Imperfection is Key: The art of Lomography

Framing a single moment, a fragment of time that would have been otherwise lost amongst a blur of obscured memories. A photograph can speak a thousand words, without really saying anything at all. Once it may have been considered as magic, but nearly 200 years on, photography has become a part of our lives that many are guilty of taking for granted.

The Diana Mini F+

With digital technology taking the world by storm by allowing images to be photographed, deleted, photographed again and even uploaded to Facebook in the time it would have once taken to wind on a film, it seems the slow and yet altogether compelling process of film photography has been replaced by a culture of repetitive pouty poses and practical perfection.

But to those who thrive on a little creativity and imperfection, do not fear! Lomography, the vibrant photographic community and analogue camera brand begs to differ, as ‘Lomo’ cameras have become the next retro, cool way to experiment with film photography. “Analogue really matters,” says Linda Scott, marketing manager for Lomography UK. “The ‘digital only’ period in our world’s history will be seen as a moment in time, and it has already passed. The true, longstanding approach of photography will be one of both digital and analogue.”

Personally, the art of film photography, in particular ‘Lomography’, has become one of my greatest passions. These colourful, plastic analogue cameras have the capacity to create photographs with an array of distorted colours, overlapping images (known as double exposure) and unintentional splashes of light that digital cameras are simply too ‘perfect’ to produce. What is more, the utterly mysterious and exciting experience of not knowing what you are going to get in those final images beats any ultra-practical digital version hands down.

As a result, I thought I might share a few of my own photos with you! The following images were taken with a Lomo Diana F+ mini, one of the most practical and versatile of the Lomo cameras and one that is especially great when used with the external flash, which comes with a range of coloured filters, hence the vibrant results. 

The camera uses 35mm film which means that unlike others, it can be developed on the high street, usually for around £7 per film (Boots is a great place to go, particularly if you collect their card points!)

Unfortunately this camera broke around a year ago, so these images are a little outdated, but I honestly can’t imagine a better way to have captured the atmosphere my insane first year at University. I also have a Lomo Fisheye 2, but that'll be saved for another post!

For those of you who are unfamiliar with Lomography and would like to find out more, see www.lomography.com/photos  for their brilliant online community. However, if you are looking to purchase any Lomo products, I would advise that they are a little overpriced on the website, so have a look on Ebay or Amazon first. 

I hope you enjoy!

Becky 
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