Lomo lomo
From Mod Mania
Lomography
“Don’t think. Be opened. Just shoot” is the essence of lomography which recently forms a “no skill required” trend within photography society. With the casual snapshot philosophy and the lomographic characteristics, including the flood of high contrast and over-saturated color theory, eccentric vignette framing, unsharp composition, and imperfection exposure. Lomography is an abstract representation of an understanding of life with the notion of translating the freedom through lomo.
In fact, the lomographer claims to destroy the fundamental principles of photography, as they believe that is a distraction of being creativity but lomographer still shaped its core ten golden rules. Including, take your camera everywhere you go, use it any time – day and night, lomography is not an interference in your life, but part of it and others with the very last but most important one, don’t worry about any rules. It is interesting to see when a professional photographer involved into Lomographic Society, or some of them named themselves, anti lomography, a group of film camera users who totally against the lomographic motto, “Don’t think. Just shoot” as they believe photographers should study and associate with the camera.
And the truth is, when comparing billion of lomography which is available online at Lomographic Society, a formal online based lomography community which created by the founder of lomography, only for those obey the rules of photography including composition, element, and depth of field presents the aesthetic of lomography perfectly. Yet, lomography is about an abstraction of feeling and only the imperfection makes the way.
Lomography always a popular discussion topic at online based forum outside the Lomographic Society. Some question rose including, does lomography has no limitation and not to worry about the rules? Lomography itself already a fixed frame with limited room to experiment and explore. It might have a great potential to develop however it will not be treat as lomography. If lomographic characteristics are no more the rules of lomography, honestly, it is just a photography labeled failed.
Certainly, lomo is fun and exciting as it contains the fundamental nature of film photography - results might vary and out of expectation. Lomographer believes, the quality of the lomography does not matter and it supposes to be in a certain blurry effect to represent the abstraction or beautifully imperfection.
According to the Lomographic Society, it cannot be understood as a stream of traditional film photography or some even declare lomography is an individual arts-movement with the emphasis of lomo camera is essential and the only equipment to compose lomography. The intention of the commercial benefit is clear.
You want to be lomo? You have to buy a lomo camera from them. Albeit many cameras have lomo like effect installed and photoshop editing is able to achieve thelomo effect afterward, the Lomographic Society claims it to be fake lomo.
How did lomo formed? Lomo" comes from "Leningradskoje optiko mechanitscheskoje objedinenije" in Russian, which translated means "Leningrad optic-mechanic Union". (lomoshot, 2004). Today, lomo is a commercial brand with photography services and products. Originally, lomo is LOMO LC-Am (Lomo Kompakt Automa), a design based on COsina CX series. The 35mm compact is pro¬duced in the St.Petersburg, Russia (previously So¬vi¬et Union) in the early 80’s and was discovered by two students, the Austrian founders of Lomography, in early 90’s during a holiday trip. After all experiment and series of international exhibitions with intensive marketing strategy promoting, including founded the Lomographic Society and taking over international LC-A market except Russian based on an agreement with the LOMO-LCA manufacturer, lomography is established and introduced to the public formally.
The target audience of lomography is the young adult, positively, crowd gathered quickly and formed. And because of the myth created by the lomography itself, only lomo camera makes you a lomographer, I see a great potential of commercial benefit hidden within the myth particularly they are the only dealer in the international market. What a profitable business.
The news spread rapidly and today, based on the Lomographic Society website, it owns millions of members’ wordwide and the number is growing. Anyone can join the society however when one buy a lomo camera from authorized lomo dealer, he will get a membership in the Lomo-club with offers the after sale service and most importantly, exclusive documentation of the lomo events. It is a brilliant idea to see the Lomographic Society combine high tech and low tech elements together. Besides list of lomography gallery stores and the lomography embassies, Lomographic Society website offers a platform for latest update of lomographic camera and online shopping, magazine entries collection, member’s photo or article sharing and so on. Lomographer be a real lomo at the website.
Today, the range of lomo camera is extended. Excluding the iconic LOMO LC-A, ActionSampler, Colorsplash, Diana F+, Fisheye and others are developed and designed for different purposes, and they all lomographic cameras. Clearly, the overwhelming of its commercial value vanish the truth and beauty of lomography. Rather than saying lomography is arts movement photography, it tends to be a social cultural movement judge by its active community network. The notion behind lomography is more than lomo but to form a primary social culture.
The truth is nothing special about lomography; it is just a business strategy. Lomo is about exclusivity. No skill required and all you need is a lomo camera to make your lifestyle lomo and welcome to the Lomographic Society.
Reference<nowiki>Insert non-formatted text here</nowiki> Lomoshot, 2000/2004, what is lomo - The lomo camera, viewed 17 August 2009, http://www.lomoshot.com/startframes.htm
Lomography Society, 2009, viewed 17 August 2009 http://www.lomography.com/
Anti Lomography - because film photography is not Lomography, 2009, About, viewed 17 August 2009 http://www.anti-lomo.com/about/
