Shooting with Diana: First Impressions
Monday, June 20, 2011 at 9:00AM
Results are in from my first two rolls of film taken with the Diana F+. This was my first try at using a toy film camera and it was more of an experiment to see what I could do with it. I obviously wasn't expecting anything great right away. But after looking closely at the photos it was clear I might be trying to control the camera instead of letting the camera do what it does best.
Careful composition is not what this camera is made for. The best thing you can do is just aim it at what you're shooting. The fixed 75mm plastic lens is below the viewfinder, so what you see is not necessarily what you get. It will also give you a closer shot than what you actually see...but this is something you really shouldn't worry too much about. "Relinquish control," like the book says, so that the Diana can perform the way it's meant too...in a completely random way churning out unexpected results.
The Diana was built to be a fun camera that you don't put a lot of serious thought into. It's that charm of the camera that allows you to make really interesting photos. Putting a ton of thought into shooting with this camera completely defeats it's intended purpose.
I mentioned in a previous blog post that film makes you slow down a bit and spend more time visualizing the scene before taking then shot. This is definitely not a best practice when shooting with the Diana. The book that came with the camera explains it this way:
"All of these concepts imply an abrupt halt to activity - a conscious pause of your natural drive and instinct."
it continues..
