#35mmfilm. I saw this hashtag once and I couldn't grasp how someone digitized a film shot. In that moment I knew I was behind on technology. But how? I work for one of the most admired technology companies in the world. I know how to use editing software. I've been shooting with a DSLR for over a decade. How could I, a techie-photographer, be behind on technology?

I continue to discover new ways to express my creativity. A little over a year ago, I was at my aunt's house. She pulled out old photo albums — filled with photos of my family when they first arrived to the United States. I felt nostalgic. I remember going through the photos and falling in love with the paper quality of the photos; the texture, color tone, and in depth focus.

Me: "Tía!"

Tia Ana: "Si mija"

Me: "What kind of camera did you use here?"

Tia Ana: "Mmmm, it was one of those nice Kodak's. It's an old camera, they don't make them anymore."

Me: "What does it look like?"

Tia Ana: "It's been so long! I can't remember. But take a look at this camera I have.. Smile!"

Why couldn't she remember? 35 years is not that long ago. Who was I fooling? The photos generated curiosity. I found a Kodak VR35 point and shoot on eBay for $10.

But for months the camera sat on top of my shoe boxes and collected dust.

Thankfully my friend Natalia started shooting with her film camera that was gifted to her and she reinvigorated my inspiration to start using mine. After reading a few articles, blogs, and the user manual, I gathered enough information to finally purchase some film.

I soon realized I had accidentally ordered expired film on eBay.

But it really didn’t matter. When I told Natalia about my mistake, she assured me it wouldn’t be a problem. If anything the tones and texture would look ten times better.

Once I received my film, I was excited to begin this new experience that would elevate my creativity. I would bring my camera every where with me because at any given moment I would see something I wanted to capture.

When I completed my first roll of film I went straight to Photoworks on Market and Church. It was the only shop I knew that would process my film and digitize the content. All in all the excitement and emotion was surreal. I was happy to share my photos with Natalia because if it wasn’t for her — I wouldn’t have taken the time to do my research and experiment with film.

The photos I’m sharing below are from my first roll back in January. Considering it was my first time shooting, I was quite happy with the moments I captured.