Everyone collects something, no matter how menial – and yes, your bottle top collection is menial. But then most collections would seem humble in comparison to London-based photographer Antony Nobilo‘s stockpile of over 300 (and counting) vintage cameras. And probably a lot less relevant; Nobilo’s fixation seeing the light of day in a contemporary climate where analogue photography holds much significance.
Nobilo wasn’t always riding the crest of Lomography or Instagram’s wave however, now 32 the fashion photographer has been collecting cameras since he began studying his art as a 17 year-old in school. Having started taking images of his accumulated devices for insurance purposes back in 2009, the New Zealander stumbled across the beginnings of his Beautiful Memories series; a ‘collection’ of images that has found its way – in the form of limited edition prints, gift cards, wrapping paper and placemats – into galleries like New York’s Clic and The Barbican, and design stores of Conran and SCP’s ilk.
For those who’re asking, and we were, Nobilo’s favourites are the Contax II and the Minolta Hi-Matic E, the latter on account of it bringing back childhood memories of his father “lining me and my sisters up for family snaps” – there’s no room for vintage nostalgia in the photographer’s professional world however, a chin-stroking Phase One taking care of business for the man whose analogue archives are growing increasingly close to cult status. And those archives are growing, Antony adding to the images weekly and promising to hit 100/300 by the end of the year – take a step back, smile and say cheese; Noblio’s memories are ones you’ll be wanting to snap up in their dozens.
Photography courtesy Antony Noblio,
print images courtesy Clic Gallery.
