35mm

Analog photography was probably my first love

I grew up surrounded by analog cameras because my grandfather was a photographer who practiced what is now an extinct craft: manually editing and retouching photographs sent to him by people from all over former Yugoslavia. He often altered facial expressions, restored color to black-and-white photos, or even drew in deceased family members. His work was eventually replaced by Photoshop and, more recently, by AI, which led to the loss of the emotional touch his craft carried.

As a child, I dreamed of traveling the world with a camera, capturing the life around me. Now, I often do just that—but for my own soul. My friends are used to me bringing my camera on every outing and snapping random pictures, although some of them still can't get used to not having multiple attempts at a shot or not seeing the results immediately.

If you're considering getting into analog photography, let me tell you—it can be an expensive hobby, but it doesn’t have to be. Every year, there seems to be a new "it" camera that all the cool girls are using, but I recommend first checking platforms like Flickr and Lomography to see if you personally like the kind of photos that camera produces. Also, browse second-hand websites until you find the best deal. Analog cameras, especially point-and-shoot models, can break often, so be aware of that, as there aren’t many repair shops equipped to fix them.

I’ve gone through my fair share of cameras over the last 10 years—some expensive, some not—and I firmly believe the best camera is the one you have with you. It’s easy to forget that a camera is just a tool for your creativity. I like to carry a small point-and-shoot camera with me, one that lets me quickly capture moments of everyday life that leave me in awe.