When I was living in Alaska in 1989, I bought a used Minolta Maxxum 35mm film camera. It had integrated autofocus, which was cutting edge at the time. And it came with a couple of 3rd party lenses, so I go from adjustable focal length 28mm to 108mm, as well as the stock 50mm lens. Also included was a small tripod, and a remote trigger cable, useful for long exposures.

I shot a lot of pictures with that camera while there, including a lot of long exposure shots of the aurora.

Later, I took a practical photography class in college, which open up the university's darkroom to me. I shot and developed a lot of b&w 35mm film using that camera and that darkroom, including a bunch of "push developed" shots theater rehearsals.

Over the next many years, that was my working camera.


When I finally went digital in the early 0's, that camera went into a box, where it sat in the dark. Occasionally ove the years, it would get unpacked, and then packed into another box, for another long dark wait.


Finally this weekend, it was unpacked, and then listed on a neighborhood "free stuff" group, and was picked up by the mother of a teenage girl, who is going to use it for a practical film photography class in the local high school.

I'm glad the class is making them use film, as a way to focus attention. And I'm glad that camera, that brought me so much joy and recorded so many memories and places, is now being used again.

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