The Early Years

I first got into photography with a Zenit B and a separate handheld light meter—proper fully‑manual, no‑nonsense gear that forced you to learn exposure the hard way. Later on, I moved to a Carena camera with a Pentax M42 screw‑mount system, which opened the door to a wider range of lenses and a bit more flexibility while still keeping everything hands‑on.

I began by shooting black‑and‑white negatives and printing them onto photographic paper in the darkroom. There was something magical about watching an image slowly appear in the developer tray, adjusting contrast with filters, and learning how different films behaved.

As my confidence grew, I progressed to colour transparency film—C6 slide processing. Shooting slides demanded precision, with almost no exposure latitude, but the payoff was worth it: rich colours, fine grain, and the excitement of seeing the images projected large on a screen.

The images here were scanned from slides taken between 1979 and 1985. They carry all the character of that era’s film stock—warm tones, deep saturation, and the unmistakable look of analogue photography. Revisiting them in digital form has been a fascinating trip back through time.