It’s a pun because all camera’s, digital or film, are is simply a light tight box with an opening at one end and a way to record information on the other. What we put on those two ends and where we point it what controls it. They can be as complicated as the latest medium format 100 megapixel pro dSLR to as simple as a pinhole camera. At the end of the day we’re all photographers and what should really be important to us is that we choose to take that light tight box and point it at something that we felt was important enough to take the time and effort to record even if it’s seemingly nothing, or shot from the hip without any regard to what might actually show up.
In my opinion Lomo is only a trade-name for a camera, and it should be left at that. I have a love hate relationship with Lomographic Society Industries. It’s crazy to me that a company can hype something to the point of it becoming a proprietary eponym. While I appreciate that a couple of guys were able to build an empire that has transformed random cross processed photography into the hipster equivalent of a “Kodak Moment” I find it awkward to see someone refer to a picture shot with a Holga or a Vivitar camera as a “Lomo”. Why am I worried that a couple of Russian mobsters with crew cuts and leather coats are going to walk up to my door as I type that? LSI has utilized some pretty aggressive legal tactics to limit the amount of people trying to sell real Lomo LC-A’s out of Russia on eBay. These days most people don’t know the difference (if their is a difference optically is for another discussion). In fact there are probably people out there that think real Lomo’s only come from China and the Russian LC-A’s are just old unreliable junk.
Flickr is one of the battle grounds for this sort of grass roots guerrilla street marketing. One of the best ways for smaller film cult/fetish companies to get their name out is to give away some free camera’s to prolific photographers. As a marketing expense it’s pretty cheap, especially if you factor in the actual production cost of the products I’m talking about. The downside to this is that people are getting their introduction to film photography via some of the most difficult to operate camera’s ever built. The exception is the wildly expensive instant film option. When a company can convince you that it’s shortcomings are part of it’s charm and you buy into it hook line and sinker then you really have a goose that lays golden eggs! But how many of these people walk away discouraged and convinced that photography is just too difficult?
I’m tired of hype. Some of the toy and film camera enthusiasts are as snobby as their megapixel countin’ cousins. The whole point is that photography should be fun, educational, an artistic expression, and a method of recording facts and fiction. When it becomes a fashion statement/accessory or conversation piece then it loses it’s whole point.
-=end rant=-
Comments
Good rant. Don’t think anyone could’ve said it better.
Couldn’t have said it better myself.
I especially like your last paragraph. We live in a society that loves instant gratification & a good fashion fad, probably best exemplified by Paris Hilton’s toy dog/accessory. Sadly, especially for animals, these are cast aside when the fad is perceived to be over by the Fashion Police. (“This is what you get when you mess with us . . .”)
Cameras like the Holga, Diana, etc are just another opportunity for folk to think they’re part of a movement. In a time when more people (it seems) are connecting online rather than at a local coffeehouse, bookstore, farmer’s market, etc, people want a way to feel they’re part of a group, connected to something exciting. There have always been poseurs & hangers on connected to any movement. Toy cams are no different – no matter how frustrating that might be for we True Believers. (When I was a kid, we complained about tweets who weren’t really into the punk scene but used it as a fashion statement. Same thing.)
Just in the year I’ve been into toy cameras, quite a number of people I work with have gotten into or back into photography after seeing my pictures & are very excited about it. Some got all digital while some went the toy cam route but all are motivated to have fun first. As you point out, Derek, that should be the prime motivation, something to get us out of our Dilbert cubicles & take some snaps!
The rest is a standard by-product of the trend.
“I’m tired of hype. Some of the toy and film camera enthusiasts are as snobby as their megapixel countin’ cousins. The whole point is that photography should be fun, educational, an artistic expression, and a method of recording facts and fiction. When it becomes a fashion statement/accessory or conversation piece then it loses it’s whole point.”
Couldn’t agree more. Just have fun with it!! I love my toy/vintage cameras but my digital has it’s place, too. I hate the fact that the ‘fashion accessory’ aspect of toy cams has driven the price into the ridiculously-overpriced range.
Thank you for all the comments, I’ve enjoyed reading them.
On one hand it is sort of a bummer about Toy cams being so expensive, but on the other hand if enough people are interested that companies are devoloping and re-releasing film camera’s then it may be worth the price of admission to help keep film profitable for the companies that still carry it.
this by far is the most sensible and balanced rant on lomo ever.