INhonolulu Magazine Issue #15 - March 2014 | Page 24

From page 23
Holga appealing. After that, he began
purchasing and experimenting with
other plastic cameras; fixed lens, twin
lens, plastic lens.
“Each camera has it’s own quirks
or experiences with the image it produces,” he says, which is why he likes
shooting with a variety of cameras.
And it’s also why he stocks vintage
cameras from days gone by alongside the plastic “toy” cameras. They
provide different results, different effects, different avenues for a curious
mind to explore and experiment with.
“Digital is ultra sharp. You’re always looking at (the image) on a
bright monitor. The imperfections
of a plastic camera or the different
lenses give it character and make it
stand out.”
But lest Treehouse become a mere
habitat for hipsters on a retro fix, or
for collectors of the obscure, Bobby
is actually reaching out the community, and nurturing emerging photographers. He still holds regular
workshops aimed towards adults and
children. He also holds photo exhibits, usually featuring local, amateur
photographers using vintage or analog photography techniques. For one
such exhibit, he invited local photographers to display photos they had
taken with instant film cameras. Another exhibit featured vintage slides
collected by a young woman who frequents his store.
In fact, the day I went to meet
Bobby at Treehouse was the last day
of an exhibit they were holding that
featured the photography of Martha
Cooper, the renowned photographer
who documented the 1980s hip-hop
and street art scene in New York City.
Bobby saw that she was scheduled to
be here for POW! WOW! 2014, so he
reached out to her to see if she