Monochrome Moments with John Scarbro and the Diana F+

UK-based photographer John Scarbro, AKA @monobod, prefers to shoot with B&W film and enjoys experimenting with pinhole photography. He regularly uses the Diana F+ and talked to us about his penchant for this plastic-lens medium format camera. He also shared some useful tips and tricks on shooting Dianaramas.

Hi John, how have you been since we last spoke?

I'm fine thanks, luckily I have the time to go out shooting film regularly whatever the conditions.

What's the appeal of shooting with the Diana F+ ?

The appeal of the Diana F+ to me is the simplicity of shooting. I usually use 400 ASA film or sometimes 3200 depending on the conditions. This simplicity frees you up to concentrate on composing the image. I have two Dianas, one with the 35 mm film back.

What do you choose to shoot?

Finding images is an intuitive thing with me. I generally have couple of cameras with me when shooting. Rather than go to specific locations looking for stuff to shoot, I have a number of regular walks which usually result in a few images. This time of the year I also enjoy the few foggy mornings we get. These conditions transform even the most mundane scenes.

You've made some really great Dianaramas. Tell us how do you go about creating these.

I love creating a Dianarama when I see the possibility. They are usually shot across two or sometimes three frames depending on how wide you want to go.

The process is very simple using micro clicks. You shoot, then wind on a few clicks, shoot, wind on a few more clicks, repeat until you reach the next frame number. The image is then across two frames. You can continue across as many frames as you like for even wider images.

What tips and tricks would you give to someone wanting to try out the Diana F+ camera.

The Diana is a great camera for shooting images free from having to think about camera settings. Set the aperture and you're good to go. Just go out and simply enjoy finding images with a great camera.

To see more of John's photos be sure to follow him at his LomoHome. And tell us about your own adventures with the Diana F+ in the comments!

2023-02-15 #news #people #medium-format #black-and-white #monochrome #panoramic #uk #diana-f #diana-family