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2015 in Review

By Ash Furrow

January 14^th, 2016

Our year began with an overnight ferry ride to Newcastle, in the UK. We had a marvellous time, but I think the images I like best were from the ferry ride itself.

The small, historic village of Zaanse Schans sits just outside of Amsterdam. I used my new (to me) TLR and shot my first roll of Velvia. I’m glad I got to before Fuji stops making it for good.

Paris was beautiful. After giving a well-received talk, we took an extra day to explore the city.

We had a few weeks left in Amsterdam, and I made good use of it, experimenting primarily with medium format.

This photo really captures everything I love about the film aesthetic. I shot it on a shitty point-and-shoot and the fog just utterly confused the metre, underexposing it. But that just means that there’s grain, and you can still clearly see the trees and the figures of the couple and their dog.

Our move to New York was… bumpy. But we survived, and settled into a cozy apartment. At first, I felt self-conscious, always carrying a camera. I looked like a tourist, but it doesn’t bother me so much now.

We didn’t have a lot of time in Istanbul, but our hosts graciously showed us around the city. We ended the day with a dinner on the water.

After Turkey, we stayed in Berlin with a few different friends. After seeing the cherry blossoms bloom in New York before leaving, we had the distinct pleasure of seeing them again in Berlin.

After Berlin, we visited Hamburg to stay with our friends there for a week. I spoke at a small developer meetup, and that weekend we rented a car to visit the sea.

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The seemingly unending beaches of Sankt Peter-Ording were amazing; with nothing around, you could close your eyes and walk. But you wouldn’t get far until your brain jolted you awake, not used to this freedom.

And then a small sandstorm hit. I didn’t like exposing my camera to this abuse, but I think it was worth it.

Murnau is gorgeous. After a two-day train ride (stopping in Frankfurt overnight), we stayed with our friend and his family. I have never regretted living in a city more than I did when I saw the Bavarian countryside.

New York in the summer is amazing, just brimming with life. We walk through Central Park, around our neighbourhood, and I always made sure to have a camera with me.

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One of these was taken in a botanical garden, and another on my way to work. This city has beauty all around it, but sometimes you have to look.

About the point in the summer that New York started to get on my nerves, I participated in Artsy’s offsite retreat. It was amazing to get away from everything, spend time with my colleagues, and relax near nature.

Of course, at the end of the day, sometimes I’m not inspired to go outside and explore New York. Sometimes, I struggle to get the energy to do it. But in those times, I always have my cats.