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Seriously, I never thought I would get
pulled into the whole fascination of lomography, but after seeing
so many interesting and colorful snapshots by professional photographers
and everyday people alike, I became yet another victim.
First of all, one thing you should know
about me is that I'm obviously just an amateur. I've never planned
to get into professional photography, and I'm not sure I'll
ever... so if you think any of the pictures I've taken are crappy...
just realize I have no clue what I'm doing, and I'm not really
following any photographic rules or techniques.
The pictures in my gallery are just snapshots...
random pictures of things in my life or things that caught my
eye in that moment. Most of the time I don't use the viewfinder...
so sometimes you'll see pictures that don't really capture a
full subject or where a person's head isn't in the picture.
I think the point of lomography is that you don't know what
you're going to get until after you develop the pictures. There
are plenty of resources online that explain the laid back concept
of lomography, just in case you become interested.
Lomography isn't all about one particular
camera, but the pictures are often produced by a common cult
camera called the Lomo Kompakt Automat or also known as the
Lomo LC-A for short. It's an amazingly cute, black, metal-bodied
spy-type camera from St. Petersburg, Russia. When I first got
mine, it had a very distinct machine oil type smell to it, and
in a way, I really liked it. Now it's starting to wear off,
and I've even secretly considered buying another one in the
future just to enjoy that smell again.
The LC-A is small... about 5 inches in
length and 3 inches high, and is just heavy enough to remind
you that it is indeed a metal camera. It has two modes... A-mode
(automatic), and then manual mode.
When your camera is in A-mode, that's
when the LC-A shows its true colors. In A-mode, the camera determines
whether it has had enough light exposure, and closes the shutter
at that point (thus causing you to hear a second click after
depressing the shutter release). When you take pictures in low
light, after you press the shutter release, it's best to keep
the camera as still as possible until you hear the second click,
or else you end up with a blurry picture, but if that's what
you want, then don't worry so much. In brighter light situations,
you don't have to worry about the second click too much unless
you're using absolutely slow film.
After developing my first few rolls of
film, I've definitely made up my mind that this camera is a
keeper. It has some awesome possibilities, and I can't wait
to reach that point. This is a camera you want to bring everywhere
with you, because it makes a lot of things look cool. Don't
have your hopes up too high though, it's not a camera you use
to get a professional look. It's a very "alternative"
camera...
The LC-A can make snapshots of everyday
things look normal, or they can turn out quite trippy since
you never really know what to expect. It's low light capabilities
alone make it much better than your everyday point and shoot
camera since you don't have to use a flash to get a sufficiently
exposed picture.
Anyway, I can't wait to start traveling
with this camera... ooh the possibilities!
- Rosalyn -
05/14/2001
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