Snapshots on 120 Film from the Blue Moon Camera Team and the Diana F+

In the name of saving medium format, we've partnered up with our beloved wholesale retailers to see some of their unique, creative snapshots using the Diana F+. We sent some LomoChrome Turquoise and Lomography 800 film, along with a Diana F+ camera to the team at Blue Moon Camera in Portland, Oregon, for their owner, Zeb Andrews, and team member, Alvin Park, to have fun shooting with. Today, we chat with Zeb about his experience with the camera and his love for playful, quirky cameras like the Diana.

Hi Zeb, welcome to Lomography Magazine! How was your overall experience shooting with the Diana F+?

I have to be honest, I have always been more of a Holga guy than a Diana guy. But in general, I love using cameras like these. I feel like they give me permission to play around a bit more, and take photography a little less serious, so I feel ok trying weird stuff, making mistakes, and happening across the occasional unexpected success.

How did it compare to the experience of shooting other more conventional medium format cameras?

This dovetails into my above answer. When I use a camera like my Hasselblad that was built so much more precisely and with a professional mindset, I operate under expectations that I need to make more "serious" photos with it. It sounds ridiculous but it is true. Yes, I do experimental stuff with my Hasselblad from time to time, but it doesn't come as naturally as when I am using a "less serious" camera like the Diana.

What did you decide to shoot with this roll and why?

I used LomoChrome Turquoise. I love this film and its subversive way of reminding me that the way we see the world is subjective rather than objective. Combining the quirks of LomoChrome Turquoise to the quirks of the Diana is a great recipe for fun, many failed experiments, and often some cool successes.

Do you have a favorite feature of the Diana F+?

The primitive nature of the lens. I love proving that you can take a lens made out of a single piece of uncoated, curved plastic that has definite softness at the edges, plenty of chromatic aberration, and other things many would call defects, and use it to produce fun, interesting images. It is a great reminder that striving for perfection sometimes moves you farther away from what you really want in an image, rather than closer to it.

What are your hopes for the future of 120 film?

I am primarily a medium format photographer. I do about 85-90% of my photography on 120 film, so I am quite invested in its future and hope I never have to see a day without a healthy selection of 120 films.

What tips would you give others wanting to try the Diana F+?

Set your expectations appropriately. The Diana has plenty of ways for things to go wrong. Be prepared to have fun and experiment, and then remember that experimentation involves a lot of "failures", but those misses are what paves the way to getting photos you would not have made with any other camera. And it is a good opportunity to let go of some of the seriousness you may instill in your process and just play around a bit.

What do you like about 120 film format in general when compared to 35 mm?

The size of the negative of course, and the resulting benefits that come with it. But I really like the limited number of shots too. I work much more slowly and deliberately. It is tough for me to get through 12 6x6 exposures even on a productive day and sometimes a roll of 120 can last me a weekend, a week, or even a couple months. For example, I loaded a roll of Fuji Velvia in my Fuji G617 (which produces four 6x17cm frames per roll) in September and just finished it right before Christmas. I like to take my time and make each exposure count. Since I do this, a roll of 35 mm can sometimes feel quite daunting with its 36 exposures. So I love the limited number of frames that come with using 120 film and how that has taught/encouraged me to be more selective with my image making process.

A big thanks to Zeb and the team at Blue Moon Camera for joining us! You can check out Blue Moon Camera's online shop here, or follow them on Instagram.

written by alexa_alexiades on 2024-02-16 #gear #partners #medium-format #120 #diana-f #lomography-partners