I'm in a position to say the camera does not lie

Before I went to Japan I bought a Kodak Ektar H35 camera, which is a fun little film camera that takes half frame photos. I love using film cameras and the excitement of not really knowing how the photos are going to turn out, but I end up not knowing what to do with the actual photographs. So I like the idea of half frame because it makes the prints a more managable size and I can then cut them in half and stick them in my journal. It also makes a roll of film last twice as long - I got 84 shots out of this one reel, which is both a blessing and a curse. It's nice not feeling limited, but it's a pain when you want your vacation photos already! I've seen a lot of people with this camera be really precise with their photos and try and get them matching on each side of the print, but I like the randomness. I assure you any that do match were purely by accident and dumb luck.

We'll be living in color

My ultimate comfort place is always a Disney park, and I booked to go on three seperate days which felt just right: two days in DisneySea, and one day at Disneyland. Disneyland is actually my favorite and the bigger park, but there's only one DisneySea in the whole world so I felt like that was the one I should make the most of. And as it ended up raining the entire first day I was at DisneySea I was even more glad I'd planned that! I did enjoy DisneySea in the rain though, it makes the outside areas of the park really quiet and I enjoy just sitting down and taking in the atmosphere.

The second star to the right shines in the night for you

This is my second batch of film from when I went to Disneyland Paris, and it might just be my favorite. Like I said in that last post, I'm really not a photographer and I'm not interested in trying to be and because of this I'm really not a perfectionist about it. And there's so many things that I am a chronic perfectionist about that I really try and protect this carefree attitude I have towards it because it excites me like when you're a kid and you don't care about the outcome because you're just delighted by the experimentation and process. I sent these reels off to be developed professionally, and there was a mistake during the process which "ruined" the film and they were so apologetic about it. At first I was disappointed I'd lost the photos however they may have come out, until I realized that they'd been sent to me anyway and they're perfect. It's a black and white film, so to me the textures just make the photos look about 100 years old, like the kind you'd find at a flea market. It also gives me that nostalgic feeling for old social media, when we'd delibrarely add grain and frames and light leaks to digital photos to try and make them look more tangible.

Is that the magic music from beyond the laughing sky?

When I went to Disneyland Paris back in 2019 I was very conscious of how I documented my trip as it's something I've over done in the past and ruined my own time by doing so - I've been so wrapped up in getting enough photos to remember it just right, instead of simply living in that moment and soaking it up. And I guess I must have gotten the balance exactly right as it's one of the best trips I've ever had! To ease myself out of feeling like I have to photograph everything just in case, some days I took my vintage film camera with me and nothing else. There's nothing quite like knowing you've only got 30 shots and no idea how they'll turn out! I did two reels of film, one an expired color and another black and white, but due to getting ready to move and then the whole craziness of the pandemic I didn't get around to developing them until now. And honestly I'm glad I waited, as with everything that's happened since that trip has only become more important to me, and getting to see something brand new from it is so exciting.

I figured I may as well split each film up into it's own post. My camera is an Olympus OM-10 SLR, and I'd be lying if I pretended I knew much about it. I'm not a photographer, I just enjoy taking photos, so there's a lot of pressing the shutter and just blindly hoping for the best. This was the color film which was expired, and I'm obsessed with how it's given the photos a dreamy 1970s vibe.

Tokyo Disneyland

I was dreaming of visiting Tokyo Disney before I even moved to Japan, it's always been my dream to live so close to the magic! But then the pandemic happened and threw a wrench in the works, and when it reopened back in July I spent some time wondering if it was even worth going with all of the restrictions in place. Don't get me wrong, I'm in no way complaining about safety measures, but when so much of the park is either out of access and with features closed down, is it really worth paying the same amount to get in? But with the weather finally cooling down I knew I had to go at least once as who knows when/if I'd ever even get to go again in my whole life. I also really wanted to see it again as since my first visit I'd been to the California park, and I had such an incredible time on my last trip to Disneyland Paris that I was excited to try and recapture any part of that.

I'm sorry, I still think Phantom Manor is the best Haunted Mansion ride!!

I love how much they appreciate my favourite Disney movie! I was surprised at the lack of Frozen though as I'd heard it was super popular in Japan - there wasn't even anything in the shops.

Disneyland Paris

I'm missing the magic of Disneyland Paris ever so much lately. I'm very lucky in that I've visited each winter for the past two years; in 2015 for Christmas, in 2016 for Halloween. I've been many other times, but with both of these visits being in winter over consecutive years I feel as if I should be looking forward to the same treat this year, but it's not happening. I'm going to be in my final year of university so it really wouldn't be wise to take time off (and I have plenty of other treats to look forward to throughout winter, such as London Comic Con, and seeing many of my favourite bands live). I'm also trying to save money so I can have the financial freedom to set myself up after my studies are finished. But none of these facts stop me missing the parks! It's taking all of my restraint not to say 'to hell with it!' and book a trip anyway. I've been looking through my photos from my previous trips to try and immerse myself back in the magic.