Summer In Close Up by Meicen Meng

In the summer of 2025, Meicen carried a 35mm film camera with them every day, capturing whatever caught their eye through an close-up 85mm lens — hence the title, Summer in Close Up. By the end of summer, they had 10 rolls of film and 364 photos. From those, 44 images were selected to be in the zine.

As they curated the zine, a central theme emerged from the collection: a deep attraction to those fleeting moments when we are all being alive together. This zine is a love letter to summer, to New York,  and to the radiant queer community they've built. It's a tribute to our shared, vibrant existence.