Sarah Moylan: All over the place

Growing up in a cookie-cutter American subdivision, I had a bedroom that faced the cul-de-sac across the street. The street curved and I couldn’t see the part of the cul-de-sac that looped around, so I always figured that road went somewhere exciting, and I wanted to see it. I really believed it might be a portal to a vibrant, bustling city. Imagine my disappointment when I finally walked down it and I came to realize what “cul-de-sac” means.

Perhaps that experience is what sparked my curiosity and desire to explore every corner of the world, whether it’s down the street from where I live now in Boston, or half a world away in Singapore. I am on an unending quest to prove to my young self that the world is anything but disappointing, and I often bring my camera with me to record the evidence.

I shoot with my mom’s old Pentax K1000 film camera that I have used since high school– I have actually never owned a digital SLR camera. Film photography adds another layer to travel. There are the technical bits that can be a bit stressful (will the airport security employees agree to hand-check my film? how much film should I bring? what if my camera breaks mid-trip?) and, of course, the gravity of only having a finite amount film and shots per roll. I continue to shoot film because I love the look of analogue, and I like the way film photography slows me down and forces me to consider each shot before I press the shutter button. Each image is utterly intentional…and, all things considered, costs me at least a dollar!

The images you see here are from the past 12 years of living and traveling here in America and abroad. They are all shot with various speeds and brands of film on a Pentax K1000.