Hola Escolta Street Party Captured With The Simple Use Film Camera

Deep in the heart of Manila is Escolta Street – the original financial district of the capital of the Philippines. Though it has seen better days, the past decade has seen a revival of this historic street, thanks in part to the famed art deco style First United Building, which currently houses HUB: Make Lab, an adaptive incubator space for creative startups and artists. The building also acts as an alternative shopping center. Occupying the ground floor, HUB: Make Lab houses independent artists and stores, as well as the famous coffee shop The Den. Beyond this, other tenants have moved into the building to bring this historical building back to life.

Last November, the historic streets of Escolta were filled again with lively sounds as people flooded the centuries-old street for Hola Escolta, an activation by HUB: Make Lab and other partners. Similar to the Escolta Block Party that happened before the pandemic, Hola Escolta aimed to showcase the rich history of the area and with diverse programming of history, art, fashion, and music. Our local partner FilmFolk gave away some expired Lomography Simple Use Reloadable Film Cameras to participants to capture the festivities with.

Our cameras were in the hands of two LomoAmigos @mynegativefeelings and @reesevision, as well as one of the organizers Arts Serrano and event photographer Yane Estrada, along with myself, @rocket_fries0036. Let’s check out the historic sights of Escolta with the Simple Use Camera.

Arts Serrano is an architect who runs One Zero Design Co. which is housed in the First United Building. His love for preserving and putting importance on local heritage buildings is something he constantly advocates for, which is why he was part of the team that put together Hola Escolta. Through his photos, we get to see how the party started, from behind the scene photos to how it progressed through the whole day.

Since we were running around making sure the street party was running smoothly it was great that I could put the Simple Use Camera in my pocket and bring it anywhere! It was my first time using this camera and I liked how the daytime shots were surprisingly crisp for a point-and-shoot! The flash is also cool with the color gels!

@reesevision's photos of the party reflect her style of personal and close up photos that seem to make the giant festival an intimate affair. Catching the more intricate details she gets up close and personal to the performers, and other activities of the party, like the mural painting, and arts and crafts. As it was her first time using the Simple Use Camera, the highlight for her was using the gel color filter to highlight the emotions she wanted to bring out in each picture

Using the SUC camera for the first time was a breeze. The camera is really light and easy to use. Plus, it's not pricey and I could shoot at parties and not have to worry about my camera/gear. The photos I got from it were very cute and funky. I didn't know what to expect since I was alternating between different flash colors. My photos were fun and had that nostalgic vintage feel from disposable cameras. My favorite part about the camera was the different flash colors that switched the moods of the photos I was taking. I had so much fun taking photos and experimenting!

LomoAmigo SP (@mynegativefeelings) was one of the assigned photographers to cover the Hola Escolta event. Known for his portraits of male figures, he also has been trying his hand at event photography. Capturing more of the nighttime and party scene, he takes us with him as he traverses the dancefloor for up-close and colorful images.

Using the Simple Use Camera felt like reuniting with my old pal, the Holga 135 BC. I love how easy it is – it just nudges you to be spontaneous. It's like revisiting Lomography's 10 Golden Rules – simple, fun, and full of good vibes! These photos remind me of the times when I'd snap pictures of my friends on those fun, slightly tipsy nights! I'm all about that plastic lens! There's something about them that I just love. They give you those low-fi, experimental, and dreamy vibes in your photos.

Yane Estrada is no stranger to Escolta as he has often taken photos of the different parties and events that happen in the area. As people are mostly at the center of his work, he loves taking fashion portraits of the people wandering the streets of the area, from mundane days to lively events. His Simple Use Camera photos showcase the many types of people who came through the street party.

It was definitely a challenge using it at first. My biggest issue was how my fingers were too big and I had no clue if it was covering the lens a bit since I was too caught up in the moment. The mechanism of using the flash was a bit confusing to understand at first but after my first shot with flash, it was smooth afterwards. I like how the portraits came out. However, I feel like there's still a lot I can learn and improve in terms of using the camera. I liked how it was so light! As with film, I love how I get to be intentional due to the limit of shots I can take.

As for me, I was invited to play at Hola Escolta, which brought me back to when I played there during another street party a few years ago. The chaotic energy and festive atmosphere is always something to look forward to and I was excited to capture everything on film. Starting towards late afternoon, I decided to go down near the famed Jones Bridge in Binondo and walk until Escolta Street. I shot a mix of street photography while there was still some light but the weather was not cooperating and it eventually got gloomy.

I love the Simple Use Camera because it’s a camera that can jumpstart your film journey. Not only because it is reusable but the color gel filters allow you to take your first steps into experimental and fun photography.

We thank our partners FilmFolk for sending these cameras to our community! Be sure to check out and keep up with Arts Serrano, Yane Estrada, @mynegativefeelings, @reesevision and @rocket_fries0036. Where do you want to bring the Simple Use Camera next? Comment Down Below!

written by rocket_fries0036 on 2024-03-17 #gear #culture #people #places #music #manila #streets #expired-film #colorsplash #cn400 #simple-use-camera #apac