String lights cascade through tree branches like glowing vines, creating a luminous canopy above a quiet park walkway. In the distance, a modern glass building stands illuminated against the darkness, its cool white light contrasting with the warm amber glow of the decorative bulbs overhead.
Shot on the Olympus OM-1 with Cartenz 200 film, the image captures the unique warmth and grain that film brings to night photography. The Cartenz 200 renders the lights with a soft halation—each bulb blooming slightly beyond its edges—while preserving rich shadows in the unlit areas. The OM-1's reliable metering handles the challenging mixed lighting well, balancing the bright string lights with the ambient darkness.
This is what film does best: it transforms ordinary decorative lighting into something magical, where the grain becomes part of the atmosphere rather than a technical limitation.
