Lomo camera hits the news

[GuyF]

Whilst the Lomo isn't news to many of us, it appears worthy of a short BBC news article.

Though most of us would run screaming from its "charming rustic virtues", I must admit to rather liking some if the results you can get - hands up all those who have applied cross-processing or vignetting to some of our own images in post?

However I suppose it's a double-edged sword in that, if it gets more people interested in photography, then good, but if it makes every idiot think they are a photographer, then oh dear... Rather like the advent of cheap home recording gear making talentless morons think they are the next Rolling Zeppelin or Elton Wonder.

Still wouldn't buy one though - what? wait a week or two to see the results? That's crazy!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-20434270

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/in-pictures-20442725

[dr croubie]

wait a week or two to see the results? That's crazy!

That's the whole fun of film. I got a roll of Velvia 645 back the other day (along with a lot of other stuff), and just sat in the photolab with their light-desk on, going, "ooh wow, I love that Blue Velvia Sky" like a cat with a string dangled in front of it.

I don't have a Lomo itself, but I've done a lot of other 'alt-film' stuff, cross-processing, redscale, sprockethole (135 film in Pentacon 6 with 50mm Flektogon = poor man's Xpan).
I just shudder every time I see yet another person posting an instagrammed cameraphone shot on facespace, now I've started asking them what film they used, or replying with links to holgas or film processing labs, just to annoy them.

[boateggs]

I just shudder every time I see yet another person posting an instagrammed cameraphone shot on facespace, now I've started asking them what film they used, or replying with links to holgas or film processing labs, just to annoy them.

+1
I'm no photographer (just a guy with a camera) but this whole instagram/fake film craze drives me nuts.  Take a crappy picture on your phone?  Just add a instagram filer and make it awesome!

[tomscott]

I dont know, think thats a snobby view.

For 99% of people photography is fun and many dont have the imagination to no what to do. If they have fun and makes people happy im all for it.

[dizeaz]

If you are being bothered by people who think they are this and that, I have bad news for you
The world is full of them.

[dr croubie]

I dont know, think thats a snobby view.
For 99% of people photography is fun and many dont have the imagination to no what to do. If they have fun and makes people happy im all for it.

Then a snob I am.
Or not really, it's not about "i'm a photographer and you're not", because hell, i'm not a photographer either. It's more about that they think the effect is cool, fine, but they're missing out on the fun of shooting film.
It's like those guitar pedals that you can buy with COSM or whatever it's called. "emulate the sound of a valve amp with digital electronics". I guess I'm missing the point, why not just buy a valve amp if it's so good. most of the time they're cheaper than the latest guitar pedal anyway.
(just like a lomo and a roll of film processed is not much more than a good dinner, and a cameraphone is what, a few weeks' wages?)

Anyway, speaking of crossprocessing, here's something I got the other day. EOS3 and Shorty mc Forty, with expired (on purpose, left it near the heater for a while) Superia 800, normally it comes out all yellow negatives. But on a whim i told the developer to do it as E6 slide film. I was a bit disappointed, they were nearly black. or very dark blue, being the opposite of yellow. But i scanned the crap out of it with the whitepoint as low as I could, did a few iterations of contrast curves, and I dunno, I kinda like it...

[GuyF]

Croubie, you mad fool, you'll start an internet sensation with that sort of anarchy!

I used to use Agfachrome 200 all the time for motorsport but the thought of going back to waiting for the results would drive me nuts. I want to be disappointed by my results straight away!