EP264: A Melancholic Father — Konica Big mini HG BM-300 35mm f3.5 with Lomography 800

Roll 264

Film: Lomography 800
Developed & scanned: DEP Lab 2025/8/6
Camera: Konica Big mini HG BM-300 35mm f3.5

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My son has graduated. He has graduated from kindergarten and is about to enter elementary school.

Some people pick up a camera because they want to photograph their children. They believe childhood only happens once, and if you do not document it, it will be lost. For me, although that was not the original reason I started photography, it has gradually become part of it.

The first interchangeable-lens camera I owned as an adult was the Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark III, which I bought in 2021. At the time, my son was just over two years old. Taking care of a child can sometimes feel repetitive, especially during the daily routine of pushing a stroller outside so he could nap at noon. During those walks, I often thought that if I could take photos of what I saw, it might make the experience more interesting, a way to pass time.

From when he was two until now at six, I have only been using a camera for about four years. But in those four years, I have accumulated many irreplaceable memories. I sometimes feel that I am fortunate, because I can document life without hesitation, without worrying about regret later.

For some people, their cameras are filled with photos of past relationships. After a breakup, those images become difficult to deal with, neither something you want to keep nor something you can easily discard.

The relationship between my son and me may not disappear, but it will change. Everyone goes through adolescence. The dynamic between parent and child will inevitably shift over time. I think what I can do now is to keep documenting, up to the point where that change begins to take shape.

As a father, thinking about this sometimes brings a quiet sense of melancholy.

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#1
It was a Monday. After work, I relaxed with a bottle of beer.

 

#2
I have quite a long history of taking my son to and from school, starting from when he first entered daycare. This was the last time I rode a scooter to take him to school. Thanks to the date imprint from the Konica Big mini HG BM-300.

 

#3
Watching my son's back as he walked into school, for the last time.

 

#4
For four years, I had been looking at this school entrance. My son graduated, and in a way, I graduated from a phase of life as well.

 

#5
A left-turn waiting spot that I often passed when taking my son to and from school.

 

#6
A traffic light I frequently stopped at during those daily routines.

 

#7
Taking a break during a busy day, I went to watch a movie on a weekday. This was the open-air balcony of the cinema, where I found a reflective window that worked like a mirror.

 

#8
Another small break, having lunch in Xinzhuang at "Lian Hua Thai Restaurant." Please do not recommend it anymore, it is already difficult to get a reservation.

 

#9
My son's classmate's mother is actually a junior high school classmate of her father. This photo shows my son with his classmate.

 

#10
This was the day of my son's graduation ceremony. In the morning, we brought him in for rehearsal, and at noon we went to eat ramen near Zhongshan Station in Taipei.

 

#11
Looking at the date imprint, it shows July 19, 2025, the day of the graduation ceremony. Since the camera is about 30 years old, you have to mentally add 30 years to the printed date.

 

#12
Back home in the afternoon, after changing clothes, my son was ready to attend the evening ceremony. Even with a 35mm f3.5 lens, the Konica Big mini HG BM-300 still renders a strong sense of space.

 

#13
At the graduation ceremony venue, parents were making final adjustments for their children.

 

#14
The 24th graduation ceremony of Yude Arts Kindergarten in New Taipei City.

 

#15
Us, as parents.

 

#16
I rushed to the front without hesitation and quickly took this shot. Some photos, if you do not take them now, you will never have the chance again.

 

#17
My son graduated. In a way, I did too.

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This is the full set from this roll, shot with the Konica Big mini HG BM-300 35mm f3.5 and Lomography 800. Thank you for viewing.