Wait a second here… a Frugal Film Project post going up during the same month that the photos were actually taken? That’s just crazy talk! What, are you actually being efficient for once in your useless life?

Yup. Something like that.

I am currently working through two instances of the internet challenge known as the Frugal Film Project. Buy a cheap camera (cheap is defined, I believe, as less than $75 in US currency) and pair it up with a cheap type of film, then shoot one roll of that film each month for a year.

For me, who is stupidly doing this challenge twice at the same time, that means a Lomography Lubitell 166 Universal shooting a roll of Kentmere 100 and a roll of Kodak Gold 200. Why am I doing it twice? Because last year I started in May and failed in September and now I am punishing myself.

This year I started in May again but here we are in October and the challenge is still alive. That’s six months. We’re half way through! Will the challenge survive November? I don’t know, man… it’s getting cold out there.

The color, Kodak Gold, pics were taken on October 10th at Weir Hill in North Andover, MA. I was hoping for some fall colors and I didn’t really get much. I did get a lot of slightly over exposed photos and maybe a new light leak? Not sure. I did use a tripod with my Lubitell for the first time, so that was neat. The black and white pics, Kentmere, were taken in two locations on October 18th. First was at Hampton Beach in a failed attempt at sunrise pics (stupid clouds on the horizon) and then later that same day on the Methuen Rail Trail in Methuen, MA which includes the bird sanctuary and the Spicket River.

Let’s start with the black and white this time. They are in no particular order because when I search Flickr for the tag I used it returns them in random order. Weird.

That’s it for the black and white Kentmere 100 pics. Now we move on to the Kodak Gold 200 pics where you will immediately see what I meant when I said they were slightly overexposed. Oops.

Another month, another 24 photos, another miracle that they all came out. Crazy!

The question now is: What do I do in November? Winter is coming (as the saying goes) and its going to get more and more difficult to go outside and shoot stuff. I have a day off on November 2nd. I’m thinking I might go into Boston and visit the Freedom Trail or something straight forward and touristy like that. I think I could manage 24 pics doing that. We’ll see.

My first attempt at the Frugal Film Project made it through four months before it crashed and burned and died a painful death. May through August 2025, all success. September 2025… epic fail.

My second attempt at the Frugal Film Project has now officially survived through the first five months. We’re alive and kicking, kids! May through September 2026, all wins. Kick ass.

Take a cheap film camera like my Lomo Lubitel 166 Universal and a cheapish film like say Kentmere 100 or Kodak Gold 200 and shoot one roll each month for a year. Or you can be a friggin’ idiot like me and shoot two rolls a month in an attempt to punish yourself for screwing up your first attempt at this silly thing last year.

We start with a roll of black and white Kentmere 100 shot on Weir Hill in North Andover, MA at Lake Cochichewick on September 24, 2026 after a dentist appointment.

And there we have it. One roll of film down and one to go. The second roll started at Salisbury Beach at sunrise and then moved over to the Parker River Wildlife Refuge on Plum Island. They were taken on September 7, 2026.

And that’s a wrap on the Kodak Gold 200 roll. Success. 12 shots on both rolls and everything came out. Amazing. 120 film. Medium format. Just dig that crazy resolution.

Now that its October I have to figure out what I want to do for month six. I want to do some fall foliage but the lens on this camera is slow and the two films I picked are also slow and I don’t think I will have much luck in the woods. Unless I bring a tripod. I could do that. Maybe. If I don’t I’ll just go back to Boston or something. We’ll see.