Black flag, golden light

The sun came out this morning. It hasn’t been around these parts for a while, so I put my Fujifilm X-T30 in my sling bag along with the latest film SLR to tickle my fancy, a Yashica J-3, and took a short drive down to North Gare. A 10am, there was already a fair few people out; mostly dog walkers and golfers (you cross the fairway from the car park to reach the beach at North Gare).
My intention was to use the remaining roll of TMAX 400 that I had transferred from my Praktica Mat, which had decided to chew up the celluloid like a dog with a bone. But the path of vintage film photography is strewn with obstacles. Three frames in, the smooth film advance turned into a sickening grate.
Away went the J-3, to be inspected from within the safety of a change bag later. Out came the X-T30 and the unadulterated joy of instant gratification! Out went the discipline and measured exposures of film photography and in danced the happy snapper! There were many dogs off the leash running around the beach this morning, and metaphorically, I was one of them.
A tale of woe and joy, such is the roller coaster of emotions that photography brings to us.
It’s the truth mate.