First Impression: Loretta Ramos shoots the Diana Instant Square

LA-based producer, Loretta Ramos is mostly known for dark, suspenseful TV shows, like Hannibal or American Gods. In her spare time, however, she likes to document the joys of her own life and her photographs convey a completely different mood and aesthetic than her work on TV. She has been enjoying shooting the Diana F+ with it's saturated, intense colors, so we thought she might be interested in testing our brand new Diana Instant Square as well, and we were not wrong. She was excited to try it out and shared with us her first impressions.

Hi Loretta, welcome to the Lomography Magazine. We are thrilled to have you here, please introduce yourself to our readers.
Thank you, I feel so privileged to be here! I am a television producer (I've worked on shows like "Hannibal" and "American Gods") and a VERY amateur photographer.

You have shot with the regular Diana F+ before, what did you like about that camera?
I love the unpredictability of it. Every photo is a surprise, and when you get to share the pictures with people their reaction is always joyful. And you'd be amazed at how excited people get just seeing you walking around with it, especially on set, because it's so different than the technology we've all become used to. It satisfies that craving for a tactile experience. Not to mention the cool color.

What sparked your interest in photography in the first place?
As a kid, I used to love looking through old family albums and slides. That started a desire to chronicle events with family and friends, and life in general. I used a 35 mm film camera for years, and when everything moved into the digital realm, I used it less and less, and ended up with a giant stockpile of film in the fridge. My husband bought me the Diana F+ as motivation to use up the film, and it absolutely worked.

Have you had any experience with instant cameras before testing the Diana Instant Square?
I used Polaroid cameras as a kid, and have played around a bit with some of the newer incarnations.

You got to test the very first prototype of the Diana Instant Square. What was your first impression of the results?
Really fun. All the unpredictability that I love about the Diana F+, but with instant gratification! There was a bit of a learning curve with exposure and framing, but even the "accidents" were shots I loved.

Can you describe the Diana Instant Square in three words?
Adorable, Unpredictable, Satisfying

Any advice for using the Diana Instant Square?
Use its quirkiness to your advantage. People you're photographing will be extremely curious about it and want to participate and see the results. And let yourself experiment with all the tools at your disposal - the multiple exposures, different lenses, etc. Some of my favorite shots were the layered exposures, for example of the Hollywood Farmers Market. The effect captured the market's frenetic energy better than any standard shot could have.

Big thanks to Loretta for testing our Diana Instant Square!

written by birgitbuchart on 2018-10-17 #gear #l-a #diana-instant-square #loretta-ramos