Photo by Sophia Khan
/ The Tufts Daily
Goddard Chapel stands tall on the hill, a classic photo angle on campus.
I’ve grown up entirely in the age of digital photography, whether on iPhones, digital point-and-shoot cameras or DSLR cameras. As a long-time photographer, I have spent hours upon hours sorting through hundreds, sometimes thousands, of photos, many of which look exactly the same. I’ve loved the look of film photos, but it wasn’t until I found a film camera in my house that I could try it out for myself.
Film photography allows me to slow down in a fast-moving field. When shooting on film, I pay closer attention to lighting, shadows and composition. With only around 36 exposures on a film roll, I don’t give myself the luxury of just pointing and snapping, and saying that I can fix something in post-production. The inability to see the photos immediately lets excitement build, and when I finally get the email, I eagerly tap the link to the Google Drive folder.
These are just some of the photos that were developed from my last roll of film that I rationed the valuable exposures of, between June 2024 and March 2025. Photographing Tufts University and the Greater Boston Area on film has taught me to look for little moments through the tiny viewfinder.
Taken from the top of the press box, Tufts baseball prepares to begin the bottom of the fourth inning against MIT. Sol Gittleman Field is one my favorite views on campus, with the bright green stripes on the turf.
Bikes sit in inches of snow outside of Metcalf Hall on an early Saturday morning of a quiet Tufts campus. I wanted to capture the simple, everyday moment of a beautiful day.
The branches of the trees outside of Tisch Library act like a net and hang heavy with snow. The striking contrast of the white snow and bright blue sky caught my eye.
The outdoor section of the Brattle Book Shop operates even during winter months. Although there’s nothing particularly incredible about the composition, something about Brattle Books just makes sense on film.
The trees on Prez Lawn turn fiery colors in October. This view of the lawn is always stunning in the late afternoon as the sun streams through the leaves just right.
