“Hello Centretown! My name is Lauren. I’m a banking advisor, and I shoot film photography on the side. I’ve been living in Centretown since July of 2021. I moved here right after graduating high school, pretty much grown to know and love this area. I find it’s a very convenient place to live because everything is within walking distance for me. There’s always something to do when you go out for a walk.
I picked up digital photography when I was quite young, about 11 or 12. But I would often get bored of it. So sometimes I’d put my camera down for a while and pick it back up. It was kind of an on and off hobby. I started shooting on disposable cameras, and that kind of got me really back into it. And eventually I bought a proper film camera. An Olympus. I got it on Facebook Marketplace for 120 bucks, and this one is really awesome, very convenient. I’m still kind of learning how to deal with shutter speed, aperture, things like that with my other camera, but this one was super easy, very portable, and I recently brought this to Mexico, and it was, it was perfect. I like film photography because it’s just so different from digital because you don’t get to see your results right away. There is no instant gratification. So, you really kind of have to stay in the moment. I try to be very intentional with what I shoot just because it’s so expensive. I don’t want to waste half a roll on one subject. I take one or 2 shots, hope for the best and move on. Then the waiting process to get my scans is Exciting, you know, I’m waiting to see specific shots and how they come out and sometimes it can be a little disappointing and other times it can be rewarding. So that’s all kind of part of the process and all of those challenges are why I really love it.
I didn’t realize how good I had it until I went on a trip. Like, I thought, oh, okay, I guess it’s like all cities kind of have this much to offer, but I recently went to Mexico, and it was my 1st time travelling with film. So I didn’t want to bring any with me through the airport, and I just brought my camera, and planned on just buying film while I was there, and realized that no one was selling it. People were looking at me crazy when I was asking if there were any film shops. I probably went to 10 or 12 different places asking and I even found a Kodak store and they didn’t have it there either. So I ended up having to order from Henry’s and I only got one roll sent in on time. But it turned out really nice. Next time, I’m definitely going to just bring my own rolls. I was counting how many places to get film rolls here in Centretown, at least five, and there’s nowhere like it in the city where it’s like that. Bank Street is very concentrated in terms of film shops. We have Sooter’s, GPC LabWorks and Galaxy Camera and more, it’s all within a 10 minute walk.
I aim for documentary and lifestyle photography. So, you know, capturing real things. Real people, real moments, real emotions. I just try to find the beauty in everyday things, and that’s kind of helped me see the world a little differently. I kind of look at the world in my own photographer’s eye. Trying to spot little moments. I like that it’s natural and it’s somebody’s routine, whether that’s somebody commuting or out for a walk or somebody with a really cool outfit on, it’s just, not posed, it’s not perfect.
I always knew if I was moving, I wanted to be close enough to home where, you know, I can visit my parents on a weekend. But I’m also in a totally different atmosphere being in the city. Because in Pembroke, you can’t really walk anywhere. You have to have a car to get by, and, you know, here, you can have no plan. Just go out for a walk and discover so many things. Meet people, find out about events, find new shops, find new restaurants. I’m excited for what the summer will bring, and hoping to pick up some projects and work with people, whether that’s, you know, photo shoots or joining other photographers on photo walks, and, yeah, I’d like to do more of it, and it’s a creative hobby that I’m happy that I’ve discovered it.”
