A Full Circle Story

Written By Melinda Holland

Random Wednesday - February 24 & 25, 2021

A full circle story about a medium format film camera I used to own and the memories connected to it.

Eons ago, I used a Mamiya RZ67 to photograph two friends, Derek & Angie. It’s one of my very favorite images I’ve taken of a couple. I posted the image to my Instagram story, which led to remembering Derek & Angie’s beach wedding in Hawaii, then a realization that beaches are not good for the formal and debonair way guys should dress (all the time), which reminded me that my Jonny is a beach bum at heart…and that brought to mind our beach wedding and honeymoon on Florida’s gulf coast where we traipsed about in beach attire photographing all the pretty sights with…the Mamiya RZ67.

Originally posted to my IG story in February 2021…welcome to my brain.

An Instagram image advertising a new post about a couples photo I shot of Derek and Angie.
An image I shot of Derek and Angie...inside another image I shot of Derek and Angie. Mind blown.
Film photograph of Derek and Angie taken on Mamiya RZ67. Text explains film photography and black edges from film scanning.
Text reflecting on the images I've shot over the years. Many people continue to use my images, whether it's turning them into magnets to enjoy or at events to commemorate a person's life.
Alfred Eisenstaedt iconic image of sailor kissing nurse. Text about how my images are meaningful to people. I got into photography because of the impact it could make on people's lives and the stories it could tell.
Derek and Angie. A friend asked if Derek and Angie ever got married and lived happily ever after.
The answer is yes. Derek and Angie had a beautiful Hawaiian beach wedding and guess who was in their wedding?
 
Jon and Melinda at Derek and Angie's hawaiian wedding.
Hawaiian wedding party with everyone looking down into the camera.
Hawaiian beach wedding with bride, groom, bridesmaids and guests.
Jon and Melinda's beach wedding on Florida's white sand beaches. You know I love me some beach wedding.
Bridgerton's men having drinks at the club, dressed formally in boots and overcoats. The bad thing about the beach is that you can't dress like the men of Bridgerton at the beach. The look is dashing. I vote guys dress like that ALL THE TIME!
The men from Netflix's Bridgerton dressed formally. I vote that guys should dress like this all the time.
 
Jon Holland dressed in black and white suit and bow tie in front of Alabama mansion. Alas, this is the closest we've come to having Jon all dressed up as a dashing English fellow. More Bond than Bridgerton, but I'll take it.
Melinda Holland's husband Jon Holland in board shorts and flip flops living the beach bum life in Florida with a Mamiya RZ67 medium format camera on tripod.
Image by Melinda Holland of Derek & Angie in front of Canadian Canada flag, Swiss flag. Taken on Mamiya RZ67 camera.
Jon Holland with Mamiya RZ67, Bogen Manfrotto tripod, Gossen light meter. Florida gulf coast white sand, emerald ocean.
Poll asking if guys should dress like Bridgerton all the time. 74% yes, 26% no. Mainly women voted yes. Image of men from Bridgerton in period clothing.
Jon Holland and Mamiya RZ67 camera on white sand Florida beach. 30A Gulf Coast.
Melinda Holland and Mamiya RZ67 camera in Destin, FL.
New Holland tractor for the newly married Jon and Melinda Holland. Taken while on honeymoon.
Updated poll results on whether men should dress in formal attire like Bridgerton. Melinda Holland's own husband Jon Holland voted no to dressing like a Bridgerton man.
Jon Holland peering into Mamiya RZ67 camera viewfinder on Florida's gulf coast, 30A, white sand beach, shirtless with board shorts.
Jon Holland with Mamiya RZ67 on Florida gulf coast white sand beach. Green ocean.
New Holland tractor. May 2006. Newlyweds Jon and Melinda Holland on honeymoon in Florida's gulf coast. White sand beaches and emerald green water.

What happened to the Mamiya RZ67 I used to own? I sold it in 2012 for $600 to a guy in Fort Worth, Texas. He was a designer and super excited to get the camera. Jon and I met him at the food court at Whole Foods Market.

We had an entire, freshly made veggie pizza in front of us and offered a slice to him. He declined. Super nice guy, though.

I was nine months pregnant with our first child and my belly looked huge in my solid red sweater. Like the Mamiya, I don’t own that red sweater anymore. In fact, I don’t currently own any red tops—but I do have other cameras. ;)

Melinda Holland
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