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WHEN THINGS GO WRONG
Two decades of film, flaws, and happy accidents. This collection celebrates the beauty of getting things wrong, finding value in the process and the honest stories found in imperfect frames.
The Art of the Imperfect: Two Decades Behind the Lens
I recently got back to the UK from a trip to Colombia to visit family and friends, and as always, I had my Pentax ME Super glued to my side. Along with some fresh rolls, I decided to develop several rolls of film that had been sitting in my studio for about five years. Some were from my time in Colombia, and others were from half a decade ago, from various gatherings, holidays, and shoots.
Looking at these alongside my archives, I realised this collection of images actually spans over 20 years of me taking pictures. From the very first time I picked up a camera to these recent shots in the Quindío mountains, the common thread hasn't been technical perfection, but a fascination with the tangible, unpredictable nature of film.
In a world where everything is high-res and digital, shooting expired film like the roll I used from 2006 is a massive risk. You spend time and energy checking light meters and framing shots, but until you see the images and prints developed, you really have no way of knowing if the images are even usable.
When the images finally came back, a lot of them were, technically speaking, "wrong". I found light leaks that washed out church towers in Santa Marta, chemical spots that looked like dust against the sky, and a heavy grain that made everything feel slightly out of reach. There was even motion blur that turned a simple portrait into a hazy, dreamlike smudge.
But I loved them. I’ve realised that I am a much better artist and photographer because of these errors. They’ve taught me to stop worrying about the "correct" way to produce work and embrace the process a little more as well as realising that sometimes an error in my work can lead to a new way of making work.
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