Once Upon a New Year

Late December of 2019 through early January of 2020. A last-minute trip before we really knew what “pandemic” meant. A group of five lifelong friends from California decided to meet up with a sixth, who was ending his time studying abroad in Zurich for the semester. A grandiose Swiss trip for us all, and documented through color, black-and-white, 35mm, and 120mm analog film.

We travelled from Zurich through Interlaken to Zermatt. It was not difficult to find roadside picture-perfect scenes to capture along our journey.

There is a balancing act between capturing moments in time during a trip and not making the trip about capturing moments of the trip. Because then your trip has just turned into taking pictures instead of capturing moments, memories, or creating art.

When it comes to travelling, some photos are taken knowing that what’s in the frame is most likely internationally recognizable for those viewing the photo later in time. But there is a sense of mystery with film photography where I often try to frame a photograph, whereas those viewing it later ponder the whereabouts and circumstances of the photo.

Some things are a commonality between all groups of people, regardless of borders. From dogs that only know German commands running freely down a path near the Matterhorn to a mother observing patiently as her children play in the snow. We all can enjoy and appreciate the winter.

And with that, I share with you some of my favorite moments and landscapes captured in film of Switzerland during the 2019/2020 New Years’ trip.

Best regards, and thank you for viewing Analog Switzerland.