Here are photos from my semester studying abroad in Prague, Czech Republic. I wanted to take the opportunity of being in a new environment and photograph in a different medium than I usually document my experiences. All photos were shot on film and with primarily Kodak Portra 400 or TMax 400. Square photos (6x6) are 120 film rather than 35mm.
September
September, the first full month of Prague, was definitely a surreal month. Not once did I go anywhere without someone in my program and it was when I started to photograph on film. I was sure that every roll I dropped off to be developed would come back damaged, but I slowly grew more confident.
October
October was another busy month of travel and when the idea for our final project was being solidified. It was also when I started to be less fearful of going out to photograph by myself and actually enjoy it. I visited Budapest, Hungary, with people in my program and I also spent four days in Rome, Italy, where I stayed with friends who were studying abroad there.
November
November was the month of hitting my stride living abroad, but also when I wanted to push my film photography. I decided to buy a medium format camera at a used camera shop in Prague and teach myself how to use it (with the help of sending questions to my photo professors back at AU). The first roll was a disaster, but afterwards it got easier. I traveled to Amsterdam and Vienna, before the pre-production of my group's film project began. I also helped on a few groups sets.
December
My group's filming happened last, but was pretty successful, despite fears of weather and having a lot of shots to film. The Christmas Markets also opened through out Prague and I tried to savor every aspect of Prague that I could before the semester ended.
To say that the end of my experience makes me sad would be an understatement, but my friends reminded me that its not the end, but rather the beginning of a new chapter in my life with a different perspective and newly gained skills. I'm excited to use what I learned in Prague in my everyday life and grateful to have these photos to look back on.
