Lomography

[SteveW]

There is hope... there really is.

My lad (21)and his friends are getting into Lomo cameras.
Basically industrially made old 35mm and 120mm cameras from the old eastern bloc (I could be wrong here... haven't researched it much !)
Big old flash guns that you can put filters on, panoramic cameras... dead dead simple, but beautiful results. I've seen some of them.

They are getting really trendy, and marketed as such.
its a kick back against digital, and all the better for it I reckon.

Here is a cut and paste from the order I placed for his christmas present (A Diane F+ with 35mmm back as it happens :))

" We're seriously committed to making sure your Lomographic order arrives in the best possible condition. At the moment our holistic shipping experts are busy preparing your treasured cargo psychologically for the journey that lies ahead. After a bit of chanting and chakra balancing our packaging architects will set to work making your goods as comfortable as possible. Under the cover of darkness a no-messing security troop will escort your package to the post depot to ensure it departs without a sniff of trouble. It's at this point we release two pigeons of peace as a symbol of thanks for another successful shipment. "


Outstanding. :lolsign:

[Marco]

Hi Steve,

Threads in the Abstract Gallery should have actual pictures taken by members in them.

If not, and the thread in question is simply a general discussion on some aspect of photography, then it goes into Abstract Chat, which is where I've moved it to now :)

Marco.

[The Vinyl Adventure]

The irony is it's just recently got many times more popular because of the iPhone apps that emulate the shit quality photos these cameras produce
Thankfully the "lomo" crowd seem to have moved away from what they used to call a "shoot from the hip attitude" or in other words not looking through the view finder or in other words not really taking photos ... It was supposed to free you from the constraints of composition, ironically the images that come out best are the ones that fit some rule of composition by accident.
I personally really like the look of the images produced, the natural vignette of crap lenses frames the photos nicely and the high saturation and and contrast give "fun" images ... I have a holga and a smena 8 (cosmic 35) and have spent quite a time working out how to modify a lomo type lens for a digital camera - http://www.realphotographersforum.com/content/143-How-to-modify-a-Industar-69-lens-for-LTM-mounting lots of fun :)

[SteveW]

Its refreshing to see a drift towards 'having to take a bit of bother' - get yerself down to Boots to see whats turned out OK. Even if they are shit!
I see it in the resurgence of vinyl in the same circles (ie 20 odd year olds !). It fits in with the interest in bands like Iron and Wine..Frank Turner etc.
These guys all have brilliant little digital cameras..iphones..ipods etc etc, but there seems to be a bit of rejection of this stuff, looking to have a bit more 'fun'... even involvement.

[Techno Commander]

I spent many years using a Russian Zorki rangefinder. This was basically a Leica copy, but rather well done. No plastic, interchangable lenses and built like a T34. Excellent piece of kit and can be had for about £25 on the bay. Some of the lenses do fetch good money though.

[SteveW]

I love the Zorky! First proper camera my dad had, and happy memories from my teens in the 70's from prints from it.
You know from the same period I had a Russian turntable integrated amp, I've been trying remember the name of it for years now with no luck.

[Alex_UK]

About 15 years ago when I was far more active in photography and a member of a club, we had a shared Lubitel, which we would load up with a roll of B&W film, and each member had it for a fortnight, and was allowed to take 3 shots. Once all the members had had their turn, the films were developed and prints made, and then the pictures judged. Only having 3 exposures certainly focused the mind (pun intended - which was more than I could usually manage with a TLR!) "Fun" is definitely the operative word - I can still remember vividly some of the images I took.