Analog.Cafe › Essays › 3 min read by Eva. Published on May 15, 2025. Accidental story: the dream of Venus within the dream of a lamp within the dream of a library. Fuji 200. I often wonder if people realize how many cosmic coincidences are involved in film photography. It would be embarrassing to admit that many of my favorite shots from recent years have resulted from sheer luck. You might think this is just the impostor syndrome speaking, and while there is some truth to that, it’s not the whole story. When shooting film, you act on an idea or an instinctive impulse, but that’s where your involvement finishes. After that, the Universe takes over: precise coincidences with the lighting, lens, camera, film, and energy all come together in ways you could never plan for, culminating in an unexpected narrative. This narrative can take countless forms. Regardless of your skills or intentions, they are only secondary in importance. That’s the essence of analog photography.
I’m not here to discuss the cosmic intricacies (or am I?), but I wanted to share that among the fortunate mistakes I've encountered throughout my years of film photography — some of which turned into exhibition-worthy pieces with a little assistance from the Universe’s mysteries — the most surprising have been the double or triple exposures. Perhaps it’s because I’ve always felt daunted by the concept of double exposures on film. The mere attempt introduces too much risk to an already unpredictable equation. Even in digital photography, they only turn out well with solid practical knowledge of light and shadow interaction.
Thus, imagine my astonishment when they unexpectedly manifested as random accidents on a film roll, weaving a complex, surreal, Lynch-esque story through my own words, but without my active involvement. Oh, those rare moments of clarity when you’re grateful that you didn’t end up with what you thought you wanted...
Accidental story: I, reflected in a garden mirror, haunted by an abandoned tent. Fuji 200. Accidental story: A crashed car plunges into the sea at sunset, as the waves merge with the cracks in the window. Expired Kodak Vision 800T. Accidental story: A surreal portal opens to a legion of letter E’s. Adox 100 (+ broken lens). Accidental story: Chains draped over rainbow pride. Fuji 200T. Accidental story: The sunset slips into an unclaimed bouquet of flowers. Expired Kodak Vision 800T.
If you enjoyed any of my fortunate missteps and are curious about my less fortunate attempts, feel free to check out my Instagram or website. Thank you for reading :)
About this article: Crafting and proofing a quality five-minute read with high-resolution illustrations can take five hours or more. Below are the individuals who contributed to making this possible. All content is reviewed, styled, and edited by Dmitri. Published on May 15, 2025.
Throughout my years in film, I've encountered several fortunate blunders, some of which turned into exhibition-worthy pieces with a bit of assistance from the Universe's enigmas. The ones that astound me the most are the double or triple exposures... those exceptional moments of clarity when you feel immense gratitude for not receiving what you initially desired...