GOOD Maker Challenge Winner: A Photo Journey that Reminds Us to Be Grateful

We recently invited the GOOD community to participate in a challenge to document gratitude on our new platform, GOOD Maker. Submissions ranged from photographs of loved ones to snapshots of the great outdoors, each capturing the spirit of heartfelt appreciation. Now we’re pleased to introduce you to the winner, They Shoot Film, an online photo collective curated by Patrice Esser and Garrick Fujii.

In their submission, "The Journey," They Shoot Film reminds us "to be gracious for the journey, for not only is the destination magnificent." Click through this slideshow to view the winning entry, plus a collection of wintry snaps from their blog.

We caught up with co-founder Garrick Fujii to congratulate him on winning and learn more about They Shoot Film.

GOOD: Tell us about the beginnings of They Shoot Film. How has the collective grown and changed since?

GARRICK FUJII: They Shoot Film had been an idea in our minds for a couple of years before we actually went forward with starting the website. We had been admiring each other's photography for some time, and neither of us knew many photographers that used film as their main photographic medium. Although digital photography has advanced rapidly and become commonplace in today's culture, we've continued to enjoy the slower process of shooting film. As we started shooting together, They Shoot Film was a natural next step for us in sharing our photos and helping to connect film photographers with one another. Today it stands as a site where we truly celebrate the beauty of film photography.

GOOD: What is the greatest inspiration for your photography?

FUJII: Traveling and getting out of the normal routine of life is definitely the greatest source of inspiration for us. We both travel extensively and love documenting the witty side of life around us. Whether it is a local day trip or a longer venture, just getting out into the world is all that it takes.

GOOD: How will you use the $300 awarded by the GOOD Maker Fund?

FUJII: Because Patrice and I live at opposite ends of California, we don't have the opportunity to shoot together as often as we'd like to. With that in mind, we will be organizing an outing with a small community of film photographers and spending the day getting out into the world and doing what we love to do best. We'll also be using part of the funding to make some improvements on the site and to buy some more film. Lots more film.

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