A Visit to the Wetlands with Lydia Robinson and the Lomo'Instant Wide Glass

London-based photographer Lydia Robinson is no stranger to working in unexpected settings. Her portrait and music photography has taken her everywhere from living rooms and bathrooms to festivals, fairgrounds, and even outside launderettes. When we sent her the Lomo'Instant Wide Glass, Lydia teamed up with model Cristianna Dwyer at her local wetlands - an environment where lush trees and tangled foliage collide with concrete blocks and electric pylons.

Hi, Lydia. What were your first impressions of the new Lomo'Instant Wide Glass?

My first impression was just excitement to be honest. I haven’t seen or come across a camera that is like this one, nor have I seen many people use a camera like this, which makes it quite a novelty to see the results.

I think trying out new cameras is always so fun, it allows you to play with creativity and push you out of your comfort zone.

How is the experience of using this camera different from other instant cameras you have used?

The biggest difference for me is the size of it. It’s much bigger than instant cameras I’ve used in the past which makes it a lot more interesting as you can capture wider shots with more setting and background.

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

I chose to take this with me on a model test shoot. I live near some wetlands in London, full of greenery and nature so I wanted to experiment with contrasting a more natural setting with a grungey/gritty aesthetic the model and I were going for.

What did you think of the results? Did they surprise you in any way?

I thought the detail in the photos was really sharp, which surprised me as a lot of instant photography can feel a little hazy or somewhat blurred. I think this might be down to the lens and it being glass opposed to plastic. As well as this, the colors were so vibrant and really brought out the different tones in the locations we shot in.

Did shooting with this camera change your photographic perspectives or habits?

It has, I think the fact the photos are 6x9 rather than 6x6 has challenged me to see things more in landscape. I’m very prone to shooting portrait, often due to social media and mainly how it feels instinctively more natural to shoot portraits vertically. But I think moving forward it’s encouraged me to want to capture more in both portrait and landscape - they equally have their benefits.

Any tips for other people wanting to try out the Lomo’Instant Wide Glass?

I’d absolutely recommend anyone wanting to give this a go to definitely try it out. It’s very lightweight, produces great detail and colors, you can also double expose your photos which is an amazing feature for an instant camera. It’s such a nice addition to have on a shoot that provides a completely different perspective when shooting digital or film.

To see more of Lydia's work, visit her Instagram page. We'd also like to thank model Cristianna Dwyer!

2025-10-28 #gear #people #london #uk #photoshoot #pylons #wetlands #lomoinstant-wide-glass Share Article