Roll #251 — first time asking a stranger if I could take their photo
Film: Fujifilm Industrial 100 (expired 2 years, metered at ISO 80)
Developed & scanned: Li-lai Photo, 2025/4/1
Camera: Olympus OM-40
Lens: Voigtlander Ultron 40mm f2 SL Aspherical
Sponsored by @tai_hung_kuo — thank you for the precious film.
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Life took a sharp turn recently. I injured my right hand.
Last Thursday (May 15, 2025), I took a fall while practicing BMX and damaged the ligaments in my right shoulder — most likely an AC joint separation. Everything from my shoulder down is out of commission, except for my hand and fingers. I remember that day clearly: the pain was bad enough that I couldn't lift my arm or apply any pressure at all. I couldn't even reach the Apple CarPlay screen in the car, let alone switch the wipers or gear. I drove home from the Nangang extreme sports park through gritted teeth, pulled up outside, called my wife down to park the car, and she took me straight to Far Eastern Memorial Hospital on her scooter.
After two rounds of X-rays, the doctors still couldn't determine whether surgery would be needed. For now, it's just rest and waiting. In the meantime, I've had to switch to working almost entirely left-handed. What you're reading right now was written using Mac's voice dictation, one word at a time.
Looking back after the accident, I'm genuinely glad I've always been someone who acts on things when I think of them. In the past six months alone, I redesigned the Bike 100 Peaks website and built the first version of GrainHunter — only about 10% complete, but the framework is there. The rest is just time.
Work has also gotten me back into reading marketing books lately, and I've come away with a lot of new ideas. Beyond redesigning my web design studio website, I've been thinking about a new side project: a personal bookshelf site. The idea is to catalog every book I've read with an extremely short take — not a review, just a single sentence verdict. Something like "not worth it, the whole thing is an ad" or "fine, interesting topic, but nothing stuck." The goal is simple: help people decide whether a book is worth their time without having to read a full review. Think of it as a book version of GrainHunter — because what GrainHunter does for cameras, lenses, and film is help people avoid buying the wrong thing. This would help people avoid reading the wrong book.
There'll definitely be a film photography section, because that's a big chunk of my shelf.
How much do I still have left to do? This life is getting a little busy.
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#1
Leader frame. Out for lunch with my wife — she'd just finished a workout.
Voigtlander Ultron 40mm f2 SL Aspherical (1/15, f2)
#2
We sold our step-through bicycle recently — now that we're taking the scooter for school pickup, it wasn't getting used. This is the last shot of it before the handoff. I have real affection for that bike. It's the one I used to take my son everywhere — from the daycare days all the way through kindergarten. A lot of good memories on that thing.
Voigtlander Ultron 40mm f2 SL Aspherical (1/1000, f2.8)
#3
An egg crepe stall I've been going to for years, near the Far Eastern Memorial Hospital MRT station. I'm fond of this old couple and how they run things — and worried that one day they won't be there anymore. So this time I finally worked up the nerve to ask: "May I take a photo?" They said yes without missing a beat, still full of energy, and I pressed the shutter feeling slightly awkward about the whole thing. So that's what asking a stranger feels like.
Voigtlander Ultron 40mm f2 SL Aspherical (1/60, f2)
#4
A rare day out road cycling with my wife, climbing hills together.
Voigtlander Ultron 40mm f2 SL Aspherical (1/125, f2)
#5
After the climb, we passed a Starbucks on the way back and ducked in to escape the sun, cool down, and have something sweet.
Voigtlander Ultron 40mm f2 SL Aspherical (1/30, f2)
#6
A Frappuccino. A small luxury.
Voigtlander Ultron 40mm f2 SL Aspherical (1/30, f2)
#7
I have almost no experience with Fujifilm Industrial 100 — it's just too expensive to shoot regularly. Scanning with Noritsu feels like overkill, but the Fuji scan option only outputs at 600 pixels. If I had to choose again, I'd still go Noritsu.
Voigtlander Ultron 40mm f2 SL Aspherical (1/250, f8)
#8
Shot around the Qingming Festival — this is my grandmother's niche. I visit every year. This time, since I wanted to photograph it, I consulted the divination blocks first to ask permission.
Voigtlander Ultron 40mm f2 SL Aspherical (1/30, f2)
#9
Qingming means visiting a lot of graves. This was the lunch break spot — a local diner that was clearly doing well judging by the number of staff.
Voigtlander Ultron 40mm f2 SL Aspherical (1/30, f2)
#10
My wife and I accidentally ordered way too much. That lunch was not cheap.
Voigtlander Ultron 40mm f2 SL Aspherical (1/30, f2)
#11
A local Sanxia specialty: Guo Bo Handmade Rice Noodles.
Voigtlander Ultron 40mm f2 SL Aspherical (1/60, f5.6)
#12
My alma mater, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, was holding its anniversary celebration. Two college friends and I had planned to meet up — three of us in total. I was the only one who showed.
Voigtlander Ultron 40mm f2 SL Aspherical (1/250, f8)
#13
Since I was there alone anyway, I went back to visit my old Business Administration department office. What I saw stopped me cold. I graduated over ten years ago, and the visual sensibility of the place hasn't moved an inch. Sigh.
Voigtlander Ultron 40mm f2 SL Aspherical (1/30, f2)
#14
NTUST's 50th anniversary. A strange mix of nostalgia and distance, being back.
Voigtlander Ultron 40mm f2 SL Aspherical (1/1000, f4)
#15
Walking from NTUST to Gongguan MRT Station.
Voigtlander Ultron 40mm f2 SL Aspherical (1/60, f8)
#16
Bus from Gongguan to Zhongxiao Xinsheng MRT Station.
Voigtlander Ultron 40mm f2 SL Aspherical (1/125, f2.8)
#17
Met up with my wife and son at Zhongxiao Xinsheng Station.
Voigtlander Ultron 40mm f2 SL Aspherical (1/500, f2.8)
#18
We'd originally planned to hike Xiangshan, but passed a park on the way and ended up just staying there. Our family plans are always like this — loose enough to change on a whim.
Voigtlander Ultron 40mm f2 SL Aspherical (1/1000, f2.8)
#19
Not sure if posting this will cause any privacy issues down the road. We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. This is my six-year-old son. I'm proud to be here watching him grow up.
Voigtlander Ultron 40mm f2 SL Aspherical (1/60, f2)
#20
When you want a selfie but there's no mirror nearby, this is what you do.
Voigtlander Ultron 40mm f2 SL Aspherical (1/60, f2)
#21
A bright, scorching day. Trees just starting to leaf out along the road. Spring is here.
Voigtlander Ultron 40mm f2 SL Aspherical (1/60, f11)
#22
If I could only keep one lens from the entire Olympus OM system, it would be this one — the rare Voigtlander 40mm f2.
Voigtlander Ultron 40mm f2 SL Aspherical (1/250, f2.8)
#23
My wife took this of me practicing BMX. Whether I'll ever get back on a bike again — I genuinely don't know. I hope so.
Voigtlander Ultron 40mm f2 SL Aspherical (1/250, f2)
That's the full roll — Olympus OM-40 with Fujifilm Industrial 100, expired. Thanks for reading.
