My new book.
It was January here when I wandered into Urban Outfitters only to stumble upon one of my very most wished, wishes. A film camera! The one and only DIANA+ (I had no idea at the time how important a DIANA+ was though haha)! With no idea how to use one and it being verrrrrrry expensive (and me totally poor) I decided to wait. But the prints were awesome, the film was available, I debated and debated. Spending near to an 1 hour standing there. Afterwards I left the shop empty handed, with not wanting to waste my money and so and so and I walked around in the city of Frankfurt for awhile only to spontaneously come across a very cool vintage shop, back to the century was the name I hope/think! What was the first thing I saw in the shop? A DIANA+! but no, not one, not two but lots and lots and lots DIANA+’s. Well wasn’t I in heaven! I still had a problem with not having so much money, I asked to do a layby with man being so interested in Australia, he agreed and with a bonus packet of photo holders included. I left the shop with the idea of not buying just a DIANA+ but the whole pack which included many lenses, cords, cables, a flash and various other goodies. I vowed to think about it thoroughly and return in the next few days. Well… I can’t really remember how many days or perhaps even it was hours before I returned to the shop, bargained, got 20 Euro off (but no photo holders :( ) and I was a very happy chappy walking to the train station, hoping on a train, travelling home with a plastic lomo camera. I got home, fiddled and read and probably did all the wrong things before setting it up on my window sill. I took some photos over the next few weeks but I was so unsure of what do or how to work, with the DIANA+ being not a camera that came with great instructions (which at the time I was so maddened by!) Anyway, I heading to DM the cheapest shop (similar to priceline) and had my first film developed, well actually 2. I returned everyday after, waiting and waiting, 5 days later there was my packet, glorious, unopened, full of wonderful cool pictures……….wrong. One of my films apparently had nothing on it and the other was just a collection of shit blurry photos. I was so bitterly disappointed. I think I might have cried. So back went my DIANA+ on my window sill. A few times I went and hunted for more film and read a little bit about the DIANA+, but for a good 8 weeks my camera remained on my window sill. I was often upset when I looked at it, thinking I had totally wasted my money and something like an iphone/pod/pad with a vintage camera app would of been better. I continued not to touch it. At Easter time I was bound for a holiday to France, randomly I decided to pack this piece of crap camera, I went and bought film and actually read and read and read nearly all of the DIANA+ info. Returned from France and had the film developed and so it goes, practice makes well not perfect that’s not what DIANA+ is but it made something brilliant. It sparked something. It is now nearly 8 weeks later and I have clicked and clicked and clicked. I am at the moment getting 4 films developed which is a total thrill in itself. Screw going to the computer and just looking. Let me feel and touch the photos I have made with this little piece of plastic magic. I think I developed something more than a picture in France. This little piece of plastic let me hide my face behind it when I was homesick and wanted to have a tear. It captured the smile of me when I saw a beach for the first time in 3 months but most of all it has helped keep me a little sane. I read the last DIANA+ book today realised something, that each photo has a story to go with it and it is true… After that long story, this is what I actually wanted to post about! Tomorrow I am going to go into the city and I have going to purchase a giant book and I have going to make my life in this book with photos I have captured with my very own, better than a friggin iphone/pod/pad, money worth while and not shit, plastic piece of wonder, the DIANA+. This book with my photos and captions stuck in (maybe without even captions) will see me head through the next years of my life. It will see school, boyfriends, uni, parties, family, christmas’s, birthdays, outings, gatherings, a lot more and perhaps even the world. DIANA+, thank you for not coming with instructions.
