The Diana Show
Text by David Featherstone
The Friends of Photography (Untitled 21), 1980, 56 pages
ISBN 0-933286-17-1
"Equipment doesn't matter" is a phrase you will encounter often in discussions and writings about photography. The idea is that a great photograph is the result of a photographer's vision and skill rather than the use of a specific camera.
With the advent of the Diana camera in the 1960's – a cheap plastic camera with a plastic lens, made in Hong Kong – photographers had the perfect vehicle to put this idea to the test. The Diana was a bad camera by any standards: it had primitive controls, wretched image quality, and a propensity for light leaks!
But the Diana found acceptance in the photography community, as a first camera for students in university photography courses, and by professional photographers who wanted to challenge themselves with something radically different from their usual equipment. When an exhibition of Diana photography was organized, over 100 photographers submitted portfolios; 43 of those photographers have photos featured in this book.
All of the photos are printed in black & white. Captions are limited to the photographer's name, picture title, and original print type. David Featherstone's essay, "Pictures Through a Plastic Lens," gives a succinct history of Diana photography.
There are some beautiful and even striking photographs in this book, but there are also many that just look like bad photos. Overall, however, this is a fascinating look at what can be accomplished with extremely primitive equipment.
Recommended.