Making a Moment: Book Labyrinth by @pmonroe

In our article series, Making a Moment, we’re asking photographers to share one of their favorite photos that they’ve taken. We want to know the story behind the final image and everything that went into making it.

This time we welcome Lomographer Paul (@pmonroe) who has been shooting on film since the 80s. He admits to us that he “jumped on the digital train” during his university years, but eventually became disenchanted. “I missed the whole process of shooting film – feeling the moment, composing each shot, the anticipation, the unknown, the surprises, the chemical burns, going cra-zay with expired rolls, cross-processing, shooting 50-year-old cameras found at the back of an antique store, the randomness of it all.”

These days with a film camera firmly and constantly in his hands, Paul is here to tell us all about a spontaneous photo he shot while exploring downtown Busan.

Paul: It is certainly hard to choose a favorite photo, I mean, each photo has a story to tell and they are all significant to me in some particular way. However, I chose “Book Labyrinth” because it was actually one of the first photos that I uploaded on Lomography, and I recall the randomness of shooting it.

My wife and I were walking through an old market area in downtown Busan and we came across an alley with many bookshops, some of which could hardly be entered because of the surreal amount of books piled up every which way. I climbed up the stairs of this one particular book shop all the way to the top, and my wife sat and watched from down below. Before the bookshop attendant attempted to shoo me away, I composed and quickly took this shot using the gifted Nikon F3, which was actually the last shot taken on my last roll of Agfa Vista Plus 200 (which is not produced anymore) that I had brought with me on this trip.

It turned out to be a beaut, one that I still very much enjoy to this day. The lens used to take this shot is the Nikkor-N.C. Auto 24mm f/2.8, which was produced in the early 1970s. The shot was taken with the lens wide open, and I have discovered that this lens renders certain films in unexpected, neat ways.

To see more of Paul's photography be sure to follow him at his LomoHome.

In this series of articles we're asking you to share the story behind your favorite photo. Interested in being featured? Email alex.gray@lomography.com with the subject line - Making a Moment.

written by alexgray on 2024-04-16 #making-a-moment #korea #community #busan #making-a-moment