This shot was taken in the lobby of Alila Jabal Al Akhdar. A beautiful mountain-top resort that I, frankly, could never have dreamed I'd see in my lifetime. 

Shooting film forces me to slow down, and be deliberate in what I compose and how I go about exposing the film. These light fittings and scatter cushions drew my in. They were both curious and regal all at the same time. I shot on a tripod and auto timer, and very nearly had a oman walk into frame after firing the shutter. 

This scene was around a second or two exposure. I can't remember, and I have't made a note of taking notes. I choose to learn the hard way, I guess.

There is something idillic about the infinity pool at ground level and unoccupied recliners.  I wanted to capture the serenity of the space. The manicured nature. 

The very few patrons who were around in the height of the Omani summer seemed to stick to air conditioned spaces. And who could blame them? 

The architecture had a flowing-water like aesthetic. It was like the mountain upon which it sat. Hard. Rocky. Remote.

Again I was looking for unoccupied spaces. Consciously, or subconsciously. Whatever the difference may infer. 

My girlfriend, Rebecca and I doing our best American Gothic impression.  I remember how exciting it was to advance the film, set the timer, cock the shutter, and run into place. I had just taken a picture of her alone, so at least I had a mark for the focus. I had received lab scans of this image (in particular) and hated what they did to them. Not only was it 72dpi, but they had gone for the highest contrast imaginable. So I rescanned myself, and kept the film borders. I prefer them in. Maybe you prefer them out, but you are wrong. I have no issue with editing film photographs. 

An accidental double exposure.

Another accident. Happy accident, but still an accident.With the nature of the twin lens reflex, the image that is displayed in the viewfinder is not shot on the same lens as the film, like in SLR's. The lenses are stacked vertically. So when I composed this image, I thought I had a perfect vista in front of me, while the camera's case had other plans. 

Becca. Oman, June 2019 reading A Song of Ice and Fire, for the third time. I really love this woman, and really love the 80mm focal length. I don't ever really shoot on a traditional portrait lens, but this kind of intimacy that the focal length gives is really something.