Lomo style effects based on the camera or the film ? Possible with any 35mm camera ?

[Bill Burk]

I now wonder why they didn't start the camera part with a plastic P&S so we would load some 100 iso film, shoot it in all light then bring em to the darkroom and realize what the affect of shooting in "good light" vs say an indoor night shot would have on the final product...

Some did. Before it was cool, Diana's were purchased by the carton for high school students. Source: Photography teacher friend of my dad's.

 

[JBrunner]

I have a Holga. It wasn't crappy enough so I baked it in the oven a little bit. I also have a very nice 8x10 inch view camera with lenses that cost the GDP of some third world countries. I enjoy using them both. People who run down a particular method of photography generally don't know much about photography.

Hint... It ain't about cameras.

 

[MartinCrabtree]

As far as pinhole lenses for your Nikon the easiest is to get a good solid black body cap and drill a 1/4 or 1/2 inch hole in it. Then get a brass shim or a piece of pop can and punch a needle (do not remember the best size) into the shim. Tape and or glue this onto the inside of the body cap so that the hole you drilled is totally covered by the shim. You now have a body cap. If you use the specified needle rather than one at random it is easy on line to find the f stop for it as the focal length would be around 45 or 46 mm.

.

I've been thinking about doing that with a DSLR. I'm a machinist so the hole will be precise. If I like the way it works there we may move on to film.

 

[Gerald C Koch]

Gerald- what, exactly, do you have against plastic cameras?

It has nothing to do with plastic cameras per se. I just don't understand lomography and the idea of purposely taking a bad photograph. Some of these plastic cameras were perfectly dreadful with all sorts of light leaks, lens distortions, etc. There are some older plastic cameras that take creditable photographs. But Lomo was to me a ripoff. I have a Brownie Hawkeye 620 that I occasionally use when I am feeling nostalgic.

 

[redrockcoulee]

It has nothing to do with plastic cameras per se. I just don't understand lomography and the idea of purposely taking a bad photograph. Some of these plastic cameras were perfectly dreadful with all sorts of light leaks, lens distortions, etc. There are some older plastic cameras that take creditable photographs. But Lomo was to me a ripoff. I have a Brownie Hawkeye 620 that I occasionally use when I am feeling nostalgic.

That is just it, the images may be bad technically in your mind but that does not make them bad pictures anymore than a pinhole or a zone plate image is a bad image. If you do not understand it why knock those of us who do understand and do enjoy them. The worse of the putting down those who use them is that some may have come to APUG and reading that they are fools etc will not stay and why should they if you make a point of ridiculing them. Our lomo type cameas were all gifts from me to my wife as that is what she wanted, and she has shot LF and has a SWC etc but perhaps as she has a fine art background in printmaking and new media that she does not understand that images must be as sharp as possible to be acceptable

Perhaps you should look at a few issues of Light Leak to try to learn what others appreciate in low fi photography and it is different then the results you get in using an old Hawkeye or Baby Brownie Special. Some times a sharp image does not record the mood or scene as faithfully as a low fi image. No one expects you to like them or even appreciate lomo images but please do not dish those who do, especially with guests and new comers

 

[StoneNYC]

I have a Holga. It wasn't crappy enough so I baked it in the oven a little bit. I also have a very nice 8x10 inch view camera with lenses that cost the GDP of some third world countries. I enjoy using them both. People who run down a particular method of photography generally don't know much about photography.

Hint... It ain't about cameras.

You always surprise me and its always in a good way...

Also why isn't your most expensive camera a 20x24 "field camera" or something ridiculous? Haha


~Stone | Sent w/ iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Gerald C Koch]

Perhaps you should look at a few issues of Light Leak to try to learn what others appreciate in low fi photography

I have seen quite a few samples from Diana devotees etc. and still don't like the photos. There are people who appreciate hitting their corns with ball peen hammers because it feels so good when you stop.

 

[eddie]

I just don't understand lomography and the idea of purposely taking a bad photograph.

Bad is in the eye of the beholder... Just because you don't see it, it doesn't mean that "art" can't be created with them.

 

[Bill Burk]

I am attracted to well-executed examples of photography done with poor-quality optics/incomplete light seals/overwhelming flare...

It is a direction towards abstraction. But primarily it exemplifies a common sentiment here: It's not the camera that takes remarkable photographs, it is the photographer.

Though I am now experimenting with (developing the film right now) a half-frame roll from a camera which I believe at least tries to form quality images. I don't think this camera qualifies as Lomo, but it's another chip away from the Group f/64 ideal.

 

[Bill Burk]

... experimenting with (developing the film right now) a half-frame roll from a camera which I believe at least tries to form quality images....

Don't know why I'm surprised, darn thing (Yashica Samurai Z) forms reasonable images on film.

 

[one90guy]

I've tried shooting through shot glass's, thick glass ashtrays, colored vases, and bought cheap Cokin and no name screw in filters. If I destroyed them I just toss them. For me its just fun seeing what I get and a lot never make it to the stop bath. I develop C-41 color and black and white film in D-76. If you are enjoying it do not worry about what anyone else thinks. I get grief from my brother all the time because I still use film.

David

 

[StoneNYC]

I've tried shooting through shot glass's, thick glass ashtrays, colored vases, and bought cheap Cokin and no name screw in filters. If I destroyed them I just toss them. For me its just fun seeing what I get and a lot never make it to the stop bath. I develop C-41 color and black and white film in D-76. If you are enjoying it do not worry about what anyone else thinks. I get grief from my brother all the time because I still use film.

David

Try developing C-41 in B&W chems...

 

[Bill Burk]

Expired film is fun to work with too.

But the 100 speed film I just tried tests at speed between 32-40. Will I be able to remember to push the +/- button twice every time I turn on the auto-everything camera?

 

[pdeeh]

then there are the occasional serendipitous accidents in the developing tank of course.
I'm interested in abstraction, although this started out as just a simple snap of a landscape (it was on one of a few rolls shot quickly for the purpose of my trying out reversal) it ended up as something I like very much:



The frustrating thing is that though I have notes on the process that created this , I bet I could never reproduce it ...

 

[StoneNYC]

Just dip it in water for 10 minutes, then put it in a zip lock bag wet, then put in the freezer overnight, then thaw it, repeat the water logging process, then freeze it again overnight, take it out dry it in the darkroom, re-roll it in dry paper, and shoot, should work

then there are the occasional serendipitous accidents in the developing tank of course.
I'm interested in abstraction, although this started out as just a simple snap of a landscape (it was on one of a few rolls shot quickly for the purpose of my trying out reversal) it ended up as something I like very much:



The frustrating thing is that though I have notes on the process that created this , I bet I could never reproduce it ...

 

[250swb]

Searching Ebay for 'parts or repair' throws up some interesting lenses. I got an awful 50mm Nikkor f/1.4 for £8 that looked like it had been in the bottom of a camera bag without front or rear caps for thirty years. It works very well when stopped down, but open it up and from f/2.8 and wider the diffusion of light caused by the dents and scratches in the front element render a Lomo style look. Because the underlying lens is a good design you don't get total image breakdown, indeed it isn't a bad portrait lens, but as a way to make a more 'expressive' image it is if nothing else cheap and effective.

Steve

 

[summicron1]

It has nothing to do with plastic cameras per se. I just don't understand lomography and the idea of purposely taking a bad photograph. Some of these plastic cameras were perfectly dreadful with all sorts of light leaks, lens distortions, etc. There are some older plastic cameras that take creditable photographs. But Lomo was to me a ripoff. I have a Brownie Hawkeye 620 that I occasionally use when I am feeling nostalgic.

i've been known to think lomo cameras are overpriced, but their basic concept is very sound. They've got a long list of 10 precepts which a lot of photographers could learn from http://www.lomography.com/about/the-ten-golden-rules: When in doubt, shoot. Let zen aim. Quit worrying about perfection. Carry a camera with you always. Be fast. Don't think. Ignore rules.

And so on.

Photography is 5 percent equipment and 95 percent you. Take what works for you, leave the rest.