It certainly feels like summer down South and with that, I’ve successfully managed to put off shooting for my senior thesis. However, in preparation for doing so, I’ve begun experimenting with 4×5 Fuji Instant film in my Speed Graphic. I’ve never been all that successful shooting large format, but these instant film packs have provided me with a lot of much-needed immediacy and trial-and-error.

As a precursor to my senior thesis, I’ve begun a short project with these instant film pictures tentatively called My Golden Girl of Summertime and Old Carolina, a phrase borrowed from Walker Percy’s 1966 novel, The Last Gentleman. The main character, Will Barret battles many internal conflicts, one of which involves the changing Mississippi Delta of his boyhood after living in New York City.

After reading this, I was prompted to think of how the people and places I knew as a boy and a teenager had changed. Especially with relationships. Like with instant films and this project where I’m choosing only to shoot 10 different pictures, I have only one chance to make it count. I feel like I never acted or haven’t yet experienced that moment of opportunity to start a relationship with any old crushes of mine that still linger today. This project, presented in book form, will incorporate my own handwritten text, bits from The Last Gentleman and approximately 10 instant film pictures.

I’m not sure if the above image will be included in the book, but what’s the harm in looking at another photo of our good friend the kudzu vine?