Taken with an old Kodak, these colour-drenched street shots from 1980s New York and Latin America are a superb visual treat
David Katzenstein’s Brownie is a love letter to one of Kodak’s most modest cameras. Made entirely with a Duaflex between 1979 and 1989, the photographs embrace soft focus, unpredictable exposures and simple compositions, revealing how technical limitations can inspire a distinctive and deeply personal body of work. The post Taken with an old Kodak, these colour-drenched street shots from 1980s…
David Katzenstein's book "Brownie" features photographs taken between 1979 and 1989 using a Kodak Duaflex film camera. This camera, a descendant of the iconic Kodak Brownie, was designed to be simple, inexpensive, and technically limited. Katzenstein, based in New York, purchased his first Duaflex at a yard sale in 1975 and spent a decade exploring the unconventional results that came from deliberately compromising photographic quality and control.
The resulting images showcase saturated colors, layered compositions, and a soft focus that gives the photographs a painterly feel. Katzenstein's work, which has appeared in publications such as Rolling Stone, The New Yorker, and Condé Nast Traveler, takes viewers on a visual journey through the streets of New York, Latin America, and North Africa. The photographs possess a dreamlike quality, with unexpected framings and subtle imperfections creating a unique visual language.
Katzenstein has often cited painters Pierre Bonnard and Henri Matisse as influences, which is reflected in his use of color and spatial relationships. The book rewards multiple viewings, as each pass reveals new details and nuances. Despite being more than 40 years old, the photographs in "Brownie" remain a superb visual treat.
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