I have a small collection of vintage cameras, one of which is this art deco Kodak Bantam Special:

I started off photographing it as is, admiring its cool retro style.

Then I decided to open it up – I wasn’t sure if I ever had – and see what I could capture of the lens and its inner workings.

Once I opened the film door, I realized I could see directly through the lens.  I experimented with a few different items, until I tried one of the dried roses I haven’t yet been able to bring myself to throw away.  This led to these two sort of surreal photos:

Often, when I set out to photography one thing, I end up photographing another.  This, among so many other reasons, is what I love about photography:  the infinite possibilities of what can be found through the lens (or lenses!) of a camera.