The New York film community is growing. As new photographers pick up old analog cameras, the niche form of photography remains alive. Brooklyn Film Camera partnered with Lomography USA hosted their annual Film Photo Gathering at Prospect Park.
The event perfectly captured the passion and love that film photographers have for the discipline.
As always prospect park was breathtakingly peaceful. The bright sun and comfortable temperature made the venue more inviting.
The green meadow was filled with people enjoying their day without a care in the world. On one side of the field stood an unusual flag resembling a roll of 35mm film that singled film enthusiasts to gather.
The crowd grew large and everyone was excited to see what the picnic had to offer for the event.
This picnic event welcomed all sorts of film photographers, whether you shoot small, medium, or large. I was greeted with water and the staff hosting the event encouraged everyone to talk to one another.
Brooklyn Film Camera and Lomography held workshops to teach other forms of film photography including a cool introduction to the Wet Plate Collodion, where Colby Sadeghi demonstrated how he takes portraits using the Wet Plate Collodion method.
Workshops like these were very hands-on allowing new photographers to experiment with expert-level techniques. I even had a portrait taken on a large-format camera.
The attendance was great and the event was incredibly welcoming to film photographers. Everyone attending showed up with their cameras, ready to talk and shoot, and if it’s one thing film photographers love to talk about most, it’s their camera.
FIlm shooters came in with 110, 35, 120, and even 8mm cameras. Everyone was vibing with one another, talking about their favorite film stock, or exchanging Instagram.
As a film photographer, I always talk about how inclusive the community is. We’re all just trying to learn and develop. I talked to a couple of film photographers at the event who were extremely nice.
It’s not every day you find others who’re interested in this niche form of photography. It was just pleasant to talk to others who appreciated the craft which sparked the motivation for me to create.
The New York film community continues to grow each year. As photographers who refuse to see film die out, it is our responsibility to encourage each other to grow and create more regardless of what format we’re shooting on.
It is our duty to introduce this intimidating technique of capturing newcomers who are interested instead of gatekeeping. I believe it is the grit of healthy competitiveness that makes this community great.