Event Recap: Diana F+ Workshop with Soho Photo Gallery

For over a decade, New York's Soho Photo Gallery has been hosting their annual Krappy Kamera competition, paying homage to plastic cameras and exhibiting extraordinary photographs made with lousy lenses. In true Lomography fashion, it has become our tradition to partner up with them in hosting a Diana F+ workshop, to introduce more people to the art of Krappy Kameras!

This year was yet another success – we gave participants some background to the history of Lomography and the Diana camera, gave some pointers for loading and shooting, then sent everyone out to explore a sunny day in Lower Manhattan through the Diana's lens.

Photographers who joined us for the workshop experimented with a mix of color and black & white Lomography film stocks, including Potsdam Kino, Berlin Kino, LomoChrome Metropolis, and LomoChrome Turquoise.

We brought all the accessories you can imagine: close-up, telephoto, wide-angle, and fisheye lenses, splitzer attachments, flash gels, and much more. Participants were easily able to swap these out and test all the possibilities that Diana has to offer!

The cool part of this workshop was seeing where everyone decided to go with it. Some participants shot the same nearby scenes, like construction sites and mannequins on the ground, while some entered their own portals into coffee shops and side-streets.

Juried this year by fine-art photographer Susan Burnstine, the Krappy Kamera exhibition features photos taken with Diana, Holga, Ansco, Pinhole, or other cameras of the sort. You can check out the 2024 Krappy Kamera winning photos here!

For many years Lomography has held workshops at Soho Photo Gallery, New York City's oldest photographers cooperative, in conjunction with its annual international Krappy Kamera Competition, which accepts only images taken with cameras with plastic lenses, pinholes, or handmade cameras. The competition is a perfect fit for Lomography's approach to photography. In this last workshop, on the Diana F+ camera, a group of a few lucky participants learned about its features and then got to experiment by going outside and shooting with loaners cameras and provided film. They also had a variety of accessories to try, from flash to different types of lenses, and different films to choose from: B&W, color, and turquoise film.

The participants ranged from winners of the competition to people who never used a plastic camera. Personally, I also very much enjoyed learning about the history of Lomography. Everybody had a great time, whether perfecting their use of the camera or trying it out for the first time.
– Silvia Marinari: Co-Chair, Krappy Kamera Competition, Soho Photo Gallery

"I have been a Lomographer for over a decade. You may upgrade your equipment as you grow with the hobby, but you will always be a Lomographer. This was evident when I picked up the Diana for the first time in years. I was shocked at how light it was compared to the LC-A 120 I had been using as my everyday shooter. Even loading it felt like I hadn't missed a beat. After struggling with the pressure plate I slid the back cover on and walked into Chinatown with the Diana and the 38 mm lens. Knowing that 38 mm had a specific viewfinder attached to it (which was missing) I invoked my 18 year-old self and said 'Don't think, just shoot'. With a Bao Bun in hand I shot from the hip, got up as close as possible to my subject, and just had fun letting go of the moment and just shooting. I will always recommend a Lomography event to any photographer regardless of the skill level, just because you learn how to let go – to stop thinking and start shooting!"
– Jose Lopez, participant

The workshop was super cool. I had a lot of fun using the Diana F+ for the first time. I felt really inspired walking around SoHo with that beautiful 10 Year Anniversary Camera and the Fisheye lens. I have to admit that I have a Diana F+ Glow in the Dark Edition, but I've never used it.

When I bought it in 2010 it was almost impossible to get 120 film in my hometown of Medellín, Colombia, so I've kept the camera in its box all these years. Now that I live in New York and after such an inspiring workshop, I will start using my Diana all the time. I also loved the type of film that I picked that day, LomoChrome Turquoise. The photos look like they are from another planet. I will definitely get more of it to keep getting cool colors.
– Juan Sebastian Echeverri, participant

I am grateful for the fantastic Diana F+ Workshop organized in collaboration with Soho Photo Gallery. It was a delightful experience exploring the various accessories and features of the Diana F+ camera.

During the workshop, I had the chance to experiment with LomoChrome Turquoise 120 film, and I adored the results! I loved it so much that I ordered more film to capture my summer adventures in Europe.
– Karey Walter, participant

A huge thanks to everyone who came out to join us for this fun workshop, and to Soho Photo Gallery for helping us host! You can look out for their upcoming exhibitions on their website or Instagram.

If you missed this workshop, stay connected with us by checking our calendar for upcoming events!

written by alexa_alexiades on 2024-04-10 #partners #diana-f #news #soho-photo-gallery #event-recap