215 ☼ When Everything Is Exciting (And Also Exhausting)
Camera Giveaway!!!
Dear friends,
This week’s issue is about that tricky balance between doing what you love and doing a bit too much of it. I’ve been in one of those stretches where everything feels exciting, but also totally overwhelming, and I’ve been working on finding a better rhythm. Shout-out to my fellow ADHDers (and anyone else who struggles with planning).
Also in this issue:
Camera giveaway courtesy of BuyMoreFilm + a special one-week sale in my webshop
Updates on my next book, two new community projects, and the Process Photo Club portal
A new video shot on the 13-year-old cinema classic, the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera, thanks to MPB
When Everything Is Exciting (And Also Exhausting)
In a nutshell, I’ve been doing a bit too much. All good things, so we are talking luxury problems in a sense, but it’s still caused some stress and feelings of overwhelm.
The ADHD knife cuts both ways. It blesses me with a creative mind that hyperfocuses and makes lightning-fast, random connections when I’m making things. But that same passion for creation, paired with a not-so-great sense of time management and the freelance hustle, can mean no days off ever and a month straight without a restful evening at home. That leads to overwhelm, which impacts the quality of my work and, more importantly, the quality of my life.
I’m so excited about everything I’m working on, but I bite off too much sometimes. These last few weeks have been about looking at everything through that lens (pun intended) and being more reasonable with my planning. Some projects got pushed back, and I’m getting better at protecting my recharge time by blocking out at least two nights a week with a calendar event labeled “DON’T PLAN ANYTHING.”
Of course, there’s always room for activities that recharge me creatively, even when I’m tired. We saw Gregory Allen Isakov perform his songs at Paradiso this week, and even though I was yawning up a storm, everything from the harmonies, to the lighting, and the space itself, really fed my maker soul. We also did some quality forest-bathing last Saturday, and boy, trees and moss and ferns sing beautifully too. Reminder to get more nature time into this city boy schedule!
So, about those very exciting things I’m now spacing out more healthily. Here’s the lineup:
My Next Photobook — Ukraine
After letting the work I made in Ukraine rest for a month or two before coming back to it, I’m more excited than ever. This series will become my next photobook. The images aren’t about war or destruction. They’re about everyday family life and ordinary beauty under extraordinary pressure. Below a tiny preview.
Most of the work was shot on half-frame film, similar to my most recent book Notice Journal, Vol. 1, but this time in both black and white and color. I also made some digital images in my usual style, which blend naturally with the analog work.
I’m still early in the process, but I can already feel how much I care about this project. I can’t wait to share each step of the way with you. This will be a spring 2026 project at the earliest.
More Films
Over the past few months, I’ve completely fallen down the filmmaking rabbit hole. I’ve been making short pieces, learning from talented directors and videographers, and slowly building toward longer short films.
The latest piece is a surrealist promo for the upcoming Process Photo Walk in Paris on November 16th, written and directed by me and beautifully shot and edited by Harry Orange. If you haven’t yet, RSVP here to join us for the walk. Limited spots, free copies of the stunning To Be Young issue of HOTSHOE Magazine, plus some fun goodies from MPB.com, as you can see in the video.
My Next Two Community Projects
For the past four years, I’ve been developing Creatives In/AMS, which in many ways is the spiritual sequel to my first major project, One of Many.
Where One of Many was a collection of single portraits of 600+ creative people across twelve U.S. cities, Creatives In/AMS goes deeper into one city and one community. It will feature 52 weekly photo essays and interviews with Amsterdam-based creatives, each person getting their own “chapter” that explores their space, tools, and process.
I had hoped to launch this in 2025 but after the reshuffle it now launches in March 2026 and will run for an entire year on a dedicated site and social channels. I’m lucky to have Taylor assisting on many of the shoots, and this week we welcomed a brilliant writer who’ll interview each participant. More on that soon. There’s already a limited edition print zine from this project, more on that in the Camera Giveaway section below. Here’s a two-page spread from the print-file of this zine:
Two months earlier, in January 2026, I’ll debut another community project called 25 in 2025 with a special night at De Balie, the cultural center where we celebrated The Best Medicine earlier this year. (see below)
This new series will feature portraits of people turning 25 in 2025, and thoughts on how they see the future. This generation has already lived through so much: pandemics, economic crashes, and global instability. I’m curious how they think about what comes next.
All portraits will be shot on film that expired in 2000 (the year of their birth), using a Mamiya 645 Pro from that same year.
More Process Projects
The next step for the Process Photo Club is a newly built members-only portal on its own website. All the perks, including the workbooks, templates, discount codes, and more will live there in one easy place. You’ll be able to manage your membership, download tools and e-books, and access everything I’ve built to make my own photography workflow more efficient so I can focus on shooting more.
Current members will be migrated automatically, no action needed. My goal is to have it live before the end of the year.
Special Sale + Camera Giveaway
If you’d like to help support my work, you can buy my photo books or the Process Workbook series directly from my webshop. This week only (October 19th–25th), Process readers get 10%-off everything with code: ZINESPECIAL2025
Plus, everyone who makes a physical purchase this week will receive:
A free copy of the very limited edition Creatives In/AMS preview zine
Automatic entry into a raffle to win a Pentax P30 35mm camera + Pentax 50mm f/1.7 lens + Takumar-A 28-80mm lens (see below).
Process Photo Club members get even more, including €30-off my book NOTICE, 100% off all three Process Workbooks, and more. Not a member yet? Join now for instant access to exclusive discounts and content!
This camera was kindly made available by the amazing Stephan and his online shop BuyMoreFilm, which is shutting its doors at the end of the year. Check out what they still have left and use discount code GOODBYE40% to get 40% off their remaining stock of film and gears. Thank you Stephan, for all the years of hard work and supporting the community! <3
Thanks for reading. See you next week! Go outside some today and stare at a tree if you can.
Talk soon,
Wesley
📷 What I Used This Week
This week is all about this 13-year old cinema camera!
Camera: Blackmagic Design Pocket Cinema Camera + Panasonic Lumix G 20mm f/1.7 ASPH my thoughts below, keep scrolling!
Look how small this thing is! One of the few cameras that actually justifies the “pocket” part of its name. And this O.G. isn’t just compact, but also powerful. It’s been used on major productions like Logan, Hacksaw Ridge, and Spider-Man: Homecoming. We’re talking blockbusters, and critical darlings.
It features manual focus, shoots with a cropped sensor, and uses Micro Four Thirds lenses, of which there’s a huge selection available and they’re often affordable.
The image quality is fantastic. It shoots raw, delivers gorgeous colors, and has that cinematic look we all love. Harry got amazing footage out of it for the Paris promo video, and I’m taking it on a short trip right now to shoot some more.
For indie filmmakers, this seems like a dream. You can pick one up second-hand through MPB for only about 500 euros and it’s the perfect camera to learn proper filmmaking on, forcing you to nail your exposure, focus, and lighting manually.
The main drawback is that the battery life is terrible. Definitely grab a few spare batteries if you pick one up. It’s not ideal for client work where reliability is crucial, but for personal projects and learning the craft? Highly recommended. I am tempted to get one myself after this week with it.
This issue is supported by MPB.com, my personal go-to for buying, selling, or trading used gear. Everything comes with a 6-month warranty.
This issue is also supported by picdrop.com, my preferred tool for building online galleries where clients can review, select, and download photos from shoots. Use "PROCESS" at checkout for a free 2-month trial.
Lab: My film is processed by Carmencita Film Lab. I trust them completely for both their work and their humanity. Use code "PROCESS" for a free upgrade on your next order.
🗃️ Browse the Process Archive.
📜 Read the Process Manifesto.
Very exciting stuff! I’m highly intrigued on that upcoming book. Sounds like we launch on the same month! 😌
I am always in awe at how much you juggle and still get things done and done well. Glad to know superman also takes breaks lol. Enjoyed the read, congrats on more successes!