Yankees Magazine: Vintage Look

Using mid-20th century cameras, Yankees Magazine captures Opening Day in a whole new light

May 2nd, 2016
Yankees Magazine photographers used Graflex cameras to document Opening Day in the Bronx with an old-school look.New York Yankees

Today's in-stadium experience reflects the high-tech world that we live in. In 2016, we've seen iPads in the dugout and emoji stickers on bat knobs. We can watch a remarkably high-definition replay in the palms of our hands and order peanuts and Cracker Jack through the same device.
The photographers who document the national pastime have also reaped the benefits of technological advances. Using high-powered lenses that can cost more than a used car, baseball photogs can capture thousands of high-resolution images on a memory card not much bigger than your thumbnail before instantly sharing them with millions of people.

But while the old days entailed a labor-intensive process that included a trip to the darkroom to develop film before anyone could see the photo, there's something poignant about the images that were produced. The big, bulky cameras of yesteryear often yielded dramatic, nuanced pictures in which the contrast of light and shadow could stir emotions decades after they were taken.
On Opening Day this season, we decided to meld the past and present. Thanks to a loan from the Penumbra Foundation, Yankees Magazine photographers captured the scene at Yankee Stadium on April 5 using the same type of Graflex cameras that Joe DiMaggio and Mickey Mantle once posed for.
Take a close look, and see the Yankees as they haven't been seen in a long time.