“Normally when you go to a development spot, there’s a counter, you drop off your film, and you leave. We thought there could be a space where conversations could develop, where people could meet and we could curate a wall of books and zines, and you could grab one and be inspired, then grab some film, go shoot, come back, and get it developed, to create this kind of cycle or ecosystem that isn’t really there in photography right now,” Dia explains.
A crucial part of Manual’s agenda in wanting to make photography more accessible is affordable pricing. “The whole concept was that we wanted the next generation of kids to start shooting from that shop. So you could come in not knowing much about photography, and grab a camera and a roll, go shoot it, get it developed, and spend less than $25 for that whole cycle,” Dia explains.
Although Manual is inextricably a part of New York, the company also values sharing its sense of community in other parts of the world. Manual recently traveled to Japan to collaborate with, a Tokyo-based collective of artists and DJs, by hosting a pop-up party and event at Trunk Hotel. Tokyo was just the beginning, however, for Manual in asserting its international presence and uplifting youth culture everywhere through photography.