New York on Film

As you would have seen in my previous post I've done a bit of travelling in my years on Earth - both as a child, being a Third Culture Kid and all and as a typical twenty-something adult eager to check off items on my bucket list.

In early 2012 I found myself in the United States. The biggest trend amongst teenagers in the US at the time were toy film cameras, in particular the Diana. With the rising popularity of Instagram (whose filters are designed to replicate the style and square format of these old toy cameras) it came as no surprise. I found Dianas for sale throughout NYC in places such as American Apparel or similar retail stores. Needless to say, I bought one. Here's a picture of me taking a mirror selfie with the camera:

SoHo, New York City, USA | February 2012

For those who are not familiar with the Diana, it is a toy film camera originating from Hong Kong in the 1960's. It was originally intended to be an inexpensive gift option for kids but you shouldn't be surprised if professionals and enthusiastic amateurs use it for their work. The photos you get from the Diana tend to be really dream-like and impressionistic in style, which a lot of people like these days.

It should be noted that the Diana is far from the perfect camera. Made from cheap material, the camera has light-leak problems and the photos are never in focus. But that's the appeal of the Diana I guess. It gives rise to soft-looking 'dreamy' photos.

I found myself with an afternoon free from obligations - apart from a planned tourist trip to Liberty Island -  so I wandered downtown and took some photos with the Diana.

When I showed my friend Erin (of Erin Smith Photography) these photos, the first thing she said to me was, "Wow, New York City really is made for film photography."

I'm inclined to agree with her 100%.

Enjoy.