Lomography Fading?

The Toronto store is closing next week. LA and Manchester shops shuttered. More to follow?

Toronto Lomography store destined for the deadpool

Wonder how this will be explained on APUG?

I love the comments attached to this article especially the guy who seems to be saying that Portra has 18-19 stops of latitude. Come again - is that, say, F1.0 to f4112? As I don't live in one of our big cities, I'm not sure whether actual Lomo shops ever caught on here in Australia but I've never been able to understand how some folk at APUG who largely purport to be serious photographers could have embraced Lomo as a potential saviour of the film industry. Those who are devotees will only remain so until the next new, hip and crazy idea surfaces and this is obviously starting to happen. OzJohn

OzJohn said:

I love the comments attached to this article especially the guy who seems to be saying that Portra has 18-19 stops of latitude. Come again - is that, say, F1.0 to f4112? As I don't live in one of our big cities, I'm not sure whether actual Lomo shops ever caught on here in Australia but I've never been able to understand how some folk at APUG who largely purport to be serious photographers could have embraced Lomo as a potential saviour of the film industry. Those who are devotees will only remain so until the next new, hip and crazy idea surfaces and this is obviously starting to happen. OzJohn

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They've all but withdrawn from the U.S. market--Chicago and New York are their remaining stores. A few more details here:

Looks like Lomography (company) might be in trouble - Rangefinderforum.com

If Hipster Cameras Are So Popular, Why Did L.A.'s Lomography Stores Close Down? - Los Angeles - Arts - Public Spectacle

I caught $hit from all directions on APUG in early 2012 when Kodak crashed for questioning the redemptive power of Lomography for film shooters. The sales numbers never made sense, nor did the ploy to "brand" film photography by selling pricey repackaged film and expensive toy cameras. Their shops followed the "Apple Store" model and, IMHO, failed because of it. They'd have done better selling affordable refurbed, working film gear of all makes and offering reasonably priced processing and printing--a huge problem now in many markets. They may survive online but the storefront model isn't working at all well, judging from the closings in large American and Canadian cities.

CGW said:

They've all but withdrawn from the U.S. market--Chicago and New York are their remaining stores. A few more details here:

I caught $hit from all directions on APUG in early 2012 when Kodak crashed for questioning the redemptive power of Lomography for film shooters.

Click to expand...

I read most of that "debate" at the time it was raging but did not participate because I don't spend a lot of time on any of the many internet forums in which I take an interest (most are not photography related) and it is, to me, a pointless waste of time arguing with people who hold totally inflexible, almost evangelical views. I still look at APUG a at least once a week and make the occasional post but as you would be aware, there is rarely a truly new topic and too much of the same old stuff recycled eg digital bashing, Kodachrome, Kodak, Ilford are great, my latest camera purchase etc etc. OzJohn