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Hello everyone!

I am Myles Katherine's sister, Natalie Anne, and I'm excited to share a bit about my journey with film cameras with you! Myles has inspired me, as she has my entire life, to be more creative, thoughtful, and curious about the world. Photography is her passion and is the instrument she uses to embrace everything in life. I have always admired her skills and thus have been remarkably intimidated to pick up film photography on my own. When I told her I wanted to bring a film camera with me for my work deployment to Europe for four months, she knew just the one and by golly it's now one of my favorite possessions!

The Canon AE-1 Program is timeless, durable, and takes impressively sharp shots. While it is a bit weighty, this adds to its charm. There is something so satisfying about snapping a photo and pulling its winding arm. It can take some getting used to focusing, especially for close-ups and portraits, as it does not have autofocus. But, once you get the hang of it, the photographs are so sharp and beautiful. And even the ones that turn out a little soft are dreamy and special in their own right. Plus, isn’t that the fun of film photography?

Myles also thought this camera would be a good idea for me because it has a full auto mode. The original version of this camera, the Canon AE-1, does not have this feature. So if you’re looking for a camera that is a bit more user-friendly for beginners, the Canon AE-1 Program is the way to go. And if you’d like to delve into more advanced modes, like shutter priority or full manual, you have that option with this camera as well. The best part about it is that you get that professional film camera vibe without the complication, so it’s the perfect 35 mm travel camera! Not to mention, it has that classic black and silver vintage 35 mm camera look, so it looks cute even sitting on a shelf when it’s not being used.

For the lens, I use the standard Canon FD 50 mm f/1.8 lens. This seems to be the one most people gravitate towards for this camera. It’s affordable, small, and sharp!

One of my first tests with this camera was bringing it for a weekend trip to Vienna and Hallstatt, Austria. Hallstatt has been on my bucket list for quite some time. It was actually the inspiration for Arendelle (Frozen fans, anyone?!) and it feels so magical.

I took this H allstatt Day Tour from Vienna, via Viator, and it was the perfect introduction to this beautiful corner of the world. I couldn't recommend this tour enough! If you want to read my full review of this tour, you can find it on our travel blog, C’est Le Brie, here!

I went on this bus tour solo and felt comfortable the entire time. It was a longer bus ride, with beautiful scenery throughout the Salzkammergut region. We had time to explore Hallstatt on our own where I grabbed a Frankfurter and fries for lunch, wandered the town, went up the tram to the Hallstatt Viewing Platform, and took a short boat ride. Most importantly, my Canon AE-1 Program was loaded with film and ready to go. I took some of my favorite shots on this excursion, and was so happy my sister had recommended this camera to me. She had heard great things about it, but I think we have both been so impressed with the results. I even think she's a little jealous she doesn't have one yet!

Below are all the photos I took in Hallstatt using Kodak Gold 200 and Kodak Ultra Max 400 35mm film. If you're interested in purchasing a Canon AE-1 Program, you won't regret it! I know without a doubt that I’m going to treasure these images forever.

-Natalie Anne

P.S. Make sure to check out our travel blog, C’est Le Brie, here! We share all of our travel adventures, tour reviews, hotel and restaurant recommendations, photos, and even recipes! And don’t forget to watch our YouTube video about the Canon AE-1 Program here!

WHERE TO BUY THE CANON AE-1 PROGRAM

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I was SO excited when I found out I was one of the winners of the “Human Stories” Lomography TEN AND ONE 2021 Photography Competition. But I was even more excited when I discovered that my prize was the LomoApparat 35 mm film camera. It’s Lomography’s newest camera and is an experimental, ultra wide 35 mm film camera with a vintage, retro look and tons of features for creating unique, original photographs.

I received the camera right before my birthday and decided to try it out for the first time on my birthday trip to St. Augustine, Florida. I used a roll of Kodak Gold 200 to really give a golden beach glow to the photos. I LOVE taking Kodak Gold on any tropical or beach trip I go on because it adds such a nice, warm atmosphere. In a typical photo shoot situation, I actually prefer NOT to use Kodak Gold because I tend to favor cooler tones. But for the beach, ALWAYS Kodak Gold.

The camera itself was a lot less sturdy than I was expecting. It’s extremely light, made of plastic and feels more like a disposable point and shoot camera than anything else. But when it comes down to it, I don’t really mind. Mostly because I drop my cameras constantly. I throw them in my bag and drag them all over the world. I’m not the best camera mom, if we’re being honest. So I actually prefer that it’s not super fancy because I would destroy it. I still think the camera has a super cool, unique look to it. But ultimately what makes this camera special is all of the creative control it allows for. The various lens attachments, the colorful flash filters, the multiple exposure function and the wide angle lens. It’s just a fun camera to use, all around. The lens is much sharper than I thought it would be, however I did notice that when I used the kaleidoscope filter, the very center of the image would be out of focus. I was pretty bummed about this because I love using kaleidoscope filters. Though it does seem to be a bit sharper if you use the kaleidoscope filter for close-up portraits, rather than landscapes or distant shots. I love how all of the double exposures turned out and I LOVE the wide angle lens. I’ve always been more about composition than anything else, especially when I’m traveling, and the ultra wide lens allows me to capture everything I want and need in a photo.

The only thing I really had trouble with was loading the film. It took a few tries to figure it out and to be sure the film was grabbing as I was winding the film advance dial. Once it was loading correctly, there was much more tension and the film dial almost wanted to spring backwards. So, you’ll notice when the film is actually caught and is advancing through the camera. I’m planning on doing a more in-depth video about the film loading for this camera very soon, so stay tuned!

I just posted a video on my YouTube channel about the LomoApparat and our trip to St. Augustine, so make sure to check that out! Or you can scroll down to check out all of the photos from my first roll of film with the LomoApparat. Overall, I think the camera is super fun and versatile. I honestly can’t wait to take it on another trip and try out a few of the other features. If you love point and shoot cameras and you love having ultimate creative control, then the LomoApparat won’t let you down. I’ll be sure to share more full film rolls from this camera in the future, but for now, I’ve included all of the photos from my very first roll of film with the LomoApparat below. :)

PURCHASE THE LOMO APPARAT ON KEH CAMERA!

PURCHASE THE LOMO APPARAT ON B&H PHOTO!

PURCHASE THE LOMO APPARAT ON EBAY!

PURCHASE KODAK GOLD 200 35MM FILM ON AMAZON!

#CommissionsEarned

If you found this post helpful or if you’d like to see more of my work, I’d love it if you considered signing up for my Patreon! For as little as $1 a month, you’ll get early access to all of my YouTube videos, plus tons of photos that I don’t post anywhere else. Depending on which tier you choose, you could also receive seasonal prints and/or discounts! I always use all of the proceeds towards film & processing. Find out more here!

Feel free to leave any questions/comments/thoughts below! And don’t forget to stop by my Amazon storefront for more camera/film recommendations. :)

Have a lovely day!

<3 Myles Katherine