tips for new lomographers

When I was new to lomography, I was excited and eager to buy the cameras and start shooting. The thing was, I didn't know which cameras to buy first then. I was immediately interested in the Holgas, impressed with the LC-A, and curious about the Supersampler and Fisheye cameras. I researched and asked a few people which cameras they would recommend for a newbie and the answers ranged from either the Holga 120N, the Fisheye, or the Colorsplash flash camera (which I never bought because I didn't like the flash sticking out like that). Some people have recommended the Holga 120CFN and the Holga 135BC (for those who would rather use the 35mm version). In the end I got both the 120CFN and 135BC.

For newbies, I would recommend you start with the Holga. Square Frog is one of my favorite sites for information on Holgas. There are videos on the site (and in Youtube) on how to load and unload film, how to use 35mm film in the 120 camera, etc. Once I decided which Holga I wanted, the next site I went to to buy one was eBay. Check out my favorite Holga sellers on eBay in this entry.

After learning to use the Holga, I bought myself a Fisheye 2 and then a Supersampler. The Fisheye 2 was tricky to use but I eventually learned to love it after I discovered that I preferred to use negatives instead of slides. The Supersampler is one of my favorite cameras.

If you want a Lomo LC-A but don't have the budget for it, one of the next best cameras in the market that can give you similar output pictures are the Vivitar Ultra Wide and Slim (or its lookalikes and clones) and the Olympus XA series. If you're lucky, there are second hand fully functioning Olympus XA for as low as £25 (shipping excluded) on eBay. Other alternative camera discussed in forums for the LC-A can be found here and here.

It's fun to experiment with toy cameras and eBay is now full of them. Just check out the Fun Camera store for other plastic camera goodies.

If you want to start colorsplashing, you need not spend for a colorsplash flash. You can just buy an ordinary hotshoe flash and make an improvised one like what I did here.

As for films, a good site to see the output of the negative and slide films would be in the Lomo Film Shop. Don't be discouraged with the prices as you can buy them cheaper on eBay.

Anyways, I hope this entry has helped those who are new to lomography. I know it's not complete but it's a start :) good luck and happy shooting!

Poladroids

sunset in Guam
used my Nokia N72

I am officially addicted to Polaroids. I remember my dad had a polaroid-like camera for his ultrasound machine but other than that, we never owned a real Polaroid before. Anyways, I didn't want to buy one yet so I was thrilled to have discovered Poladroid when @petapixel posted it in his Twitter page. It's easy to use and right after I converted my first digital image into a "Polaroid", I was hooked.

Diego when he was a puppy
Canon Powershot

The retro look that the Polaroid gives to each picture is just beautiful. I am glad to have appreciated this even if it were a "digitized" version of the real thing.

In prayer
Canon Powershot

film speeds

For those who would rather not delve into the technicalities of film speeds all you have to remember is the higher the ISO, the grainier your pictures will appear. I discovered this when I experimented on one of my uncle's ISO 800 films (before researching on it or asking any of my photo-buff friends) and was dismayed by the output of the pictures. I didn't like how grainy my pictures appeared. Anyways, if you want smoother pictures like me, use speeds like ISO 100 or 50 (Velvia).

High speed films like ISO 800 and 1600 are used in low lighting conditions. ISO 50, 100, and 200 should be used in bright lighting conditions. ISO 400 is versatile and it looks best in black and white :)

my inspiration

Inspiration comes in many forms and mine came from one photographer: Daniel Y. Go. His photographs at Flickr and Multiply have inspired me to buy a Holga (and then a year after my LC-A+RL which he had been telling me to buy for the longest time) and start this affair with lomography. His pictures are just beautiful and breathtaking--he makes ordinary objects look special and interesting. He has given me helpful tips to get me started in lomography and he has never failed to answer any questions I have about cameras and films. Thank you Sir Daniel, you truly are an inspiration to me.

Holga 120TLR

The Holga 120TLR caught my eye the minute I saw it on eBay (last June 14). I don't own a TLR camera yet and I've always wanted to save up for a Lubitel. Seeing this made me think of buying one because it isn't as expensive as the Lubitel. Besides, it would be nice to take pictures with a TLR camera--that would definitely be a new experience for me. So until the day comes when I decide to by myself this camera, this will definitely be added to my camera and films wish list :)

Picture courtesy of the Daipatmeow eBay store.

a digital lomo cam?

Could this be the (digital) camera I've been waiting for? I got the link from the lomomanila mailing list and just looking at the specs made me want to buy my own Olympus E-P1. It's gorgeous! The Art filters are what caught my attention the most--there's a pinhole effect with vignettes!

I'm definitely saving up for this one :)

a note

Even if you view my blogs from a different location, I'll still know it's you. Setting up a fake account at Multiply just to leave a comment on my blog was also a cowardly thing to do.