Off the Beaten Path: A Spring Day at Berry Pond with Gage and My Film Camera.

Yesterday, Gage and I set out for an adventure at Berry Pond Park in Lake George. With the sun beaming down and a hint of spring warmth in the air, it felt like the perfect day to wander off the main trails and explore something a little less traveled.

We found ourselves following a small creek, winding through the woods, where the only sounds were birdsong, rustling of dried leaves on the ground, and the occasional splash and chump at the water—courtesy of Gage, of course. He’s never been one for swimming, but as long as it’s not too deep, he’ll have fun with it. And he was in his element, bounding through the shallows, sending droplets flying in every direction. I stood back and watched him, his tail wagging nonstop, completely lost in the joy of the moment. 

“How unbelievably simple a dog’s life must be!” I thought.

I had brought my Nikon FM2 camera loaded with a roll of Ilford 100 Black and White film, hoping to capture a few shots of this tucked-away corner of the park. After coming home and developing the film, flipping through the frames I realized the photos didn’t quite turn out exactly perfect. A little too dark here, a little out of focus there—small reminders that film photography is a craft that requires patience and practice. I’m still relearning it after 13ish years worth of a hiatus, still finding my rhythm with light and timing. And that’s okay. If anything, the experience was a lesson in embracing imperfection and enjoying the process.

Kind of like life. Sometimes, things don’t turn out how we planned. The picture we had in our heads doesn’t quite match reality, and the path we expected to take shifts beneath our feet. But, just like in film, every light leak, every unexpected exposure, every little flaw is part of a bigger composition. It all works together to create something unique—something that, in the end, might just be its own kind of art.

Not every shot has to be perfect. Not every outing has to be meticulously planned. Sometimes, the best days are the ones where you simply follow where the trail—or in this case, the creek—takes you.

Gage would agree.

Until the next adventure.

Watch the Adventure!