Last week I got 5 rolls of film back! I’d been shooting some of them for a long time, and this is definitely one of them.

I got a Pentax Spotmatic with a 35mm lens off eBay back in October 2015 (Cost: $180) and for some reason didn’t shoot much with it. It took me 2 and a half years to finish the first roll of film because I just wasn’t inspired by the camera once I got it. The camera is in great condition, came with a great carry case and a good lens, but I just rarely picked it up.

The Pentax Spotmatic is very easy to use and is fool proof. I would definitely recommend you consider it as an option if you are looking to get your film camera. I also really love my Pentax ME Super – Pentax film cameras in general really work for me. They are more compact which makes them easy to carry around with you.

Shooting film is such a joy and although I wasn’t very inspired by this camera at first, after seeing the results and falling in love with them, I’m very excited to shoot more with it over the next couple of years, especially as my Pentax ME Super (former favourite SLR) needs a repair.

The other weekend I went up to Rocks at Seventeen Mile Rocks to celebrate a one year old’s birthday and I decided to take out my new Petzval lens for the first time. I’ve only played with it at home so far so it was a bit of a challenge to work with, but I think I got some beautiful shots.

As you can see, focusing can be difficult with this lens. It requires patience and a lot of trial & error to get it right. I can’t wait to play with this lens more as you really can get some beautiful results. I’d love to take it to the beach next time I go with my friends.

* All photos were taken with Lomography’s Petzval 58 Bokeh Control Art Lens.

I first started shooting this roll in January and didn’t finish until mid-November. It features Sydney, Crystal Castle, and some babies (the more babies the better in my opinion).

Tom – my one and only brother. Happens to be my favourite.

Sydney

Sydney

Zakk. 3 months.

At the airport after spending the day in Sydney training for my new job. May 2016.

I was home alone and Sarah couldn’t get home because of a storm so she came over and we built a fort and watched Friends for hours. Sometimes the unplanned days are the best days.

Lilly

Soren. 1.5 years old.

I bought myself red roses. Not going to wait around for a guy to buy me them someday.

The view from our balcony. This always ends up being my standard final shot to finish a roll.

I love not knowing what I’ve taken a photo of, getting it back and being pleasantly surprised. Something I learned over the course of the year is to use the flash with disposables if it’s not a well lit shot.

All photos taken with my Kodak Fun 400 ISO disposable camera.

View more from the Disposable Diary series here.

Having disposable cameras at parties is one of the best things you can do. It’s super fun and everyone looks awful in photos – what isn’t to like? No matter how great or terrible we look, you can’t deny that the photos are natural and that they capture the moment.

All photos were taken on Fujifilm ISO 400 disposable cameras.

View more from the Disposable Diary series here.

A year ago (almost to the day), I discovered a tape of Super 8mm film. It was addressed to my grandmother and had been hidden in a memory box of all of my dad’s old things. I was so excited to find it because I have always loved the warmth and nostalgia of Super 8 film.

I highly recommend getting any old film or VHS tapes transferred – although this held up pretty well seeing as it was from 40 years ago, film won’t last forever and it’s great to have a back up of your previous family memories.

The type of film this was shot on was Agfa Chrome Super 8.

It took me quite a few months to finish this roll of film. I believe I started in early December and finished in February. Then it took me another 4 months to get the film developed. Sometimes that is the beauty of film – capturing something that is fleeting, forgetting about it, and then rediscovering it months later.

These photos were taken on a Fujifilm 400 ISO disposable camera.

View more from the Disposable Diary series here.