I shot this roll of film on a trip in 2021 while on a trip with my good friend Eric. We met up in Mexico City, where we explored various neighborhoods where some of these photos were taken. Roma Norte, San Ángel, Coyoacan, Juarez were the neighborhoods we spent the most time in.
Upon arriving in Mexico City, I went to the Historic District to find a camera shop where I could purchase some film. I chose ILFORD Pan 400 because of the price point, and the pink and black cassette which gave the film a distinct draw for me.
As for the Olympus XA2 I have shot with it about 4-5 times previously and was inspired to bring it along for this trip because of its size and overall simplicity of use. I wanted to be able to focus primarily on getting quick compositions that showcased the mood and tonality of a scene. The Olympus is a special camera for me because it’s the first point-and-shoot I’ve owned, and was lucky enough to find at a thrift store in near-mint condition for $8. Maybe the best $8 I’ve ever spent.
After exploring parts of Mexico City, we then took a bus to Xalapa, followed by Veracruz. Xalapa was my favorite location on this trip, as it was full of mountains encased with a lush and rainy climate famous for its coffee regions and scenic terrain. Veracruz was a coastal town but a bit anti-climactic for me. However, I will say I had some of the best fish tacos of my life there.
The trip itself was wonderful, and the photography I captured was equally satisfying. Combining my two passions of photography and travel is really as good as it gets for me. So now, one year later, I finally decided to develop the roll of film, and found it quite special that I wanted to share. This was the first time developing my roll at home and scanning with DSLR. I loved the tonality, mood, and grain, that came from this roll.
To be able to relive some of these memories from film made the whole process worth it for me.
~ Brian
Share your knowledge, story or project
The transfer of knowledge across the film photography community is the heart of EMULSIVE. You can add your support by contributing your thoughts, work, experiences and ideas to inspire the hundreds of thousands of people who read these pages each month. Check out the submission guide here.
If you like what you’re reading you can also help this passion project by heading over to the EMULSIVE Patreon page and contributing as little as a dollar a month. There’s also print and apparel over at Society 6, currently showcasing over two dozen t-shirt designs and over a dozen unique photographs available for purchase.
2 responses to “5 Frames… Of Mexico City, Xalapa, Veracruz on ILFORD Pan 400 (35mm Format / EI 400 / Olympus XA2 + D-Zuiko 35mm f/3.5)”
This Olympus was the first ‘proper’ camera I owned. It was a present, offered because I’d shown interest in photography having borrowed my mum’s Kodak Instamatic on many occasions. It was a lovely camera…. Though being very young at the time (10ish?) I lost it before too long. Been interested in photography ever since though 😎
$8 well spent!