Approaching Glasgow on Toboggans: unexpected 35mm outcomes.
I was totally sure my recently acquired (expired) B+W roll from Ebay would be untouched, but discovered that there were many photos of a retro tobogganing adventure already exposed over a merry early October shoot with musicians Marcus and Rubie.
A familiar sinking feeling arrived, which I associate directly with disappointing analogue outcomes. I contacted the lab, thinking there might have been a processing error.
My email to the lab at 21:26: There are photos of kids with toboggans. This is not my film at all! How did this happen?
Of course I was an idiot for temporarily thinking that the machine would allow the feeding through of two rolls on top of each other, let alone that anyone would bother to sabotage my expired roll. It was just that a photographer of unknown identity, possibly in the 80s or 90s, had shot half a roll of kids and toboggans in thick snow, and fed it back into the canister.
The pictures I was most highly anticipating are aesthetically awry and unusable. I was sore for several days after realising there was no hope of salvaging my original intentions. After some breathing space, I am now more invested in the unexpected moods. I needed reminding that you sign up for surprise disappointments if you choose to hang out in the analogue sphere. I am going back to Glasgow soon to shoot more!
• Walking into the Southside from Glasgow Central, to stretch my legs after a 10 hour Avanti ride. Spot the toboggan…
• Songstress Rubie hops over a fence.
• Musician Marcus Engwall observes a body of fresh water with a mysterious shadow form spilling out behind him. At least the ‘good tree’ came out.
• Songstress Rubie stands in a small patch of forest in a romantic floral print.
• Images from another roll: a late summer nighttime succulent and cacti shot, taken as I was meticulously cleaning the kitchen. And then a selfie in front of a Perlagonium.
You can find the wonderful work of Marcus and Rubie here:
https://www.instagram.com/marcusengwall__/
https://www.instagram.com/rubie____/
