Every year, in the season between summer and autumn, the Analog Art Affair takes place in Cologne. It is a one-day event centered around analog photography—featuring cameras, film, prints, and gear, and, above all, many people who share this passion. As an exhibitor, this was my second time participating, and as always, it was a celebration of the analog photography community.
I arrived at the event site at Base around half past ten. The exhibitors were busy at their booths, so I took a small tour first. The quality of the exhibits impressed me greatly, and there was a joyful atmosphere in the halls. After I set up my own booth and introduced myself to my neighbors, the event kicked off, and the first visitors streamed into the hall.
At my booth, the Pentax 110 Auto, Pentax 17, Pentax ME, and Pentacon Six proved to be great eye-catchers and conversation starters leading to my prints. This sparked many conversations with all kinds of people: from beginners to veterans, from skeptics to enthusiasts of analog photography. Of course, there were also many Pentaxians in attendance. I particularly enjoyed the conversations about the images themselves. I was struck by how different the perspectives on them were. One customer saw her own watercolors in one of the images, which especially pleased me because I see my works as photographic images.
The community aspect rounded off the whole experience. I met not only members of the Online Analog Community but also many visitors from my booth last year. This time, I brought some reinforcement: many thanks to Toni for temporarily taking over my booth so I could grab something to eat and look around the event. Also, many thanks to Caroline & Bernd for taking such good care of me. The grappa was delicious.
What remains in the end? I am simply looking forward to next year and hope to be part of this event again. Many thanks to the organizers!