Back to analogue photography

If you've read my blog before you'll know that I love my Lomo Cameras. The cool thing about them is that they are analogue i.e. they aren't digital cameras they use good old fashioned 35mm film. This means that I have to get them processed in the old way with chemicals and everything.

This way of processing photographs has been around for nearly 100 years. But very quickly its become a niche service. Companies who until recently only charged a few pounds for processing and capturing on CD suddenly doubled their prices.

I used to take my films to ASDA nice and cheap and decent quality processing too but then the price shot up from £2.50 per film to £4.00 shocked and skint I decided to look else where.

So I tried Max Speilman, they seemed to know what they were doing, they've been around for years. Unfortunately they don't have a clue, my film was badly processed, so much so that you can see their finger prints allover the scans. Then the prints where scanned badly so that the images ended up on the wrong prints. Never, ever using them again.

Then I tried Snappy Snaps, cool name (they even sell Lomo Cameras). The processing is great but the price is a bit steep too. £5.99 per film! When I went to collect my pictures today instead of £11.98 they tried to charge me over £17 as they said that the person who'd taken my order had forgotten to charge me for the CD's. £17 for 48 pictures is just crazy so I complained and they dropped the CD charge.

What I'm getting at is that I understand that film processing is dying out due to digital cameras but there is a massive surge towards people still wanting analogue photography. The number of people who are members of Lomography measures several million on it's own. This means that there's still a massive demand for film processing.

I just need to find somewhere that will do my processing for a decent cost at a decent standard. If you know anywhere please let me know. And if they're any good I'll tell all my friends and they use it too. This good service will make a lot of money because the niche who need it are on the look-out for it.

My Lomo LCA has arrived!

I'm very excited!

Yesterday my Lomo LCA arrived. With trepidation I opened the package to discover it. I got it off ebay so didn't get the whole lomo packaging, box and books etc which is a shame. However there's a recession on and buying it second hand meant I saved a few hundred quid.

Also as it's not new it means that its not one of the newly made LCAs from China. This is one of the old Russian ones. It even says Made in the USSR on the shutter cover.

I'm off out today to take my first two rolls of film, I'll post on how I get along.

Marketing Lomography

As I've ranted about on here before, I love my Lomo camera. The way the lens gives an odd light and that no two are alike makes amazing shots. The camera I have the SuperSampler also has the disadvantage of not having a view finder. Add to that that they use 35mm film and you have a little issue. Namely that you have no idea what you have until you collect your prints. It's this very fact that makes me love the little thing. Its also what has made Lomography a worldwide cult.

The images the camera makes are so individual that they make ideal shots for marketing and advertising. The issue is that there can be no standardisation, no given quality. What's needed from a client or agency is a lot of good will that the images will not be highly technical or even pin sharp or even that the images once shot will even come out. What does ensue though is great, no amazing pictures.

I'm going to make it a personal mission if mine in 2009 to get Lomography more widely used, even if it's just by me.

If you've no idea what I'm taking about then take a look at the Lomography website you'll be amazed. Once you've seen what can be achieved you'll want to try it yourself I'm sure.

BBC Lomography Documentary

Lots of people keep asking me where I first heard of Lomo cameras and what they could do. I first saw this lomography documentary on the BBC a long time ago. It stayed with me and I only just got round to buying the camera. The camera gives me a lot of joy and has re-newed my interest in photography in general. I like to use the 10 lomography rules with my digital camera too.

1. Take your LOMO everywhere you go & whenever 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.

Here's the first part of the BBC Documentary.

Lomography Wall in Yorkshire

I've only just got my Lomo Supersampler and as you can probably tell I'm pretty excited. I'd love to organise a Lomography Wall exhibition in Yorkshire, ideally Leeds.

Can't do it on my own as I've not got enough pictures yet. If you're in the area or know someone who is then please let me know. You can leave a comment or contact me directly.

Lomography is so amazing

My Lomo camera just gets better and better. The few shots I've had out of it are amazing. I've just started building my profile on the Lomo site and for the camera I have the Supersampler there is a feature where the site will animate the shot. This works best with a picture with lots of motion in, clearly, but the effect is amazing.

I'm trying to link to my profile but can't see how to do it easily. Here's a link to the Lomography Homes search for Richard Michie and you'll find my stuff (I hope). If not you'll definitely find a whole new world of images you never knew existed.

Lomo pics

Just got back my first lot of pictures from my Lomo Supersampler. I'm well impressed.

Becasue you get a stream of pictuures they seem to capture life, because it captures movment on one frame the Lomo captures the moment in an amazing way.

Adventures with my Lomo Camera

Today I bought my first lomo camera. I was undecided between the Holga which I'm sure is more versatile and the Supersamper which takes really cool four shot pictures.

I wanted to see how I got on so I went for the Supersampler. What a great camera. I've take a few pics already and can't wait to develop them and see what I get. I'm taking it to Leeds carnival on Monday should get some great pics there with it.

I think what sold me was the way its all packaged and sold. I saw a tv programme years ago on Lomography and I've wanted a camera ever since. Today I saw one and thought I should just go for it. The box is amazing all on its own I've never seen anything packaged as well. I comes in space age plastic and has a wittily written user manual that easy to use and understand. There's a great coffee table book of pics that comes with it (that could sell for £20 on it's own).

The camera is a delight to hold, its made of rubber and is simplicity itself. There's no conventional viewfinder just a bit of rubber on the corner.

The whole experience is very analogue. This isn't a camera this is a whole new way of life! I'm very excited!

As soon as I've had the pictures developed they'll be uploaded here.

In the meantime get yourself a lomo camera