Canon AE-1 Program Sample Photos in Hallstatt, Austria | The Perfect 35 mm Travel Camera

April 6, 2025

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Hello everyone!

I am Myles Katherine's sister, Natalie Anne, and I'm excited to share a bit about my journey with film cameras with you! Myles has inspired me, as she has my entire life, to be more creative, thoughtful, and curious about the world. Photography is her passion and is the instrument she uses to embrace everything in life. I have always admired her skills and thus have been remarkably intimidated to pick up film photography on my own. When I told her I wanted to bring a film camera with me for my work deployment to Europe for four months, she knew just the one and by golly it's now one of my favorite possessions!

The Canon AE-1 Program is timeless, durable, and takes impressively sharp shots. While it is a bit weighty, this adds to its charm. There is something so satisfying about snapping a photo and pulling its winding arm. It can take some getting used to focusing, especially for close-ups and portraits, as it does not have autofocus. But, once you get the hang of it, the photographs are so sharp and beautiful. And even the ones that turn out a little soft are dreamy and special in their own right. Plus, isn’t that the fun of film photography?

Myles also thought this camera would be a good idea for me because it has a full auto mode. The original version of this camera, the Canon AE-1, does not have this feature. So if you’re looking for a camera that is a bit more user-friendly for beginners, the Canon AE-1 Program is the way to go. And if you’d like to delve into more advanced modes, like shutter priority or full manual, you have that option with this camera as well. The best part about it is that you get that professional film camera vibe without the complication, so it’s the perfect 35 mm travel camera! Not to mention, it has that classic black and silver vintage 35 mm camera look, so it looks cute even sitting on a shelf when it’s not being used.

For the lens, I use the standard Canon FD 50 mm f/1.8 lens. This seems to be the one most people gravitate towards for this camera. It’s affordable, small, and sharp!

One of my first tests with this camera was bringing it for a weekend trip to Vienna and Hallstatt, Austria. Hallstatt has been on my bucket list for quite some time. It was actually the inspiration for Arendelle (Frozen fans, anyone?!) and it feels so magical.

I took this H allstatt Day Tour from Vienna, via Viator, and it was the perfect introduction to this beautiful corner of the world. I couldn't recommend this tour enough! If you want to read my full review of this tour, you can find it on our travel blog, C’est Le Brie, here!

I went on this bus tour solo and felt comfortable the entire time. It was a longer bus ride, with beautiful scenery throughout the Salzkammergut region. We had time to explore Hallstatt on our own where I grabbed a Frankfurter and fries for lunch, wandered the town, went up the tram to the Hallstatt Viewing Platform, and took a short boat ride. Most importantly, my Canon AE-1 Program was loaded with film and ready to go. I took some of my favorite shots on this excursion, and was so happy my sister had recommended this camera to me. She had heard great things about it, but I think we have both been so impressed with the results. I even think she's a little jealous she doesn't have one yet!

Below are all the photos I took in Hallstatt using Kodak Gold 200 and Kodak Ultra Max 400 35mm film. If you're interested in purchasing a Canon AE-1 Program, you won't regret it! I know without a doubt that I’m going to treasure these images forever.

-Natalie Anne

P.S. Make sure to check out our travel blog, C’est Le Brie, here! We share all of our travel adventures, tour reviews, hotel and restaurant recommendations, photos, and even recipes! And don’t forget to watch our YouTube video about the Canon AE-1 Program here!

WHERE TO BUY THE CANON AE-1 PROGRAM

Sneak Peek of Deirdre & Ian's Victorian Gothic Wedding at the Bolling Haxall House | Richmond, Virginia Wedding Photography

January 17, 2025

Deirdre & Ian are the absolute sweetest, along with their adorable son Luka. I was thrilled when they booked me because I knew our styles would totally vibe together. A few of Deirdre’s words to describe the wedding aesthetic were “Victorian Gothic”, “spooky”, and “vintage”. Umm, yes please!

When I first visited the Bolling Haxall House to scope out the location before the wedding, I was honestly stunned by the details and the magic of the interior. Their wedding was December 16th, so the venue was a unique blend of holiday magic and ornate design. It felt like a scene straight out of A Christmas Carol. There was a haunting moodiness that blended together perfectly with Deirdre’s love for darker elements. Deirdre is actually a good friend of my sister and I’ve always known her to be a talented and creative artist and person. I’m honored that they chose me to be a part of their wedding day. I just sent off quite a few film rolls from their wedding to get developed and I can’t wait to see how they turned out! In the meantime, below is a blend of digital photography and polaroids from their wedding day.

I can’t believe it’s already 2025 and that I’m almost fully booked up for this year, and already booking for 2026! I’m only taking a few more 2025 weddings so make sure to tell your recently engaged friends and family members. :) They can contact me here! And if they’re looking for a wedding DJ as well, my husband and I offer a discounted package if we’re booked together. You can find out more about his business, Melody Mouse Media, here!

Happy New Year!

<3 Myles Katherine

Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM Lens Review with Sample Photos in Japan!

October 1, 2024

WHY DID I BUY THE CANON EF 17-40MM F/4L USM LENS?

You might know that the Canon 24-70mm f/2.8L II lens is my absolute favorite Canon lens, but when I started doing occasional real estate photography for AirBnb and local businesses, I needed a lens that was a little bit wider. I didn’t want to make a huge investment into yet another super expensive lens, especially because I knew that I could use my 24-70mm lens for most situations when it came to real estate photos. I really just needed something I could use for tight and cramped spaces like small bathrooms, bedrooms, and kitchens. The Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM Lens seemed like the best price for what I was looking for. It’s an L series lens, which is Canon’s pro level lens series, but at a fairly reasonable price of $600 (especially compared to the price tag of $1899 for the 24-70mm lens). Though, I actually bought mine gently used so I got an even better deal (you can find them used on KEH Camera or eBay). At this point in my life, I rarely ever steer away from the L series lenses, except in the case of the Canon 50mm f/1.4 lens that has a special place in my heart. I have yet to try the RF lenses yet, though it’s on my wish list for next year. :)

WHY DID I BRING THE CANON 17-40MM F/4 L LENS TO JAPAN OVER THE CANON 24-70MM F/2.8 L II LENS?

When I was debating which cameras and lenses to bring with me to Japan, I was torn between bringing my beloved Canon 24-70mm lens and my newer Canon 17-40mm lens. I like to bring a digital camera with me on my trips, along with a handful of film cameras. I mostly use the digital camera as a backup to my film cameras, many of which can be unreliable. It’s mostly just for peace of mind because I actually rarely end up using my digital cameras on my trips! Knowing this, I decided to leave my heavy and large Canon 24-70mm lens behind for the first time on a major trip. The 17-40mm lens is 0.67 pounds lighter, which doesn’t sound like much, but makes a huge difference when I’m lugging a giant camera backpack around a foreign country. Not to mention, it took up less space in my camera bag, allowing me to bring an extra film camera… Yes. I realize that filling that space with another camera probably doesn’t help with my dilemma of a heavy backpack…

THOUGHTS ON THE QUALITY OF THE IMAGES

While the 17-40mm lens doesn’t quite have that professional and super sharp quality to the images that I’m used to with the 24-70mm lens (I think I’ve been spoiled!), it got the job done. And even going through the photos now for this blog post, I’m pleasantly surprised by how beautiful these images turned out. You can really only notice a difference when you zoom in on the images in Adobe Photoshop or Lightroom and compare the overall sharpness and the noise in the shadows and corners. It really was a great backup to my film cameras and worked in all lighting conditions, even dark city streets and low-light rooms. And because of it’s ability to capture super wide shots, I easily managed to photograph the stunning architecture of Japan. I always love a wide lens for traveling. I prefer to use the 17-40mm lens with my Canon 5D Mark IV or Canon 6D over my Canon EOS R because I find that the additional lens adapter that I have to use with the EOS R tends to add additional distortion to the edges of the photos when shooting wide. One of the main differences I noticed between the 17-40mm f/4 lens and the 24-70mm f/2.8 lens is the fact that the 24-70mm lens handles edge distortion much better. Portraits look more natural and the added aperture value of the 24-70mm makes for better images overall. However, when I’m traveling, I’m mostly capturing landmarks and buildings, so it worked out just fine! If you’re going more for portraits or detail photos, the 24-70mm would definitely be a better option.

Did I miss my Canon 24-70mm f/2.8 lens?

Yes. I always do, mostly just because the 24-70 is my heart and soul in a lens. But looking at my images now, I think the 17-40mm lens fulfilled my needs as a backup camera on my trip. I never really end up doing much with my digital images after my trips. I tend to lean towards my film images for sharing on social media and blog posts. Though, if for some reason, my film didn’t turn out from my trip, it’s nice to know that I’d have these images to remember our trip by.

Make sure to scroll to the bottom of the post to see more of my favorite images I took in Japan with the Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM Lens. I hope these help you to decide if this lens is for you! If you’re on a budget looking for an affordable but professional lens, the 17-40 mm lens would be a great option to start with. Plus, you can always upgrade later! You could also check out my blog post about the Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM Lens for comparison. I also posted a video on my YouTube channel about all of the cameras I ended up taking with me on my trip to Japan. You can watch it here!

WHERE TO BUY THE CANON EF 17-40MM F/4 L USM ZOOM LENS

WHERE TO BUY THE CANON EF 24-70MM F/2.8L II USM ZOOM LENS

Amazon

B&H Photo Video

KEH Camera (used)

eBay (used)

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If you found this post helpful or inspiring, I’d love it if you considered signing up for my Patreon! For as little as $1 a month, you’ll get early access to all of my YouTube videos, plus tons of photos that I don’t post anywhere else. Depending on which tier you choose, you could also receive seasonal prints and/or discounts! I always use all of the proceeds towards cameras, film & processing. Find out more here!

If you have any questions, I’m always happy to help! You can contact me here, or leave a comment below! Thanks so much for stopping by! You can also check out my Amazon storefront for more camera/film recommendations. :) Have a magical day!

<3 Myles Katherine

(click to enlarge images)