Destruction & a Disposable Camera: The Results

A week ago I wrote about a creative project that I had read via Photojojo: basically destroying the lens of a disposable camera, taking pictures with it, and (hopefully) getting beautifully intriguing photos that highlight that creativity as a result.

Disposable camera in hand, Mike and I set out on a photo-journey this past weekend. We doused the lens of our cameras with clear nail polish, and scratched around the edges with the edge of a safety pin.

The destination chosen for exploration was Portland's Hawthorne Street, which is known for its iconic characters and interesting scenes. We stumbled upon one of the most eclectic and vast vintage thrift shops I have ever seen. There were record players, typewriters, a wide array of records, old cameras, sequined dresses, neon spandex, funky hats... pretty much anything you can image would be in the closet of everybody who lived between 1920 and 1960. Unfortunately, most of the photos taken inside the store did not come out because of the low light, so these are the ones mainly taken outside on Hawthorne.

Having gotten used to the advantage of all that is the digital camera for the past few years, I forgot how exciting it is to wait to pick up film. There is something mysterious about and hopeful in taking pictures with film: you cannot look at the screen right away to see what you captured, delete it if it was horrible, or zoom in to a certain aspect of the frame. You really have no idea what you are going to get.

I was grateful to get some good photos out of the project. It was fun to get out for the specific creative purpose that the day turned into as a result.

More on the weekend to come, hope you had a wonderful start to your week !