The Unphotographable

During the summer after I graduated from high school, I created countless, meaningful memories before the next part of my life started. One of these unforgettable moments was when my friends and I drove up to upstate New York a week before we went off to college. We stayed at my friend’s house in the mountains, which was surrounded by lush greenery lined along narrow, never-ending roads. On the last night of the trip, we made a campfire and huddled around the perimeter, talking for hours about all of the memories we made throughout the years. We were clueless about what was about to come in the future, and the thought of a completely new life frightened us. But up above, the night sky was crystal clear, with twinkling stars studded all across the atmosphere, and the flaming fire illuminated our faces. In these feelings of uncertainty, there still remained a sense of comfort, a place of serenity. Though I have never captured this moment on camera, this memory has always resonated with me, bringing about strong feelings of nostalgia.

flashback forever

flashback forever portrays nostalgia as a warm felt sensation, mentally reverting back to a time when all felt happy and just right. In our minds, nostalgia transmits a hazy feeling — a dream-like state of traveling back in time and having a longing affection for the past.
My outlook on nostalgia is depicted through the following digital photographs that appear to be taken with a film camera, maintaining a constant grainy, warm, and dreamy appearance. I wanted to focus on activities and places that I enjoy that would evoke these nostalgic feelings in the future. At this current time, the semester is coming to a close, and I showed a transition from being on a blooming campus during the springtime to a freeing, sensational summertime.

carpool • iso 100, f/7.1, 1/125s