12 Months on Film: July — Swiss Alps on the Contax T2 and Kodak Gold

Almagelleralp sits in the center of the Pennine Alps, Saas-Almagell, Switzerland

Summer in the mountains. There’s a certain magic to it—a symphony of light and landscape that feels both epic and intimately personal. For the July installment of my 12 Months on Film series, I took a roll of Kodak Gold 200 and my trusty Contax T2 to the majestic peaks of the Swiss Alps. This trip was a fascinating counterpoint to my June journey through the hazy, sun-drenched Outer Banks, and it was a wonderful opportunity to see how my favorite classic film stock would render a completely different environment.

This was our first time visiting the Swiss Alps in the summer, having only experienced their breathtaking beauty in the fall before. The change was incredible. The muted golds and fiery oranges of autumn were replaced with vibrant greens, blooming wildflowers, and the cool blues of glacial meltwater. It was a new perspective on a familiar landscape, a transformation that begged to be captured on film, where the imperfections and subtle nuances of film photography could truly shine. From glacial valleys and snow-dusted peaks to lush green meadows and charming mountain refuges, every turn presented a new, breathtaking scene.

Why the Contax T2 and Kodak Gold 200?

The Contax T2 has long held legendary status among film photographers, and after spending time with it, I understand why. Compact and elegant with a titanium body, it slips easily into a bag but feels substantial in the hand. At its heart is the Carl Zeiss Sonnar 38mm f/2.8 lens, which produces sharp, vibrant images with rich contrast. While it functions effortlessly as a point-and-shoot, it also offers manual aperture control when you want more creative input. That balance made it the perfect tool for this trip—easy enough to carry everywhere, but refined enough to handle a range of situations. For a trip where I was constantly on the move and wanting to capture the moment as it unfolded, the T2's point-and-shoot simplicity was a huge advantage.

Choosing Kodak Gold 200 for this adventure was an intentional decision. As my favorite film stock, I wanted to see how it’s warm, nostalgic tones would translate to the colors of Switzerland. Kodak Gold is a consumer-grade film, known for its versatility and beautiful saturation. It's a forgiving film that handles a wide range of lighting conditions well, from bright sunlight to overcast skies, and it has a reputation for bringing a timeless feel to any image. I was excited to see how it would handle the challenging contrasts of sunlit snow and deep shadows, and how it would capture the unique, glowing quality of light that filters through the mountain clouds.

An Alpine Story on Film

This roll became a visual journal of my time in the mountains, with each of the 36 frames capturing a different part of the story, from the grandeur of the peaks to the small, charming details of life in the mountains. The images from this trip feel like a conversation between the camera, the film, and the landscape itself. I love the way the film rendered the warm, golden light hitting the jagged peaks in the early morning or late afternoon, and the way the Contax T2's lens did a amazing job of capturing the atmospheric haze that often settles in the valleys. This is where the combination of the sharp Zeiss lens and the warm tones of Kodak Gold truly shines, creating an image that feels both grand and deeply intimate.

While many of the photos are of sweeping vistas, I love the small, quiet moments, too. The images of quaint mountain huts and small, rustic details are a testament to human presence in the face of nature’s immensity. The textures of stone, the warmth of wood, and the contrast of a vibrant flag against the cool gray mountains are all rendered with a beautiful, naturalistic palette by the Kodak Gold. The beauty of shooting on film, especially with a camera like the Contax T2, is the element of surprise and delayed gratification. There is no instant review. You have to trust your instincts and your gear. Waiting for the scans to come back, over a month after the trip, is like reliving the experience all over again. I was so excited to see how the Swiss Alps would appear through the lens of this classic camera and film combination, and I wasn't disappointed. The warmth of the Kodak Gold added a layer of nostalgia and emotion to the already breathtaking scenes.

Almagellerhütte, Saas-Almagell, Switzerland

Highlights from the Roll

Shooting the Swiss Alps on Kodak Gold 200 felt like distilling an journey into 36 frames. Each exposure carried the weight of a choice: which view, which detail, which moment was worth preserving. The Contax T2, with its compact design and sharp lens, made it easy to slip the camera out on the trail or during quiet moments at the huts, but the limited roll meant every frame had to matter.

The resulting collection holds the rhythm of the trip itself. There are wide landscapes of jagged peaks and endless valleys, but also intimate details—sunlit meadows, weathered hut exteriors, winding paths cutting across the slopes. Together, they tell the story of what it feels like to move slowly through the mountains, carrying everything on your back and pausing often just to take in the magesty of it all.

What I love most about this roll is how Kodak Gold 200 rendered the experience. The film’s warmth softened the sharp light of mid-summer days, adding a nostalgic tone to scenes that might otherwise feel harsh at high altitude. Evening light, in particular, glowed with a richness that digital rarely captures without post-processing. The imperfections—slight grain, muted shadows, subtle shifts in color—only add to the sense of memory.

Looking back through the roll, the frames feel less like individual photographs and more like a continuous thread. They hold the balance of movement and stillness, grandeur and detail, adventure and reflection. It’s the kind of collection that makes me grateful I chose film for this trip—because it feels less about documentation and more about storytelling.

Lessons from the Alps

Halfway through the 12 Months on Film project, I'm reminded why I started this journey. Film photography asks me to slow down, to observe more deeply, and most importantly, to trust the process. It doesn't replace my digital work—instead, it complements it. Film informs the way I shoot digitally, reminding me to be intentional with framing and light. In turn, digital gives me the freedom to experiment without limits. Together, they form a practice that feels complete.

But film has a magic all its own. Shooting with the Contax T2 and Kodak Gold 200 this month reconnected me with the patience I first learned in that high school darkroom. It reminded me that every frame matters, that imperfection can be beautiful, and that slowing down often leads to the strongest images. This project is about rediscovery, and each month brings me closer to the heart of why I fell in love with photography in the first place.

I hope these photos inspire you to pick up a film camera and explore a landscape that moves you. There's a certain kind of magic that only film can capture, and it's a magic worth chasing.

What's a recent photo outing that taught you something new? Tell me about it in the comments!