Camera thrifting and shooting budget film in the Netherlands.

I consider myself incredibly lucky I managed to get a little travelling done before the world descended into a pandemic. I spent the second half of 2019 studying in the Netherlands at University College Utrecht (UCU). While packing for the semester, I had to think long and hard long think whether I wanted to take my camera along with me. 'A big bulky DSLR I would have to lug around with me wherever I went and god forbid I lose it'. I managed to convince myself that I was better off without it.

I would be kicking myself not a week after I had that thought. Travelling and walking through Europe, I missed my camera something awful. It felt like a piece of me was missing. My eyes were seeing photographs everywhere but I had no camera to capure them. Alas, I had to live with my decision.

Walking through Amsterdam I spotted this tiny signboard with a camera on it, like a beacon calling out to me in the sea of tourists. Quite literally a mecca for photographers, I was greeted with mint condition Mamiyas, Leicas, Hasselblads. Cameras I never thought I’d actually see with my eyes, let along be able to hold. With price tags that would burn holes in both my wallet and my heart, I could only window shop and dream. A part of me didn’t care about the price, I just wanted a camera in my hand. My dumb adult brain kicked in "Your semester hasn't even started and you're reading to throw your budgeting for a toss chasing instant gratification". (I hate that sarcastic tone he gets when he's right...) So I walked out of that little corner of heaven and moved on.

As the semester began, I kept longing for a camera but I didn’t come across any. There are a lot of thrift stores and charity shops in the city which keep an assortment of items, mostly clothes but one can find some really great pieces in them. I actually managed to find an original star wars poster which is now my pride and joy. But, no camera.

On one weekend, my flatmates and I decided to go to a different charity shop, away from the city center. This one was considerably larger; practically a warehouse, there were dedicated sections for furniture, clothing, books, electronics. It was literally packed to the rafters with hidden gems. I made a beeline for the electronics section and I was certainly not disappointed. A floor to ceiling cabinet of just cameras. I was looking for, at the time, a Nikon F3. I really liked the way that camera looked and the fact it had a meter and was modular was a great selling point. Unfortunately no F3. The second thing I chose to do was look for lenses for my Pentax back home. I did find a 35mm f2 which was in really good condition but I was on the fence.

It was only when I was about to walk away that I saw it. Tucked away, a Canon AT-1 with the 50mm f/1.8. I knew the AE-1 was a brilliant camera and with a quick google search I was sold. I didn't have to even convince my adult brain, I just bought it before I had a chance to think twice about it

The 50mm is one of my favourite focal lengths, though I do find myself looking for a 35mm now, but more than that, the camera itself wowed me. The lens was clear, the shutter sound was perfect. It looked beautiful. So, I bought it. Under 3000 INR if you convert it, but in retrospect, a steal. The place also had its own vinyl library so I picked up a John Denver and an AC DC LP. All in all a good day of shopping

On the way home, I stopped by a photomat and bought some film. 2 rolls of Kodak Colorplus 200 and 2 rolls of Fujicolor 200. (click here to see my photos)

It felt really good to have a camera back in my hands, and it went wherever I went. Mostly though, I just photographed my flatmates and it became a part of me. By the end of the semester, I could photograph them without losing the candor of the moment and I really enjoyed that.

That being said, I had absolutely no clue how the photographs I had taken looked. Aside from photography stores, one can buy film from pharmacies, shoot them and then get them developed from the pharmacies too. Something I wish we could do in India. So I got the film developed, but it was too expensive to get it scanned. I had to instead hold onto the negatives till I got home, to scan them.

As the semester came to an end, I took one last trip to Amsterdam and I really wanted to go back to the camera store. I managed to save a few hundred euros to my name and I wanted to blow them all on an early Christmas gift, a Mamiya 645 Pro. Yet again, I managed to convince myself otherwise, and I’m not going to lie, it still stings a little. :) Shoulda just bought the damned thing. (Sometimes I dont like my dumb adult brain)