I spent a week back in the motherland of the Northern Rivers, juggling work, filming and daily photography walks along the coast, armed with little more than my old Canon 200D and a 24mm pancake lens. While the weather wasn't exactly cooperative and I'm still finding my feet creatively, it was a much-needed break and a reminder that sometimes you just have to get out there and keep shooting.

I put Retropia’s “Vintage Glow” filter to the test during a portrait session with close friend Geneva, hoping it could give my modern lenses some of the character of my vintage glass. The warm colour is lovely, but the bloom is intense, so I’m still figuring out whether it’s a vibe or just a bit too much.

I finally gave the Retropia Repurposed Disposable Film Camera Lens a whirl, discovering that its soft centre and wildly distorted edges deliver exactly the kind of weird vintage “vibe” I was hoping for. The real goal was to turn my old 200D into an easy everyday-carry camera, and I’m curious to see just how far I can push this strange little lens once I get used to its quirks.

I teamed up with good friend and frequent collaborator Lisa for a portrait session at my increasingly regular “studio” at Mount Yarrowyck, putting my more observational photography style aside for something a little more collaborative. With golden hour doing most of the heavy lifting, we came away with a mix of polished corporate portraits and more creative shots, making this our third creative shoot together and leaving me wondering where we’ll end up next.

A visit from my parents turned into two little adventures around the New England, giving me the perfect excuse to get back out with the Canon R8 and Helios 44-2. From Dumaresq Dam to Mount Yarrowyck and Yarrowyck Crossing, we explored some familiar spots, discovered some beautiful new moments, and put the dreamy Helios bokeh to good use.

A rare Sunday shoot at Dumaresq Dam gave me the chance to catch up with longtime collaborator Evelyn from Peacock Photography and explore the area as it continues to recover from bushfires. Between the exposed granite, burned-out infrastructure and some promising portrait locations, it was another welcome excuse to get back out with the camera.

Arts North West invited me to have “This Shit's for the Birds” and “SB51 Golden Way” screened as part of the travelling When Main Streets Dream festival across Tamworth and Armidale. I may have missed my own screening thanks to an unfortunately timed dinner, but I still managed to capture some of the lights, projections, and atmosphere of the Armidale event.