This week’s Member Moment features work by Felix Hollifield, who enjoys taking photos of friends and happy moments. Scroll down to see his pictures and to read the interview!

PL: What got you interested in photography?

FH: I started buying disposable cameras about two years ago as a means to experiment and get over my creative need for perfection. It's so easy to go back to an illustration or a painting and adjust things you don't like, but the beauty of a photo is that it only exists in candid - you're forced to accept what it is at face-value and hope you do better next time. Sometimes I shoot with a full camera that has an adjustable lens in order to practice my technical skills (which has been exciting in itself). But my favorites moments will always be those I never have to seek out, only stumble upon, as I traverse across Philly with my little disposable lens.

PL: What type of camera do you shoot with?

FH: Besides disposable film cameras, I shoot with a Canon AE-1! Kodak Gold 200 is my trusty film of choice.

PL: When taking pictures, what are some objects or elements or feelings within a scene that inspire you to take a photo?

FH: Photos of the neighborhood at golden hour, my cats, or my friends hanging out are my favorites to shoot. But really, anything that evokes a hopeful, lighthearted, or nostalgic feeling.

PL: Of the pictures you submitted, can you share an interesting story about one?

FH: My friends and I were decompressing on my patio one afternoon, eating strawberries and getting high. One of us made the offhand comment about using an onion as a bong, which then prompted the essential question: which foods can you smoke through successfully? (Spoiler alert: strawberries work. Plus, they taste good while doing it.)

PL: What do you enjoy most about digital/film photography and what is challenging about it?

FH: I love how personal and honest (film) photography is! You're able to capture a singular moment in time that no one else gets to experience the same way but you, and you have evidence of that memory forever. That's pretty special to me. However, it's pretty easy to mess up the film loading process in a film camera which will financially bite you in the ass if you're not paying attention. It's expensive to keep buying materials after essentially wasting the previous ones on a very preventable mistake.

PL: Do you have any goals or ideas of how you want to grow this collection of photographs?

FH: I would like to get better at shooting people in higher contrast lighting situations! I feel like my photos can be fun, but they're visually flat, and I'd like to learn how to be more dynamic with my darks and lights.

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Member Moment: Felix Hollifield