Lomo'Instant: How to Make Instant Connections

Before moving to New York City, I was told that people keep to themselves. Thus, I set forth to put myself out there and create connections with the people in my community, using the Lomo’Instant as an icebreaker! I was proven wrong—if you show an ounce of kindness to anyone, they will overflow in return.

Often times people lack the courage to walk up to someone and say hello because he or she looks interesting. Or because it seems they need a form of human interaction. Or just because. We are ingrained with the idea that we should never talk to strangers and fear is instilled within us. But why? We are all human. And there is something to learn from our surroundings, including the people that make up our community. The Lomo’Instant serves as a perfect conversation starter and provides analogue courage because no one has seen an instant camera like this! It is immediately identifiable as a unique camera with abilities like no other instant cameras, such as creating beautiful multiple exposures. The Lomo’Instant will print out the photograph at the spur of the moment for you to share, to give away, to place on the wall, or keep in your archives.

Our memory serves as a incomplete reminder of the past, thus it is necessary to take a photo to capture the moment. It is proof that an interaction came into existence. It is a memory shared. And the Lomo’Instant is perfect for sharing a moment. It slips perfectly in your backpack, so it’s the perfect travel companion. Just the fact that I had the Lomo’Instant on hand motivated me to seek connections with strangers. These people shed a lot of light in my life and these instant photos serves as a reminder. Each person has a story, are you willing to listen to it?

Karma Connections
I was walking through the Village, in my normal state of disheveled behavior, and I passed by a homeless man. He pleaded at me but I ignored him. As I finished up my errands, I passed by him again but unlike the first time I felt compelled to give back, thus I acknowledged him and gave him money. Without thinking too deeply into it, I was off to my local coffee shop to get my usual cookie and cappuccino. Once I arrived, I learned that all the cookies were gone. I was left with a wall of disappointment and a state of confusion to quickly think of an alternate plan of action. I was deep in conversation with the barista and there was no going back. He was telling me how he felt for me because they were also his favorite cookies. After some light conversation, he ended up giving me my cappuccino. The magic of a moment, an instant connection. When one is kind without any expectation, the world will find other ways to be kind back.

Shared Connections
Sometimes a connection is between others and you just happen to be a witness to the beauty of love. KJ and Khachoe come from two different places but have learned to share love and grow to have similar beliefs and ideals. Thus I let them share the moment by taking a photo of each other. The last photo of the bunch is a way to collaborate with your friends by using the multiple exposure setting. The four of us passed around the Lomo’Instant and took photographs of each other that froze the moment of time and captured the essence of youth.

Old Friends, New Connections
Paths converge and diverge like waves in the ocean. But there is always a reason for it. Don’t hold onto anything but let it enjoy the course of freedom and hope that it will return when the time is right. My oldest and longest friendship remains with Emily. Although we haven’t always been there every step of the way, our friendship has been able to exercise the freedom of individual growth and come together when the planets align. Our friendship serves as a reminder that there is no correct way to navigate through life but each will find his or her own way through this maze. Who is going to accompany you along the way?

Instant Connection
An instant connection can be made wherever you are, wherever you go, with anyone and everyone. We are not so different from one another, no matter our race, gender, religion, or physical attributes. At the end of the day, we are all humans. And we all have the ability to be kind, to love, to think, to grow, to change, and so much more.

Make sure you are aware, have your eyes peeled, and your Lomo’Instant on hand. A connection can be as instantaneous as a photograph, or even last a lifetime. But you never know until you give it a chance. Thank you for taking the time to read about my connections, and I would love to read about yours!

A final tip that I want to leave you with is to always have your Lomo’Instant on hand and get close. Don’t be shy, get to know your community, and get really really close.

written by mindofmyra on 2014-10-31 #lifestyle #instax #nyc #new-york-city #lomo-instant #mindofmyra #instant-connection