Kicking the Tires

I have spent the past few months tinkering with experimentation and lomography as the two really do equal one. If I can create imperfection/creativity within either the camera / lens or in the film development process, I feel I have achieved my goals.

But does Lomography imply ‘flying by the seat of your pants’? … Not even close. First there are two main types of cameras that Lomography works with. One is your basic Holga or Lomo or cameras such as the Olympus XA series. In those cameras you shoot with ‘auto’ and set you focus by zone. That’s it.

The others are cameras where the photographer has more control over shutter, aperature and even ISO as you can push or pull or purposely shoot low light film in high lighted areas or vise-versa. In either of those two cases you still approach your shots with an unpredicatable and untraditional style. IE: Just snap without focus or speed, or shoot into the sun, or perhaps view obstructions as a positive. On and On……

Take for instance this photo below:

Can you say “Lomographic”? This was shot with no concern for focus. It was composed of negatives that were shot in the evening hours with a low 100 ISO. But more importantly it was shot with an ‘eye’ for composition, and that is something that is not easily taught. Try to teach a person to think creatively, just try.

Or look at the next shot”

Most people would view this as a throw-away but not me. I view this imperfection as perfection. Just look at the stray light etched in. Now when taking this shot, I didn’t know I would obtain this degree of light but because I knew where I was in the roll of film, I could guess what might come of it. So framing the shot and using composition simular to each, let alone exposure….gave me ‘this’ as a final product. I happen to love it. It just looks cool.

Or this shot….

Again, it just works and it has an awesome appearance. The main characters are grouped in the middle …but activity floats 360. Faces appear to just be staring off. Emotion or boredom or an “I don’t care attitude’ …. The three figures are melded together and crop out of the other. A nice blend but notice here, unlike the other two, that there is more clarity and definition found in the faces. So lomography is unpredicatable ….it involves clarity where it might work, and messiness when needed or ambiguity to focus on. So my experimentation continues as I have a gallery of ‘puzzle-type photography in mind. I just need to keep being creative.

West Coast to East Coast

I will be traveling from Arizona and my photography studio across country by car….to Philadelphia. And to boot, will be traveling first by going west to San Francisco and then up to eastern Washington State and up into Glacier National Park, before making the trek back. Yes, a trek…..surely a trek as we will have two solid weeks bopping around and close to 3500 miles.

So when up against those miles, what is my gear? First….it will be all film. No digital gear allowed which wipes out my GR11 and my OM Systems OM5.

My preferred choice will be my Olympus OM2SP with a 24mm Zuiko lens and my favorite standby lens; a 55mm Zuiko. Now, you have to understand the way I shoot….rough and ready. The 55mm is a wild, wacky and wonderful imperfect lens….. and since it can shoot at F1.2 it allows me enough light to capture ‘indoors’. This dynamic duel of lens’s is a combination allowing me to shoot a wide focal point (24mm) as we gear up for Glacier NP, Yosemite, Joshua Tree etc….

My second camera is my Lomo Kompakt Automat, and yes….it is Russia (A Ruski) and it is real and spectacular … just like my Olympus OM2SP. I selected this camera, being a point and shoot since many times when I walk the humidity of Philadelphia, I really do not want to lug around my OM2SP with a lens. The weight, although not that much relatively speaking as it is still lighter than most digital gear….still weighs on me. I am not a fan of humidity. But I do love CANDID street photography and the Lomo is perfect for that endeavor. It is really light, really small…..it is automatic if desired…and for me and of course, the way I shoot….it provides me with almost perfect results.

I have several favorite cameras….with the Lomo being right in the running. That along with the OM2SP, the OM1 and my Barnacks 1 Model A. If I had any combination of cameras, that would be it. Thus, no GAS. I don’t know what I would buy. I have fended off purchasing the new Rollei AF….fended off the Pentax 17 half-frame ( I have an original Pen F half-frame). I haven’t bought digital gear that really amounts to much in a long time. In fact, if I look at the number of shots digitally taken, it has to be less than 100 over the course of this past year. Why shoot digital when you have film?

The famed actor Paul Newman was married to his love….his wife Joanne Woodward for 50 years and they were true to each other. Since those Hollywood types are constantly playing ‘bed roulette’ ….Newman was asked why he and Joanne are still married. Newman responded that ‘why should I go out and eat ‘hamburger’ when I can have ‘steak at home’…… implying…well, you figure it out.

The point is,….my ‘steak’ is my OM2SP, my Lomo….my OM1….. …… and ‘hamburger’ is…..just about anything else.