Through the Lens of a Minolta: My Summer on Film

I’ve been shooting film since college, where I first learned the art and technical precision of photography—how light moves, how framing can tell a story, and how to capture the world without all the distractions of digital noise.

So when I was gifted Andrew’s father’s old Minolta film camera, I’ll be honest—I teared up. This camera has been with his family through decades of holidays, milestones, and travels. And now, it’s been passed down to me. There’s something so meaningful about holding that history in my hands, knowing I get to carry on the tradition of seeing life through this lens.

Here in Knoxville, our local film shop develops and scans my rolls, and every time I get the scans back, I fall in love with the medium all over again. There’s nothing quite like the anticipation of waiting, and then the magic of seeing how the images turn out—grain, color, imperfections and all.

Photography is such a gift because it’s accessible. It’s a way for so many of us to share how we see the world and connect through those perspectives. Film, for me, slows it all down. It makes me more intentional, more present.

So here it is—a little snapshot of my summer through the eyes of that old Minolta. A mix of memory, art, and connection, all captured frame by frame.