What is Lomography?

It was in the early 1990s, when two students in Vienna, Austria, discovered a small enigmatic Russian camera, the Lomo Kompakt Automat (Lomo LC-A), and started a new style of artistic experimental photography of unorthodox snapshots. In the blink of an eye the Lomographic, message spread around the planet and people from North to South were screaming for Lomo LC-A’s. In 1991, the Austrian founders of Lomography discovered the Lomo LC-A. As the company states, they were "charmed by the unique, colorful, and sometimes blurry" images that the camera produced. After a series of international art exhibitions and aggressive marketing work, Lomography signed an exclusive distribution agreement with LOMO PLC, thereby becoming the sole distributor of all Lomo LC-A cameras outside of the Soviet Union.

Lomography is the commercial trademark of Lomographische AG, Austria for products and services related to photography. The name is inspired by the former state-run optics manufacturer LOMO PLC of Saint Petersburg, Russia. LOMO PLC created and produced the 35 mm LOMO LC-A Kompakt Automat camera, which became the centerpiece of Lomography's marketing and sales activities. This camera was loosely based upon the Cosina CX-1 and introduced in the early 1980s.

Lomography emphasizes casual, snapshot photography. Characteristics such as over-saturated colors, off-kilter exposure, blurring, "happy accidents," and alternative film processing are often considered part of the lomographic technique. Users are encouraged to take a lighthearted approach to their photography, and use these techniques to document everyday life, as the Lomo LC-A's small size, simple controls, and ability to shoot in low light encourages candid photography, photo reportage, and photo varieties through the much-touted 10 Golden Rules.

Since the introduction of the original Lomo LC-A, Lomography has produced and marketed an entire line of their own branded analog cameras. Most Lomographic cameras are designed to produce a single photographic effect. For example, the Lomography Fisheye camera features a built-in ultra wide angle lens, and shoots fisheye-distorted photos. In 2005, production of the original Lomo LC-A was discontinued and its replacement, the LC-A+, was introduced in Fall 2006. The new camera, made in China rather than Russia, featured the original Russian lens manufactured by LOMO PLC. But this changed as of mid-2007 with the lens now made in China as well.

Similar to Eastman Kodak's concept of the "Kodak moment," the Lomography motto of "don't think, just shoot" presumes spontaneity, close-ups, and ubiquity, while deemphasizing formal technique. Typical lomography cameras are deliberately low-fidelity and inexpensively constructed. Some cameras make use of multiple lenses and rainbow-colored flashes, or exhibit extreme optical distortions and even light leaks. Current models marketed by Lomographische AG include Lomo LC-A, Diana, Holga, Holga 35mm, Actionsampler, Frogeye, Pop-9, Oktomat, Fisheye, Fisheye2, Colorsplash, Colorsplash Flash, F-stop Bang, SuperSampler, Horizon 202, Seagull TLR and Smena 8M. And in Japan, there is a company called Superheadz had produced some analog and digital lomography cameras too. The camera models produced by Superheadz include Blackbird Fly TLR, Golden Half, Plamodel, Ultra Wide & Slim (UWS) series, Nico Digi (digital) and Digital Harinezumi series (digital).

The Lomo LC-A lens effect can be digitally emulated too with photo-editing software such as Photoshop. In addition, the company's promotional web site for Lomography showcases many high-contrast photographs, with unusual saturation and color, that were created using the technique called cross-processing in which film intended for developing in slide chemistry (E-6) is processed in photographic negative chemistry (C-41), and vice versa. This technique can be employed with any film camera and can be somewhat mimicked with digital software as well.


Article source:
Lomo.com
Lomography.com
Superheadz.com
Wikipedia.com