I have a new love at the moment, and it’s name is ‘Lomo‘. What is Lomo? Well, analogue photography using a Lomo camera, like a Diana, Holga or Lomo LC-A.
I was intrigued recently by a Lomo feature on Etsy and then got chatting on Twitter with Alexandra who works for Lomography. I had a look at the site, the members, their collections and became drawn in by these lovely whimsical, colourful images, and by the interesting, talented and supportive community on Lomography.
Lomo cameras (sometimes referred to as ‘toy’ cameras because of their plastic bodies and lenses) produce distinctive images that incorporate strange effects like vignetting, light streaks and bright saturated colours. Lomo images have a distinctly vintage effect overall, are sometimes ethereal, other wordly, odd, whimsical and strangely fascinating.
Lomo photography has been around for quite a while now (having begun in the 1960′s when the cameras were first produced), and had a resurgence in the 1990s when a couple of guys picked up a Lomo camera in Austria, and were excited by the unusual quality of the images the cameras and film produced. Lomography has since generated a huge renaissance in analogue photography, and the community continues to grow with new stores opening up all over the place.
I have three Lomo cameras, the lovely and quirky new Dian Mini + in black and turquoise, a bright pink Holga 120 GCFN, and a bright yellow Holga CB135. Owning the LOMO LC-A+ is my ambition for the new year.
The Diana Mini has been produced by Lomography, and is based on the classic Diana + created in the 1960′s, but smaller, neater and more compact, though still incorporating the square format images (optional), and using 35mm film as opposed to 120mm. It’s fab, and I have had lots of fun with it thus far. I joined the Lomography society site, and have picked up some good tips there, here is my page, Illusio on Lomography.
Also, in my quest for information about Lomography, I came across this amazing blog, that includes the loveliest Lomo photography and engagingly titled, Diana Mini Love, check it out.
As for my mad pink Holga, I haven’t played with it as much yet. It only includes 12 to 16 exposures on a standard roll of 120mm film, depending on whether using rectangle or square format. My yellow Holga is easier to use in many ways, and takes the standard 35mm film, which is easier to purchase and get developed. It includes a hot shoe flash that has coloured gels attached which slip easily over the flash. However, if you want film that incorporates special effects like Redscale or X-Pro Chrome, then buy from the Lomography Shop.
I am very excited by this new hobby. In as much as digital photography has immense advantages, there is a quaint charm to Lomo analogue photography. Analogue/Lomo photography is a chancy and experimental business. Ones approach has to be entirely different, and in fact, what would be considered a fairly prosaic shot using a state of the art digital camera, can with a Lomo camera, be imbued with a special mixture of excitment and artistic intensity.
Lomography now has two stores in London, one situated in 3 Newburgh Street, W1F 7RE, and the other, newly opened in 117 Commercial Street, E1 6BG in the old Billingsgate market.
Some cool lomo links:
- Lomography
- Diana Mini Love
- The Lomo Camera: Shoot from the Hip
- Life in the Lo Lane: All you need to know about Lomo Cameras
SOME LOMO LOVE
Holga 135 Mini Break by Amy Taylor (Squamy)
One Response to “Lomography”