I need to go back to my Seagull soon...

I miss lomo...
my life has been overtaken by anxiety and stress lately.

via http://elgarboart.etsy.com

Amsterdam/Belgium

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shot with Canonet GIII QL17 rangefinder

Lomo Resources from Japan

I depend heavily on Amazon Japan as a source of lomo-related materials. The following are some of the resources I have accumulated to help me learn more about using my Holga, Chelsea and Seagull, as well as find out what else is out there.

Both Kimagure 1 and 2 (2 came out as a result of overwhelming popularity of 1) are compilations of toy cameras and vintage cameras, most of which are no longer in production, including the vintage folding camera which I would really like to get my hands on. There is a new version produced by FujiFilm but it looks really weird with the lens folding out from sideways, instead of folding downwards like the usual.

A very good book with tips on toy cameras and film, both 120 and 35mm. One of my favourites.

I got this because of the toy camera feature. Camera Nichiwa is a monthly magazine on cameras in general, and a lot more fun than the serious DSLR/Professional magazines that Japan seems to churn out by the dozens (i think photography is the number one hobby among Japanese retired old men). I never read those since I do not own or know how to use a DSLR. And the photos in these pro mags don't do anything to me, cos digital shots always look very flat and somehow lack character.

SNAP! is a quarterly magazine dedicated to toy cameras. As far as I know, this is the only magazine solely dedicated to toy cameras in Japan. The publisher INFOREST MOOK also does books on toy cameras, like Camera Plus etc. It also produces special supplements, known as 別冊 (bessatsu) in between the SNAP! volumes. Every issue focuses on different topics, like Holga, Diana, LOMO LC-A, or on film and shooting techniques.

This book has good tips on DIY-ing one's camera. I learnt how to make a filter using nail varnish, transparency and some color pens. Using it as a lens filter, the effects are soft and dreamy. I am shooting some using this now and will put up the shots later.

I like this book for the lovely shots contributed by lomo lovers. Some of them make me go wow, and like "how the hell was that done?" The camera and film type used are indicated alongside each photo, so it helps to give a sense of how certain film type would turn out.

This is a guide to common toy cameras and there are specific instructions on how to use them, like loading film etc. Very basic though a good one-stop introduction to the world of toy cameras.

Lomo random - test-driving my fisheye lens

As the focal length of Holga is about 38mm on 35mm film (mine is the 135 version), which means I can only take clear pictures of objects at least 1m away, it doesn't allow me to take close up shots. To help make up for it, I bought Holga a fisheye lens, which I intended to use like a macro lens to take close-ups (about 4cm away), which will then turn out to look normal. Anything more than 4cm away will produce a distorted effect, which actually is the whole point when people use this lens. For me, it works both as a pseudo-macro and a fisheye lens. Have to judge the distance carefully though, otherwise the subject can turn out to be blur, while the background ends up being clear, which may not be the intended effect.

Lomo random - test-driving my Seagull

These are some of my first shots using the Seagull 4B-1, the entry level TLR fully manual camera. I am still figuring out the right combinations of aperture, shutter speed and film ISO in different light conditions. Sometimes, I even get the focus wrong (like in the picture of the door), which actually is the easiest bit. Medium format film produces more vivid shots than ordinary 35mm, and is even better on Seagull because of the glass lens, which results in a very sharp HD effect. Somehow the shots look better in the 6x6 square frame. I don't think I ever use much of the 6x4 frame!

Yogya trip (3) - Prambanan

Prambanan is a 9th century Hindu temple which has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site. It is much lesser known than Boroburdur, which receives more tourists (than it can actually handle) and has been featured widely in travel literature. Some parts of the temple were destroyed by earthquake tremors a few years ago and the loose stones were piled neatly at one side, waiting to be used for reconstruction. Apparently, the stones have been sitting around for a few years now, presumably because the government is waiting for funds to come in for the reconstruction works.

Seagull 4B-1

Yogya trip (2) - Boroburdur

Holga 125 and Seagull 4B-1

Yogya trip (1) - around where we stayed

We had great coffee at this backpacker hide, which also has pricey but nice-looking rooms.

Bahasa is full of these "self-madevup" words. Warung + English = Ang moh grub place.

A street outside our hotel

Oink turned out to be a local streetwear brand. I was surprised to see Porky in a Muslim country.

The roof-top of our "hotel" which doubles up as a hostel for students of a local university. At 7 floors high, this was one of the highest points in the city, where buildings are generally no more than 4 storey in height. As the hotel was situated near the north part of the city, we had a view of Mt Merapi. Unfortunately, the weather was mostly foggy so the grand dame was partly shrouded in mist.


Empty water tank on the roof-top.

Holga 135 and Seagull 4B-1

Testing redscale film

I was persuaded to try out some Lomography-produced redscale film by the folks at 36 @ Sunshine Plaza and after reading about it in SNAP!, the Japanese lomo magazine. So I tbought some and tested them out on indoor portrait, portrait close-up, outdoors, and indoor still life. Here are the samples. I must say the redscale effect is a bit too much for me.

holga 135, lomo redscale 200 negatives