Lomography mentioned in Tech & U * NST Online

Old photography trick still has it - Tech & U * NST Online

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Following is the reproduction of the article that is published in Tech&U in The New Straits Times 20th July 2009.

WHILE the point-and-shoot technique is frequently associated with digital
photography, the analogue side of photo taking can be just as exciting.

Lomography is one of the surviving non-digital photography techniques still making an impact since the 1990s.

In Malaysia and globally, lomography is part of film photography that many people pick up once they see how surprisingly creative the compositions can be. The advent of the Internet turned it into a classic phenomenon as thousands of lomography pictures are uploaded and shared online.

Basics
There are many sites that document lomography basics. A good example is the Lomography Society’s site at lomography.com, which caters to those starting out as a lomographer on their own.

You can read up on the subject, subscribe to newsletters and get started immediately by becoming a member. You will get a LomoHome account where you can organise and share your photos. You also can join contests to win Lomography products.

Sites such as Answers.com and Wikipedia.com also feature lomography as a topic, with links to articles about the technique. They can be useful if you plan to write a paper on the subject and need references.

In any case, be sure to check out the “10 Golden Rules” of lomography documented by many sites. These rules will help you have fun with lomography and break from traditional photography practices.

History and gallery
Do you know that current Russian prime minister Vladimir Putin is part of lomography’s history? Back in 1995, Putin was only deputy mayor of St Petersburg, but he gave a group of Austrian lomographers a big hand by convincing the Leningrad Optics and Mechanics Association to keep producing the camera used for lomography, model LC-A. Just what did Putin do, you may ask? Find out from BBC at news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/ europe/7007160.stm.

Lomography.com also features a page that lists the milestones of the lomography movement. The article at lomography.com/about/timeline/ even marks the launches of lomo cameras.

The cameras documented include the one that started the movement, the Lomo LC-A, which was manufactured in 1982, all the way to the Lomo Lubitel+ that made its debut last year.

To see the many works by lomographers, you can rely on photosharing sites such as Flickr and social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace. Flickr can be a long stop if you want to explore. Most lomographers share details such as which camera they use, which lens and what kind of film. So if you see a lomo effect that you like, it will give you an idea of the type of lomo camera kit that may interest you.

Products
Still available lomo cameras include the Diana, Holga 35mm, Actionsampler, Pop-9 and Colorsplash.

Each camera will help shutterbugs get unique results that lomographers like to categorise as “happy accidents”, “oversaturated”, “light leaks”, “mysterious” and more. There are even models that can go underwater with you.

There are a number of online shops that offer lomography products and accessories. The widest selection possible is at http://shop.lomography.com, which features a cool tool called Lomographic Shop Assistant that tells you which products are best-sellers and items that fit your budget.

Popular online shopping sites such as Amazon.com, eBay.com and Yahoo! Shopping (http://shopping.yahoo.com) also stock cameras, films, lenses, carrying cases and other items to complete your lomo kit.

In Malaysia, you can try mudah.my and lelong.com.my. These sites usually have second-hand lomo products, but at times you can get new ones.

Hacks
Though the motto for lomography is “Don’t think, just shoot”, there are tricks that can get you more output types from your lomo camera.

For example, an article at howto.wired.com tells you how to hack the Holga camera. As the Holga models are flawed in their own way to deliver exciting compositions, the article tells you how to modify the model for specific effects.

Great tips are also featured in The Lomography Society Asia’s site at lomographyasia.com. You can find specific micro-sites which feature tips and tricks to go with different lomo cameras, for example, the fancy shortcuts and techniques of using the Lubitel+ compiled by lomographers for the benefit of the lomographic community at lomographyasia.com/ microsite/lubitel166+/tips-and-tricks/.

Similar resources can be searched using general keywords on Google.com and Yahoo.com. Just type “hack” or “tips” and match it with the lomo camera model you like for specific hits.

And if you do not have a lomo camera but would like lomo effects on photos, tips to get such effects with Photoshop or CorelDraw can be found online.

Community
Apart from the Lomography Society site, you can get in touch with other lomographers in Malaysia by joining local online communities. The Click Project hosts information about its activities at theclickproject.com/lomo.html. The founders are reachable on Facebook.

And at lomokids.com/forum/, you can exchange ideas with other lomographers. Many beginners come here to get advice on lomo cameras, lomo techniques and news updates.
Old photography trick still has it