A nondigital camera, several rolls of black-and-white film, and one timeless house.

John Flower’s China Folk House attracts visitors interested in history, architecture, and culture. It also attracts photographers. Carissa Qin ’24 made her way out to Harper’s Ferry, Virginia, in October for a reunion with friends who participated in China Folk House programming last summer—and it felt like the perfect moment to bring along her film camera:

“My favorite thing about film, in general and especially with this roll, is the moment when you finally see the images after you develop it. I usually develop my black-and-white film at school during lunch, and it was really nice to finally see all the pictures and fun memories from that day like two weeks later on a random Wednesday. In general, I use black-and-white film because it’s more forgiving and it’s better for the environment—but also because it gives the pictures a more authentic and folksier feel. To be honest, it’s quite fitting for the Folk House.”