What the hell is Lomography?
The whole Lomographic phenomenon started in the streets of St. Petersburg, Russia in 1982. At that time, the USSR Minister of Defense and Industry and his comrade, the Director of the LOMO Russian Arms and Optical Factory, examined a Japanese camera with a sharp glass lens, extremely high light sensitivity, and robust casing. Upon realizing the potential of this mini-camera, they gave immediate orders to copy and improve the design with the ultimate goal of producing the largest quantity possible for the pleasure and glory of the Soviet population. It was decided – every respectable Communist should have a LOMO KOMPAKT AUTOMAT of their own. With that, the LOMO LC-A was born!
Almost a decade after and with the LOMO LC-A’s popularity waning, a handful of Austrian students came across this adorable camera in some old-school camera shops, bought a couple for fun, loaded them with film, shot from above and through their legs, shot from the hip, and even sometimes looking through the viewfinder.
After having the film developed at the trusty corner supermarket, they were surprised by the results: Thousands of small, amusing, sad, garish shots of their little tour, wonderful focused and unfocused images fresh from life in the Czech Republic. The images were amazing, dazzling, and present with a crushing sense of excitement – the likes of which they had never felt before.
What happens next is quickly enough told. After seeing the incredible photographs; friends, relatives, and strangers on the streets all demanded LOMO cameras of their own! The Lomographic Society (Lomographische Gesellschaft) was soon founded in Vienna, with the aim of spreading the message of LOMOGRAPHY throughout the globe.
The essence of Lomography is PICTURES:
*P*owerful – *I*ntense – *C*razy – *T*remendous – *U*nique – *R*aw – *E*xciting – *S*exy.
Pictures are what Lomography is all about. Nothing compares to the feeling of visually diving into a pool of shining, new, sweet-smelling Lomographs. My pictures, your pictures, pictures of the world, pictures of fleeting moments, secret passions, boring, brou-ha, left toes, blurred nothings. Simply everything. Lomography collects, treasures and presents all of this.
Create your own LomoHome, search your dusty archives, and spam us with your pictures! Show the world your masterpieces, your lucky accidents, your weird photomoods and your most intense personal Lomographic views. Lomography.com is now fully ready and technically capable to swallow and digest all of your analogue pictures.
So, let the feast begin, and never forget: You are Lomography.
written on 2010-03-30 in #community