“Does anyone need help loading their film?”
Roughly twenty passengers aboard the bright yellow school bus raise their hand, and one-by-one our patient chaperon assists them. So began a photogenic fieldtrip to a secret location where we’d snap pictures with loaned Lomography cameras. Hosted by the Lomography NYC Gallery Shop, the workshop gives you an opportunity to experiment with a Lomography camera of your choice—from Diana Minis to Spinner 360s to Lubitel 166s.
If all that sounds like a foreign language, you’re not alone. Before the Lomography guide explained the options, I was in the same boat. (Or bus?) Each type of toy-like camera is amazingly simple, and yields variations of the charming retro prints characteristic of Lomography analogue photography—think hazy, over-exposed images with vibrant, saturated colors.
The bus departed from the Lomography Shop in Greenwich Village, and as it crossed the Brooklyn Bridge we all smiled in curious anticipation. “I bet they’re taking us to Red Hook,” said the bohemian young woman I’d chosen to sit next to. But as we drove past the shipping docks and watched the Statue of Liberty fade into a speck, we realized we weren’t quite there yet.
Forty-five minutes and eight suppressed urges to sing, “Who Stole the Cookies from the Cookie Jar” later, I shouted “Coney Island!” as The Cyclone roller coaster came into sight. The bus driver pulled over, cut the engine, and we disembarked to begin the three-hour snap-fest.
With the Lomography motto, “Don’t think, just shoot” in mind, I took pictures of anything of interest on the boardwalk that exceptionally sunny day: a little girl dressed like a mermaid; a white-haired man looking in horror as he read the newspaper; a wrinkly woman gazing at the ocean who gave this photographer the bird when she realized she was my subject. By the end of the session, I’d gone through two rolls of film and taken over 60 pictures.
The group reconvened at the boardwalk bar chosen as the designated end-point by our Lomography guides, where they treated us all to a celebratory shot of vodka. I ran to Nathan’s for a quick hot dog before boarding the bus back to the Greenwich Village Lomography shop where we returned the cameras and submitted our film rolls to be developed.
It was a picture-perfect way to spend a Saturday–a thrilling, mysterious journey followed by hours of learning a creative new skill and ending with a hot dog. There are two more fieldtrips to two more mysterious off-Manhattan destinations planned in May, and you’d be wise to sign up before the seats are snapped up.
Stop by the LomographyNYC Gallery Store to purchase tickets for the next (top secret) trip. The $20 admission fee includes transportation, camera rental, and film. Learn more at lomography.com and follow the company on twitter @lomographynyc for tour updates.
Photos in order: Courtesy of Lomography and the author
Sarah Knapp is a Brooklyn based entrepreneur whose love for the outdoors and community building led her to the October 2013 creation of OutdoorFest. She has a BA in History, is a Wilderness First Responder and a NY state hiking, camp and boating guide. Her proudest achievement to date is reading the Aeneid in Latin. 
Allison was one of our first top writers and Chief Editor but is no longer working with offMetro. Allison is a native New Yorker, who has lived in Rome, Tuscany, Melbourne, Toronto and Los Angeles. She frequently contributed travel pieces to Family Travel Forum, using her own children as guinea pigs as they travel the globe. She never missed a chance to sample local delicacies, as her love for travel goes hand-in-hand with her love for food and wine. 
Josh Laskin is a freelance travel writer and photographer based in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. When he is not at work or on the road, you can find him in the mountains snowboarding, climbing, hiking, fly fishing, mountain biking, and eating bagel bites.
Annie is a travel writer, environmentalist, and surfer based in Venice, CA. She heads up our West Coast team, keeps our grammatical errors in check, and makes sure our California writers always have a plan for their next adventure. Follow Annie’s travels @annelisemcb.
Carly Pifer is a freelance writer who has been known to follow whims inspired by romantic movie scenes or colorful street style shots to India, Japan, Tunisia and Argentina. After stints living in Seoul, Boston, Paris and Los Angeles, writing and searching for something intangible, she landed somewhat steadily in Brooklyn and has begun to find inspiration in her more immediate surroundings. 
Kate E. O’Hara is a New York based freelance writer and photographer who loves all things food—especially the people who make it and market it. Her writing aims to capture the essence of the food experience; the stories that go well beyond a plate of ingredients. In addition to her love of food, Kate is also known to have a hankering for red wine and craft beer. You can also find Kate on Instagram