During my second ovarian cancer diagnosis through the isolation of the pandemic in my twenties, I turned to film photography as an outlet through the immense grief. My world felt very dark, and I was finding it difficult to find any more hope or joy that I held onto during my first diagnosis.

Film photography had a larger impact on my mental health than I could have ever imagined. Film photography helped me ground myself in the present amongst the chaos and unknown of cancer treatment. I was starting to practice mindfulness again; actively looking for the little glimmers of joy to capture through my lens that surround us within the little things and simple moments every day. As I actively sought out these little glimmers through photography, the light, hope, and joy started to come back into my life and heart again.

One of the things I truly love about film is how the vintage, nostalgic effect on modern day scenes reminds me that the good old days are happening now and to appreciate our present moments to the fullest. I hope my film prints not only bring warmth and style to other peoples’ homes, but also reminds them of this sentiment that the good old days are now, in the present.

I am also dedicating a portion of each sale to ovarian cancer research, a chronically underfunded diagnosis with no reliable early detection screening tests available.