Practicing the Forgotten Art of Patience Through Film Photography

“All human wisdom is summed up in two words; wait and hope.” — Alexandre Dumas

I carry a camera with me everywhere I go. What I lack in talent, I tell myself, I make up for in perseverance. But I do get impatient. Days, weeks, even months can go by before I capture something special, something that inches beyond the average.

When a winning shot does arrive, it is often not what I anticipated. It doesn’t necessarily come from the event I circled on the calendar—the airshow, the car festival, the family picnic… It’s usually some random, unexpected shot, taken during an uneventful moment that turns out to be the keeper. On a handful of rolls, I’m lucky to have one truly noteworthy photo.

However, there have been a few instances in my photographic journey when some mysterious concoction of chance, light, and subject come together, and I walk away with a series of unforgettable images. This is exactly what happened to me on a random Sunday afternoon this past spring.

It was mid-May and my wife, son, and I decided to spend the day with my mother- and father-in-law. They live in a small, rural town about an hour’s drive away. When we pulled up to their house, one of the neighbours’ kids, Rowly, ran up to the car. He’s the same age as my son, Kipling, and the two get along well together.

Kip and Rowly quickly decided that the day was going to be one of outdoor adventure and general mischief. My wife quickly decided that my day was going to be one of tailing two boys, and making sure they stayed out of trouble. Luckily, I had my Leica MP to keep me company along with a few rolls of Kodak T-Max 400 and Ilford Ortho 80 Plus.

The boys ran around the backyard for an hour, and I ran around after them, trying and failing to capture some fast-moving shots. It was a warm day, and they eventually decided to go swimming in the creek behind the house. I’ve taken photos of Kip in the creek before, but this day was different. The lighting and shade were perfect, and since it was still springtime, the vegetation was not yet overgrown.

I stayed in one spot on the bank of the creek and patiently took photos of the boys as they swam and hunted for frogs. I’ve learnt not to expect too much from photos, even from ones taken under great conditions. In this case, I was rewarded for my patience. A few of the resulting images were imbued with the emotions and mood of that Sunday afternoon. I couldn’t have asked for more. To top it off, I was able to get a nice portrait of Rowly through a door window as he was drying off after the swim.

The photo gods can be cruel masters, but when they are kind, even if only on rare occasions, it keeps my faith alive. I hope you enjoyed this story. If you want to follow more of my adventures on film, please consider following me on Instagram. You can find more of my photos at Leica Fotografie International.

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