Abreeza Mall’s Atrium was jampacked with teens dressed in their favorite anime, cartoon and video characters, though I did see the KFC Lady and McDonald Jr. doing the rounds. And two guys with TVs on their heads.

Some characters were familiar because family members are anime fans and we do have costumes and swords at home. I was transported to the dynamic hub of Akihabara where cosplayers are normal sightings as well as in Takeshita street in Tokyo (I did walk a road in my rented kimono, umbrella and uncomfortable clogs, but that is another story).

Before the pandemic, cosplay events were a regular thing in the city and a cause for excitement among young and old avid dressers. I’m just glad the hype is slowly getting back in the malls. I didn’t bring my usual gears, though. Instead I brought an old camera just for fun.

Launched in 2013, the Fuji XM1 is a small compact digital camera which was discontinued (hobbyists still scour thrift shops or online stores for used gadgets). This gear has been known for its film color simulations, x-trans sensor, saturation and tonal rendering, perfect for my idea of capturing vivid colors and wigs swirling around me. I wanted nostalgic retro vibes and to embrace the fuzzy, grainy feel of images.

If you notice how off centered and slanted my shots are, that’s for discreetly shooting from the hip. Plus I could only calculate candid angles without a viewfinder. I felt the familiar rush of film excitement when you don’t really know if you’ve overexposed all shots, or if there was even one good image to save.

This is a fun challenge when you feel some creative slump and want to feel inspired again. Challenge yourself. My goal was to capture street photography by resurrecting old gears I used to love. I also brought a toy camera, a paper shoot camera, and a smaller compact camera in my heavy bag, but will use them for another time.

Thanks to those amazing kids who happily posed for me. You are awesome, and so are your supportive parents. 🥰