Failed Postcard: The US Capitol

Failed Postcard: The US Capitol, a photo by Lulú De Panbehchi on Flickr.

How many times have you been in a great location and taken a photo that later you discover didn't come out the way you imagined?
Maybe not that many times if you have used a digital camera or a cameraphone. Well, even with a digital or mobile camera you make mistakes, but there is always a way to fix them. Photoshop and all those mobile apps including Instagram can always make a failed photo look just fine.

But if you use film and have only a few seconds to set a toy camera, you may end up with a so-so photo. Still, the analog camera provides a good way to produce memories. If the photo is not perfect, it's still a starting conversation piece.

Now, add to the toy camera a film that is treated with household agents and food ingredients, and the fact that you have no idea what the result will be. Then you have a serendipitous image that you can laugh at or display on social media.

And that's what this photo is: a failed shot at an important building with a toy camera, loaded with a roll of film treated with a sort of Aztec chocolate.
I'm not laughing at the US Capitol. I love this building! And I have taken several photos from the same spot with different cameras and different times of the year. Instead of throwing away this image, I decided to share it and describe the process that made it a failure.