or 23mm on APS-C). It worked out wonderfully, and I fell in love with 35mm. For 2025, I considered switching to another focal length, but I’ve grown so comfortable with 35mm that changing it again felt like an unnecessary disruption.

Then I heard Toby Baier talking about his medium-format film challenge on Realitätsabgleich. I borrowed the idea for my own project in 2025: My goal is to shoot at least one roll of film every month. I can shoot more, but I’m not allowed to “make up” for a missed month by shooting two rolls in January and skipping February. The minimum is one roll every month.

Last year, I shot more than one roll per month on average, but it’s easier to take photos in the summer or on vacation. This challenge is about building consistency—encouraging myself to shoot even when the weather isn’t great or inspiration is harder to come by. Hopefully, it will make me a better photographer. Worst case? I’ll simply take photos without improving much. But even then, I’ll have been creative.

Post-Credit Scene

For January, I’m already at 1.5 rolls of film, so it’s a good start! Right now, I’m shooting HP5 with a yellow filter, but that’s not a requirement for the challenge—I’m free to experiment with different films whenever I like.

I plan to share the results on my website throughout the year.

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Positano in October - Part 11

A vibrant coastal scene showcasing the sparkling blue waters of Positano, dotted with boats of various sizes. A ferry leaves a white wake behind as it glides through the sea, while the Amalfi coastline stretches into the horizon. Shot on Fujifilm X-E4 | XF23mmF2 R WR

| Shot on #Fujifilm X-E4 | XF23mmF2 R WR

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Positano in October - Part 10

A serene view of Positano’s turquoise sea, framed by blooming pink bougainvillea, with scattered boats and a sailboat gently anchored in the calm waters. Shot on Fujifilm X-E4 | XF23mmF2 R WR

| Shot on Fujifilm X-E4 | XF23mmF2 R WR

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Positano in October - Part 9

An aerial view of Positano’s beach, showcasing colorful umbrellas lined along the shore, crystal-clear blue waters, and boats scattered across the shimmering sea. Shot on Canon MC | 35mm | Kodak Ektachrome E100

| Shot on Canon MC | 35mm | Kodak Ektachrome E100

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Positano in October - Part 8

People relaxing on a pier in Positano, Italy, surrounded by the shimmering blue sea with boats scattered in the distance, as sunlight dances on the water’s surface. Shot on Canon MC | 35mm | Kodak Ektachrome E100

| Shot on Canon MC | 35mm | Kodak Ektachrome E100

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Positano in October - Part 7

A breathtaking view of Positano’s coastline, featuring rugged cliffs covered in greenery, colorful hillside buildings, and turquoise waters dotted with boats and yachts. Shot on Canon MC | 35mm | Kodak Ektachrome E100

| Shot on Canon MC | 35mm | Kodak Ektachrome E100

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Positano in October - Part 6

A narrow alley in Positano, Italy, framed by whitewashed buildings, leading to a stunning view of the deep blue sea, with a lantern and awning adding charm to the scene. Shot on Canon MC | 35mm | Kodak Ektachrome E100

Shot on Canon MC | 35mm | Kodak Ektachrome E100

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Positano in October - Part 5

A serene view of a boat floating on turquoise waters, framed by pine tree branches and lush greenery, capturing the tranquil beauty of Positano’s coastline. Shot on Fujifilm X-E4 | XF23mmF2 R WR

| Shot on #Fujifilm X-E4 | XF23mmF2 R WR

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Positano in October - Part 4

A charming glimpse of the sea through a narrow alley in Positano, Italy, framed by yellow walls, an ornate lantern, and visible electrical wires, with boats dotting the water in the background. Shot on Canon P | 35mm | Portra 400

Shot on #Canon P | #35mm | #Kodak #Portra 400

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Positano in October - Part 3

Let’s move on to some film photos. These were taken with my #Canon P and the Canon #35mm lens on #Kodak #Portra 400.

A vibrant scene in Positano, Italy, featuring the Church of Santa Maria Assunta with its distinctive facade, surrounded by crowds of visitors, colorful hillside houses, and a glimpse of the blue sea and boats in the background. Shot on Canon P | 35mm | Portra 400

A quiet street in Positano, Italy, leading to a charming small church surrounded by greenery and pastel-colored buildings, with a woman walking towards the entrance and a glimpse of the sea in the background. Shot on Canon P | 35mm | Portra 400

A cluster of pastel-colored buildings in Positano, Italy, nestled against a rocky hillside, with lush greenery in the foreground and traditional Mediterranean architecture. Shot on Canon P | 35mm | Portra 400

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Positano in October – Part 2

A picturesque view of Positano, Italy, with colorful houses clinging to steep cliffs, turquoise blue sea, and numerous boats in the bay. Shot on Fujifilm X-E4 | XF23mmF2 R WR

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Positano in October

A scenic view of Positano from a hillside road, overlooking the Mediterranean Sea with boats scattered across the water. White buildings cling to the steep cliffs, framed by greenery and a tree in the foreground, with a motorbike parked near a rustic yellow building on the right. Shot on Fujifilm X-E4 | XF23mmF2 R WR

We just got back from our vacation on the Amalfi Coast, and of course, Positano was at the top of our must-see list.

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My first roll of Harman Phoenix 200 | Shot on Canon P / 35mm

I shot my first roll of Harman Phoenix 200 throughout August and September. These are a few street shots from uptown Frankfurt, the Messe area, my home district Ginnheim, as well as Bockenheim and Höchst.

The results turned out better than I expected. After watching several film YouTubers review this stock, I was worried the colors would lean too much toward red, and that the contrast might be too harsh for midday shots. There is a noticeable red tint, and some halation, but I think it’s still acceptable. This film works well if you’re going for that specific look or effect, but it’s not ideal for everyday or vacation photography — at least not for me. I do like how the colors of the sky came out, though.

Overall, it’s a decent first attempt by Ilford/Harman at color film. I hope they continue to develop and improve it further.

A low-angle view of a tall brick building with arched windows and ornate architectural details against a clear sky.

A sunny urban street with a clock tower in the background, tram tracks, cars, and a mural on a nearby building.

A narrow, shaded brick alleyway with an arched passage, surrounded by greenery and trees, leading to a garden area in the background.

A small pavilion-like structure with a triangular roof and four pillars, covered in graffiti, stands in a grassy park area surrounded by trees.

A large, modern exhibition hall marked ‘Messe Frankfurt’ with the number 4 on its facade, surrounded by trees and a few people walking near the entrance. The building is bathed in warm, late-afternoon sunlight under a partly cloudy sky.

A tall, modern skyscraper with a distinctive architectural design stands against a partly cloudy sky. The building is surrounded by other structures, a road with traffic signs, and a pedestrian bridge, all bathed in warm sunlight.

A calm riverside scene with a boat docked along the shoreline, surrounded by greenery. The sky is partly cloudy, and the water reflects the serene atmosphere. Buildings are visible in the distance on the left, while the right side is lined with trees.

A busy urban street flanked by historic and modern buildings, with a towering glass skyscraper reflecting sunlight in the background. People are walking on the sidewalk, and luxury storefronts, including Prada, are visible in the foreground. The scene is set under a partly cloudy sky, with a blend of classic and contemporary architecture.

A charming town square with traditional half-timbered houses and outdoor seating for cafes and restaurants. Large umbrellas provide shade for patrons enjoying the sunny weather. The square also features an old stone well in the center, with people relaxing and dining in a relaxed atmosphere. Trees and a bright sky complete the picturesque scene.

A historic castle with a tall, white cylindrical tower topped by a domed roof, set against a bright blue sky. The building features a combination of traditional architectural styles, with ornate details and smaller turrets. The castle’s light facade contrasts with the surrounding greenery, creating a picturesque scene.

A scenic riverside view with a road running parallel to the water, filled with cars and pedestrians. On the left, a historic tower rises above the treetops, while the river flows gently on the right, lined with greenery and small boats. The sky is clear with a few scattered clouds, contributing to a peaceful and sunny atmosphere.

| Shot on Canon P / 35mm / Harman Phoenix 200

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The Browser I was waiting for

In times when one does not want to use Chrome or other Chromium-based browsers, and the new and trendy browsers like Arc are Chromium-based, the choice is quite limited—especially if you want proper extensions and a design that doesn’t suck. So, Firefox is out because it looks terrible. But Gecko is fast and reliable. In the search for a Gecko-based browser that tries to be a bit more modern and doesn’t look terrible, I stumbled upon Zen Browser. It’s basically “just” a Firefox fork with a nice UI that adapts modern ideas for tab management. It’s still in alpha and sometimes has bugs, but it works very well, and it’s currently my default browser on both my private and work computers.

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House at the Nidda

Shot on Canon P | #Canon 35mm Lens | #Fujifilm #Fujicolor 200

#filmisnotdead #believeinfilm #rangefinder

House at the Nidda