HOUSTON – When thinking about taking photos, the average person uses the lens on their iPhone, or maybe a personal camera. But one local photographer used a GAME BOY to capture a photo of Downtown Houston that went VIRAL! Michael Costilla sat down with Courtney and Katherine to give them the story behind this iconic gadget from the 90s and how he captures such special images with it.
When Michael was in middle school, one of his favorite hobbies included collecting Game Boys. He found one at a thrift store for a reasonable price around $18 then later found a Game Boy camera lens as an accessory. He then started using the gadget to take pictures. Oh! And guess what? The Game Boys STILL WORKS if he wanted to play original games—how cool?!
How does the Game Boy take pictures, you ask? He had someone 3D model an adapter which he then 3D printed and connected a CC TV lens to it. He put the entire thing together using an old security camera lens with a tighter shot to create beautifully detailed retro-like images.
The viral photo he took of Downtown Houston got over 150K+ likes, and 1 million views across Instagram and TikTok. You can watch his interview above to see the image and get the backstory of his work.
What started off as a way to capture moments for friends and family, became an overnight sensation on social media. “I’m just kind of shocked that it took off,” he says.
Michael now has created a small photography book called “Brick by Bit” where he shows the beauty of architecture and photography through his Game Boy photos. The book launches in a few weeks and is available to preorder. You can message him on Instagram here or via his email: michaelscamera414@gmail.com to get a copy!