Lomography
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Lomography is the commercial trademark of Lomographische AG, Austria for products and services catering to the Global Modern art community of Lomographic photography. The name is inspired by the former state-run optics manufacturer LOMO PLC of Saint Petersburg, Russia. LOMO PLC created and produced the 35 mm LOMO LC-A Compact Automat camera — which became the centerpiece of Lomography's marketing and sales activities. This camera was loosely based upon the Cosina CX-1 and introduced in the early 1980s.
In 1991, the Austrian founders of Lomography discovered the Lomo LC-A.[1] As the company states, they were "charmed by the unique, colorful, and sometimes blurry" images that the camera produced. After a series of international art exhibitions and aggressive marketing work, Lomography signed an exclusive distribution agreement with LOMO PLC — thereby becoming the sole distributor of all Lomo LC-A cameras outside of the Soviet Union.[citation needed]
Since the introduction of the original Lomo LC-A, Lomography has produced and marketed an entire line of their own branded analog cameras. Most Lomographic cameras are designed to produce a single photographic effect. For example, the Lomography Fisheye camera features a built-in wideangle lens, and shoots fisheye-distorted photos. In 2005, production of the original Lomo LC-A was discontinued. Its replacement, the LC-A+, was introduced in Fall[when?] 2006. The new camera, made in China rather than Russia, featured the original Russian lens manufactured by LOMO PLC. This changed as of mid-2007 with the lens now made in China as well.[2]
Similar to Eastman Kodak's concept of the "Kodak moment", the Lomography website endorses a motto of "Don't Think, Just Shoot". This motto is accompanied by The Ten Golden Rules which are supposed to encourage spontaneity, odd angles, and taking photos anywhere, while minimizing considerations of formal technique.[3] Typical lomography cameras are deliberately low-fidelity and inexpensively constructed. Some cameras make use of multiple lenses and rainbow-colored flashes, or exhibit extreme optical distortions and even light leaks.[citation needed]
Current models marketed by Lomographische AG include Lomo LC-A, Diana, Holga, Holga 35mm, Actionsampler, Frogeye, Pop-9, Oktomat, Fisheye, Fisheye2, Colorsplash, Colorsplash Flash, F-stop Bang, SuperSampler, Horizon 202, Seagull TLR, and Smena 8M. The company also resells dead stock Polaroid cameras and Russian dead stock - the sort normally acquired at "quirky, old-school camera shops," as the company's web site puts it.
The Lomo LC-A lens effect can be digitally emulated with photo-editing software such as GIMP or Photoshop.[4] In addition, the company's promotional web site for Lomography showcases many high-contrast photographs - with unusual saturation and color - that were created using the technique called cross processing in which film intended for developing in slide chemistry (E-6) is processed in photographic colour negative chemistry (C-41), and vice versa. This technique can be employed with any film camera and can be somewhat mimicked with digital software as well.[5] However the use of digital manipulation to create these effect goes somewhat against the principles of Lomography and is generally far more satisfying to achieve these effects purely from the camera and film's processing itself.
[edit] As an art movement
The Lomographic Society International provides Lomographers with galleries, stores and "showcases" dedicated to the growth, support and public exposure of the art. Supporting budding Lomographers through social events such as exhibits, educational workshops, exposure galleries to encourage public enthusiasm and awareness, as well as providing retail supplies, gallery stores and rally places for Lomographers to socialise. The society is headquartered in Vienna, Austria, where most of its events are organised.[6]
An example of the society's cultural events showcasing Lomographers' talents is the Lomokikuyu competition, which raises money for eye surgeries and vision care in Kenya, in partnership with Viennese vision aid organisation Light for the World.[7] The organisation also organises the Lomography World Congress, an international conference of practitioners held in varying host cities.
The society maintains a Web-based Lomography magazine, which provides a photo archive storage for their work. Articles track trends and ideas about new fun methods to photograph. An example is "Lomography the Role Playing Game", played with dice.[8] Aficionados of the hobby can blog their own tutorials to share their discoveries, fostering enthusiasm with the Lomographic art. The site also celebrates the work of Lomographers with online exhibits and competitions.[9]
[edit] References
- ^ Lomography 3.0~ /
- ^ Lc-A+ Production
- ^ "About the Ten Golden Rules". www.lomography.com. http://www.lomography.com/about/the-ten-golden-rules. Retrieved August 18, 2011.
- ^ Lens distortion in GIMP
- ^ Cross Processing in Photoshop - color negative art effect | PhotoshopSupport.com
- ^ http://microsites.lomography.com/stores/gallery-stores
- ^ http://microsites.lomography.com/kikuyu/
- ^ http://www.lomography.com/magazine/lifestyle/2011/03/04/lomography-the-roleplaying-game
- ^ http://www.lomography.com/magazine/competitions/2011/02/22/find-a-little-bit-of-hong-kong-competition-the-smiley-faces-int
[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Lomography |
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Bleach bypass · Cross processing · Fisheye · HDR · Holga · Infrared · Lomography · Multiple exposure · Pinhole · Polaroid art · Redscale · Solarisation · Through the Viewfinder |
