This is not who I was allowed to be.
Circumstances in my past lives built boundaries around the innermost states that contained freedom. Vulnerability. They inhibited stepping outside of the identity I constructed. I was produced to be formal, serious, flawless, and unseen.
The implications of this image are not lost on me. How it lands is none of my business. Once it leaves me, it is yours. Not mine to correct. Not mine to soften.
What it does for me is simpler.
It is proof.
The double exposure lever on the Nikon FM2n gave me a way through something I had not crossed before. Instead of taking photos, I have begun creating them. I feel like I have cut through the fabric of reality separating the photographer and artist within to allow them to meet.
Shot on 35mm Kodak Double-X.
You can find me on Instagram or TikTok for more photos and ramblings.
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Gary Smith on What the Lever Opened – One Shot Story
Comment posted: 22/04/2026
Russ Rosener on What the Lever Opened – One Shot Story
Comment posted: 22/04/2026
I recently did a series of multiple exposures for a friend of mine who is a classical violinist. She had to undergo hip replacement surgery at a young age-only in her 30s! We did the multiple exposures after she was healed and the scars, violin, tattoos and skin were all part of the melange of elements. Cool stuff! Keep using that lever.