Post by halfawakehaiku on Jan 25, 2010 21:02:39 GMT -5
Dear newbie,
Welcome to the world of lomography, to help you along the way, we have compiled some of the most common questions that were once asked by us and are now sautéing in that fertile mind of yours. Please read through the text below and if you do not find the answers you are looking for, kindly refer to the search function of the forum because chances are some budding lomographer wondered about it and got an answer from a little more experienced member. Remember, research is your friend. And chances are Lord Google will help you if only you come to him. If you are still at a loss or perhaps have more complex questions about it then by all means ask away.
Lomo on!
What is lomography?
Technically:
Lomography, is a registered trademark of Lomographische AG (Austria), is a movement that, via the Lomography Society International, promotes the use of Lomo cameras — primarily and most famously the LC-A but also cameras as unlike this as the fisheye lomography camera — and a "shoot from the hip" attitude. (Many outsiders regard it as merely a sales gimmick to drive sales of these cameras at inflated prices.) Viewed as either a modern impressionistic art movement for photography to create images of everyday life or a simple (and effective) marketing ploy, Lomography has attracted a large international following around "The 10 rules"
www.camerapedia.org/wiki/Lomography
Theoretically:
Lomography in theory is a hodge-podge of previous photographic ideas. In terms of approach the closest would be the concept of snap shot photography where any one could capture a photo and shooting from the hip means to take the photo impulsively. Which of course can be a good or bad thing depending on how you look at things or maybe your skill and experience level. Initially this will mean good photographs produced merely out of luck and an instinctive sense of when the right moment comes but as you progress further, like any other field, it will become a mix of skill, and other extraneous factors that you learn to make the best of. Mind you that, shooting by means of muscle memory and impulse is something that is aimed for in some art forms and religions. Like a skillful archer, swordsman or painter it has to come to a point where you must master the fundamentals , commit them to muscle memory then you let all the theory and lessons go. Learn but do not obsess.
Eddy Peters theorizes that lomography is the reclamation of urban space, similar to skateboarders, Lomographers , use the city by way of documenting it and its intricacies and inanities. By means of lomography, the shooter creates an aesthetic that suddenly gives value to mundane objects like the shoes the shooter is wearing or signs on the road or random objects & weirdos encountered on the street or wherever the shooter is.To the lomographer, these are the things which comprise the essence of his or her world.
In terms of the movement, if we remove the marketing ploy of LSI, at its core and as someone observed and relayed to me once. Lomography to a large extent is closest to Dadaism which was an anti-thesis to traditional formalistic art. Lomography attempts to ignore most of the rules of traditional photography like composition, sharpness, color correctness, aperture, depth of field and so on. Which is not to say you need not learn these things. It is also to a large extent, a movement that resists but does not condemn digital photography. It is a counter culture favoring the traditional form of photography with the use of analog cameras and films. At the same time, lomography takes advantage of the internet by forming forums, groups and communities dedicated to a technology that is removed from the digital world. In terms of the aesthetic sensibilities of the images the closest would be an aspect of photographic impressionism or impressionist photography in the sense that it leans towards images that are softer in focus or the way the human eye would see what is being photographed. A disclaimer to this is that we are not speaking of the later aspects of impressionist photographs which are heavily manipulated in the dark room to make them look like paintings, which in today’s time is the equivalent of photoshopping your images till they no longer resemble the original.
Casually:
“lomo for me is my own little way of gathering memories of special moments spent with friends, family, or spent alone on the road or elsewhere” - riaholic
“is my guide - my beacon and that alarm clock that wakes me up every time I fall into one of those stupors brought on by a plain, workaday, ants-marching type of boring life.” -whitemumu
“i think lomo is not just about the camera ..as i read somewhere, think of it as punk music..you dont have to use a specific guitar to play punk..well u dont even have to be a musician to be a punk..you dont even have to look like a punk… Lomo can have a very loose definition that eventually that people may argue that it doesnt really exist or is not a valid movement. but we know its here, we get to be part of it and have fun..so what else matters ?” – sparklemind
“lomo is love...” lola melay
“it provides holy mess to my otherwise orderly life.”-pixiecorpse
“is probably the reason why I'm still into photography...” –suplada80
“Lomography is photography, painting and chemistry combined.”- jamkablam
“What Lomography offers is a completely different and fresh perspective into looking at and seeing things. It transcends the trappings of the everyday, workaday world and invites one to think.” –cruzron
What are the 10 golden rules or its philosophy?
1.Take your LOMO everywhere you go.
2.Use it anytime - day or night.
3.Lomography is not an interference in your life, but a part of it.
4.Shoot from the hip.
5.Approach the objects of your lomographic desire as close as possible.
6. Don't think.
7. Be fast.
8. You don't have to know beforehand what you've captured on film.
9. You don't have to know afterwards, either.
10. Don't worry about the rules.
What are the characteristics of lomo shots?
Since there is a loose philosophy of shooting there are loose characteristics of lomographic shots but for the sake of identifying usual commonalities:
Saturated colors
Vignettes
Grainy pictures
Light leaks
What’s the best camera for a newbie?
Different cameras have different quirks and characteristics.
The trick here is to look at shots taken by cameras and feel which style or feature you like. You can also base your decision on the type of film that it uses. Or perhaps entry level priced ones:
But most noobs start with:
Cameras that use 120 film (62.6mm)
Holga:
Photo by Tikbalang
Price Range Basic Model 1800php
Other models: 2300- 4000php (depending on type and package)
Most flexible option you modify it to suit certain artistic sensibilities or just to have fun with it.
zoe191 suggests: www.squarefrog.co.uk/
Diana +
Price Range: 2500 Basic
5, 500 Diana F+ (with flash)
selloutboy suggests: dianacamera.com/?cat=22
Cameras that use 35mm film:
Fisheye/2:
Price Range 3000 - 4000
Action Sampler:
Price Range 1800 basic -2500 with flash
Super Sampler:
Price Range:2400-2800php
Colorsplash Camera
Photo by lola melay
Price Range: 2400-3,500
Premium Cameras
Lomo LC-A or LC-A +:
Price Range : 9,000 -14,000
Horizon Kompakt:
Price Range: 14,000 -18,000
Lomographic Society Endorsed cameras :
*See www.lomography.com for more LSI endorsed cameras*
LC-A
Fisheye
Fisheye 2
Cyber Sampler
Super Sampler
Action Sampler
Pop 9
Octomat
Colorsplash Camera
Holga
Diana+
Horizon Kompakt & Perfekt
Non-LSI endorsed but with a cult following:
Vivitar Ultra WIde and Slim ( Sometimes referred to as the poor man's lomo/lca)
Vivitar PN2011 ( with Panoramic Mask)
Vivitar IC100
Vivitar IC 400
Vivitar Ice
Olympus XA
Fuji Instax Mini
Snap Sights Underwater Camera
I’m a little tight on the budget can I use old film cameras in the house and get a “lomo effect” instead?
Yes. You can use any ordinary camera and give it life. To get the “lomo effect” you can use a slide film or wrap the camera’s flash with cellophane and do some colorsplashing of your own.
What’s color splashing?
Color splashing is a technique used to alter the colors of things/people that are in range of a flash.
LSI Color Splash:
www.lomographyasia.com/microsite/colorsplashflashhk/
Alternative Colorsplash:
[url=http://analogbreakfast.wordpress.com/analog-trickery/[/url]
What is the best film to use?
Based on Film Size: there are two sizes which are commonly used:
35mm film – this is the film that you probably grew up with.The advantage of this is you can take more practice shots and that this type is more common in shops.
120 film for medium format cameras. A bit harder to come by but a must try for every lomographer.
Based on type of output
Negative film
Slide film
More expensive but preferred.
Based on price:
Cheap - midrange ones out there are 55-180php
Lucky 200
Solid Gold 200
Mistubishi 200
Kodak ProFoto 100
Fuji Proplus 100
Fujicolor 100
YKL 100
Kodak Max 400
Keep in mind the possible lighting conditions of where you are shooting as well as if your camera has a flash or not.
Based on film speed:
50-100 iso/asa - Very Sunny day
200 iso/asa- Overcast conditions
400 iso/asa - Indoor or nightime conditions
It's safer to use the flash indoors and at night unless your camera has a bulb mode that will let you capture ambient light via long exposures.
Slides are priced:
140-350php (depending if they are expired or not. Yes, its ok to use expired films as they are cheaper and may have surprising output. Just be ethical and don't try to hoard the films)
Fuji Velvia
Fuji Astia
Fuji Provia
Kodak Elitechrome
Kodak Ektachrome
Agfa CT Precisa
To see the difference:[url=http://lomography.com/photos/films[/url]
What is Cross Processing? -by lee07
Cross-processing (also known as “xpro”) is the procedure of deliberately processing film in a chemical solution intended for a different type of film.
Before anything else, let us brief you on the different chemicals used for some of the common types of film that we use:
Color negative film (also known as “negatives”) uses C-41 chemicals for processing. You get negatives as a result to these.
Color reversal film (also known as “slide film”) uses E-6 chemicals for processing. You get “slides” as a result of these. Think of slides as the slides that they used for slide projectors (hence the word “slideshow”).
Now comes the fun part. When you cross-process, you use the chemicals for color negative film with color reversal films, and vice-versa.
If you process negative film thru the slide chemicals (E-6), you will get slides. Although the colors will not be as wacky; you will just get a kind of slide film with no big color shifts.
If you process slide film in the negative chemicals (C-41), you will get negative film, but with the lomographic burst of colors! This is because the color layers of the film were not optimized for this. As a result, the photos turn out saturated or grainy or with high contrast and you get all kinds of expected results. Different film have different characteristics when cross-processed. Some turn out more yellow or more green while others turn purple or red.
There are other ways for cross-processing but the most popular one used in Lomography is processing your slide film with C-41 chemicals.
Also remember that everything depends on how you process your film. The chemicals and the developing process (the order, the temperature, etc.) are responsible for what you get towards the end. When you have your film processed, you get different results from different labs because they do not use the same chemicals.
Note: not all developing studios do Xpro most use digiprint and Fuji
Where can I get “Lomo” Cameras and other toy cameras and how do I get there?
Brick and mortar shops:
Oh shoot (Boni Serrano Rd.) ohshoot.us/
Lomo Embassy (Jupiter St. & Rockwell) www.lomographicembassymanila.com/
Fullybooked (Bonifacio High Street & Mall of Asia, Gateway, Edsa Shangri-La)
Kamera World(Mall of Asia and some other branches)
Brat Pack (Robinson's Ermita, Greenbelt 5)
Hidalgo Shops – be careful a some stores will take you for a fool if you let them. Know the market price first before you buy your gear
Online Sellers:
Most sellers here transact online (obviously) or through text they can do meet ups or have your cameras or film shipped to you.
Where do I get films?
You can get them from any photo stores or refer to above brick and mortar shops
You can also fish online but be quick and be ready because cheap negative and slide films go very fast.
lomomanila.ph/index.php?board=4.0
Where do I have them Developed and stored on a cd?
Fuji www.yklcolor.com/stores/makati.html
Digiprint digiprintpro.com.ph/branch.html
Tip: It's cheaper to have five rolls developed and digitized at a time. They charge 155php for the first roll , 30php for the next ones.Maximum of 5 rolls per cd.
Studio 58 LAB [url=http://www.studio58.com.ph[/url] Unit C1-B, Building C. Karrivin Plaza, 2316 Pasong Tamo Ext. Brgy. Magallanes, Makati City
For more detailed guides and videos of how to use your lomo cameras, visit =http://www.lomography.com/about/faq
Welcome to the world of lomography, to help you along the way, we have compiled some of the most common questions that were once asked by us and are now sautéing in that fertile mind of yours. Please read through the text below and if you do not find the answers you are looking for, kindly refer to the search function of the forum because chances are some budding lomographer wondered about it and got an answer from a little more experienced member. Remember, research is your friend. And chances are Lord Google will help you if only you come to him. If you are still at a loss or perhaps have more complex questions about it then by all means ask away.
Lomo on!
What is lomography?
Technically:
Lomography, is a registered trademark of Lomographische AG (Austria), is a movement that, via the Lomography Society International, promotes the use of Lomo cameras — primarily and most famously the LC-A but also cameras as unlike this as the fisheye lomography camera — and a "shoot from the hip" attitude. (Many outsiders regard it as merely a sales gimmick to drive sales of these cameras at inflated prices.) Viewed as either a modern impressionistic art movement for photography to create images of everyday life or a simple (and effective) marketing ploy, Lomography has attracted a large international following around "The 10 rules"
www.camerapedia.org/wiki/Lomography
Theoretically:
Lomography in theory is a hodge-podge of previous photographic ideas. In terms of approach the closest would be the concept of snap shot photography where any one could capture a photo and shooting from the hip means to take the photo impulsively. Which of course can be a good or bad thing depending on how you look at things or maybe your skill and experience level. Initially this will mean good photographs produced merely out of luck and an instinctive sense of when the right moment comes but as you progress further, like any other field, it will become a mix of skill, and other extraneous factors that you learn to make the best of. Mind you that, shooting by means of muscle memory and impulse is something that is aimed for in some art forms and religions. Like a skillful archer, swordsman or painter it has to come to a point where you must master the fundamentals , commit them to muscle memory then you let all the theory and lessons go. Learn but do not obsess.
Eddy Peters theorizes that lomography is the reclamation of urban space, similar to skateboarders, Lomographers , use the city by way of documenting it and its intricacies and inanities. By means of lomography, the shooter creates an aesthetic that suddenly gives value to mundane objects like the shoes the shooter is wearing or signs on the road or random objects & weirdos encountered on the street or wherever the shooter is.To the lomographer, these are the things which comprise the essence of his or her world.
In terms of the movement, if we remove the marketing ploy of LSI, at its core and as someone observed and relayed to me once. Lomography to a large extent is closest to Dadaism which was an anti-thesis to traditional formalistic art. Lomography attempts to ignore most of the rules of traditional photography like composition, sharpness, color correctness, aperture, depth of field and so on. Which is not to say you need not learn these things. It is also to a large extent, a movement that resists but does not condemn digital photography. It is a counter culture favoring the traditional form of photography with the use of analog cameras and films. At the same time, lomography takes advantage of the internet by forming forums, groups and communities dedicated to a technology that is removed from the digital world. In terms of the aesthetic sensibilities of the images the closest would be an aspect of photographic impressionism or impressionist photography in the sense that it leans towards images that are softer in focus or the way the human eye would see what is being photographed. A disclaimer to this is that we are not speaking of the later aspects of impressionist photographs which are heavily manipulated in the dark room to make them look like paintings, which in today’s time is the equivalent of photoshopping your images till they no longer resemble the original.
Casually:
“lomo for me is my own little way of gathering memories of special moments spent with friends, family, or spent alone on the road or elsewhere” - riaholic
“is my guide - my beacon and that alarm clock that wakes me up every time I fall into one of those stupors brought on by a plain, workaday, ants-marching type of boring life.” -whitemumu
“i think lomo is not just about the camera ..as i read somewhere, think of it as punk music..you dont have to use a specific guitar to play punk..well u dont even have to be a musician to be a punk..you dont even have to look like a punk… Lomo can have a very loose definition that eventually that people may argue that it doesnt really exist or is not a valid movement. but we know its here, we get to be part of it and have fun..so what else matters ?” – sparklemind
“lomo is love...” lola melay
“it provides holy mess to my otherwise orderly life.”-pixiecorpse
“is probably the reason why I'm still into photography...” –suplada80
“Lomography is photography, painting and chemistry combined.”- jamkablam
“What Lomography offers is a completely different and fresh perspective into looking at and seeing things. It transcends the trappings of the everyday, workaday world and invites one to think.” –cruzron
What are the 10 golden rules or its philosophy?
1.Take your LOMO everywhere you go.
2.Use it anytime - day or night.
3.Lomography is not an interference in your life, but a part of it.
4.Shoot from the hip.
5.Approach the objects of your lomographic desire as close as possible.
6. Don't think.
7. Be fast.
8. You don't have to know beforehand what you've captured on film.
9. You don't have to know afterwards, either.
10. Don't worry about the rules.
What are the characteristics of lomo shots?
Since there is a loose philosophy of shooting there are loose characteristics of lomographic shots but for the sake of identifying usual commonalities:
Saturated colors
Vignettes
Grainy pictures
Light leaks
What’s the best camera for a newbie?
Different cameras have different quirks and characteristics.
The trick here is to look at shots taken by cameras and feel which style or feature you like. You can also base your decision on the type of film that it uses. Or perhaps entry level priced ones:
But most noobs start with:
Cameras that use 120 film (62.6mm)
Holga:
Photo by Tikbalang
Price Range Basic Model 1800php
Other models: 2300- 4000php (depending on type and package)
Most flexible option you modify it to suit certain artistic sensibilities or just to have fun with it.
zoe191 suggests: www.squarefrog.co.uk/
Diana +
Price Range: 2500 Basic
5, 500 Diana F+ (with flash)
selloutboy suggests: dianacamera.com/?cat=22
Cameras that use 35mm film:
Fisheye/2:
Price Range 3000 - 4000
Action Sampler:
Price Range 1800 basic -2500 with flash
Super Sampler:
Price Range:2400-2800php
Colorsplash Camera
Photo by lola melay
Price Range: 2400-3,500
Premium Cameras
Lomo LC-A or LC-A +:
Price Range : 9,000 -14,000
Horizon Kompakt:
Price Range: 14,000 -18,000
Lomographic Society Endorsed cameras :
*See www.lomography.com for more LSI endorsed cameras*
LC-A
Fisheye
Fisheye 2
Cyber Sampler
Super Sampler
Action Sampler
Pop 9
Octomat
Colorsplash Camera
Holga
Diana+
Horizon Kompakt & Perfekt
Non-LSI endorsed but with a cult following:
Vivitar Ultra WIde and Slim ( Sometimes referred to as the poor man's lomo/lca)
Vivitar PN2011 ( with Panoramic Mask)
Vivitar IC100
Vivitar IC 400
Vivitar Ice
Olympus XA
Fuji Instax Mini
Snap Sights Underwater Camera
I’m a little tight on the budget can I use old film cameras in the house and get a “lomo effect” instead?
Yes. You can use any ordinary camera and give it life. To get the “lomo effect” you can use a slide film or wrap the camera’s flash with cellophane and do some colorsplashing of your own.
What’s color splashing?
Color splashing is a technique used to alter the colors of things/people that are in range of a flash.
LSI Color Splash:
www.lomographyasia.com/microsite/colorsplashflashhk/
Alternative Colorsplash:
[url=http://analogbreakfast.wordpress.com/analog-trickery/[/url]
What is the best film to use?
Based on Film Size: there are two sizes which are commonly used:
35mm film – this is the film that you probably grew up with.The advantage of this is you can take more practice shots and that this type is more common in shops.
120 film for medium format cameras. A bit harder to come by but a must try for every lomographer.
Based on type of output
Negative film
Slide film
More expensive but preferred.
Based on price:
Cheap - midrange ones out there are 55-180php
Lucky 200
Solid Gold 200
Mistubishi 200
Kodak ProFoto 100
Fuji Proplus 100
Fujicolor 100
YKL 100
Kodak Max 400
Keep in mind the possible lighting conditions of where you are shooting as well as if your camera has a flash or not.
Based on film speed:
50-100 iso/asa - Very Sunny day
200 iso/asa- Overcast conditions
400 iso/asa - Indoor or nightime conditions
It's safer to use the flash indoors and at night unless your camera has a bulb mode that will let you capture ambient light via long exposures.
Slides are priced:
140-350php (depending if they are expired or not. Yes, its ok to use expired films as they are cheaper and may have surprising output. Just be ethical and don't try to hoard the films)
Fuji Velvia
Fuji Astia
Fuji Provia
Kodak Elitechrome
Kodak Ektachrome
Agfa CT Precisa
To see the difference:[url=http://lomography.com/photos/films[/url]
What is Cross Processing? -by lee07
Cross-processing (also known as “xpro”) is the procedure of deliberately processing film in a chemical solution intended for a different type of film.
Before anything else, let us brief you on the different chemicals used for some of the common types of film that we use:
Color negative film (also known as “negatives”) uses C-41 chemicals for processing. You get negatives as a result to these.
Color reversal film (also known as “slide film”) uses E-6 chemicals for processing. You get “slides” as a result of these. Think of slides as the slides that they used for slide projectors (hence the word “slideshow”).
Now comes the fun part. When you cross-process, you use the chemicals for color negative film with color reversal films, and vice-versa.
If you process negative film thru the slide chemicals (E-6), you will get slides. Although the colors will not be as wacky; you will just get a kind of slide film with no big color shifts.
If you process slide film in the negative chemicals (C-41), you will get negative film, but with the lomographic burst of colors! This is because the color layers of the film were not optimized for this. As a result, the photos turn out saturated or grainy or with high contrast and you get all kinds of expected results. Different film have different characteristics when cross-processed. Some turn out more yellow or more green while others turn purple or red.
There are other ways for cross-processing but the most popular one used in Lomography is processing your slide film with C-41 chemicals.
Also remember that everything depends on how you process your film. The chemicals and the developing process (the order, the temperature, etc.) are responsible for what you get towards the end. When you have your film processed, you get different results from different labs because they do not use the same chemicals.
Note: not all developing studios do Xpro most use digiprint and Fuji
Where can I get “Lomo” Cameras and other toy cameras and how do I get there?
Brick and mortar shops:
Oh shoot (Boni Serrano Rd.) ohshoot.us/
Lomo Embassy (Jupiter St. & Rockwell) www.lomographicembassymanila.com/
Fullybooked (Bonifacio High Street & Mall of Asia, Gateway, Edsa Shangri-La)
Kamera World(Mall of Asia and some other branches)
Brat Pack (Robinson's Ermita, Greenbelt 5)
Hidalgo Shops – be careful a some stores will take you for a fool if you let them. Know the market price first before you buy your gear
Online Sellers:
Most sellers here transact online (obviously) or through text they can do meet ups or have your cameras or film shipped to you.
Where do I get films?
You can get them from any photo stores or refer to above brick and mortar shops
You can also fish online but be quick and be ready because cheap negative and slide films go very fast.
lomomanila.ph/index.php?board=4.0
Where do I have them Developed and stored on a cd?
Fuji www.yklcolor.com/stores/makati.html
Digiprint digiprintpro.com.ph/branch.html
Tip: It's cheaper to have five rolls developed and digitized at a time. They charge 155php for the first roll , 30php for the next ones.Maximum of 5 rolls per cd.
Studio 58 LAB [url=http://www.studio58.com.ph[/url] Unit C1-B, Building C. Karrivin Plaza, 2316 Pasong Tamo Ext. Brgy. Magallanes, Makati City
For more detailed guides and videos of how to use your lomo cameras, visit =http://www.lomography.com/about/faq