Film Log: Roll 012 | Winter in Chestnut Hill

In January 2026, Philadelphia saw it's heaviest snowfall in ten years. I still remember the storm from 2016—I was a freshman in college and after over nine years living in the tropical islands of Guam and the Philippines, I felt like I had landed in a winter wonderland. This time, I watched the snow fall from my home art room, curled up with my cat, Mochi.

The next day, I went for a walk through my neighborhood and the nearby Wissahickon Valley Park with my camera in hand. My first snow on film! I loved the sound of the snow crunching beneath my feet, the contrast of the bright white snow to the bright blue sky. When the wind blew, bitter cold kissing my cheeks, the snow fell from the bare branches and covered me with fairy dust.

My soundtrack for winter walks included:

• Sable, Fable by Bon Iver

• Carrie & Lowell (10th Anniversary Edition) by Sufjan Stevens

  
  

The first half of this roll was taken in the middle of the first snowfall of the season. It was tricky shooting with 100 ISO, which is already not something I'm familiar with, with the cloudy overcast. Most of these shots were taken at around f/2.8 and f/4 in order to stay at a shutter speed of 30, resulting in a lot of blurriness. But it also created this gorgeous circular blur effect which you can especially see in the photo of my partner taking a photo.

The second half of this roll was taken the day after that record snowfall and it is really when the Ektar 100 shined. I was able to open up the aperture a little more now that I had a blue sky to contrast the snow. This is where my favorite photos come in.

At some point during the storm, the snow turned to ice and sleet, which clung to the tree branches and created this stunning image of frosted trees. I also love the sun flares I got through the trees. One of these images was chosen for February's postcard club: the dog in the creek. I love the stillness of the snow with the quiet ripples of the water, the dog in perfect posture listening for their owner.

I really enjoyed the Ektar 100, but think it requires some foresight. Unlike Kodak Gold, which I feel like I can throw in my camera no matter the weather, subject, or season, Ektar 100 really shines during a day with high visibility and sunlight. I've got Portra 400 in my camera for my next roll, which is a bit more versatile and I'm curious to see how the end of winter will be captured on it. The last time I shot Portra was during the height of summer in California, a very different setting.