Community Spotlight: Rory Branson (@thegoodrory) and Klaus Wendland (@klawe)

Being one of the largest analogue photography communities on the web, we are proud of the creativity and diversity of our members. For this month's Community Spotlight, we are pleased to introduce to you Lomographers Rory Branson (@thegoodrory) and Klaus Wendland (@klawe) and their unique way of seeing the world.

Name: Rory Branson
LomoHome: @thegoodrory
Location: Canberra, ACT

Hi, Rory! What do you do and what got you started with photography?

I’m currently studying a Bachelor of Visual Arts, majoring in glass blowing at ANU. Film photography has only been a medium I’ve been actively working with since the start of the year, after taking an introductory class as an elective. While glass blowing is my chosen medium I enjoy the spontaneity of photography and the variance of possibilities that comes from developing your own film. After building my contextual research and finding artist's aesthetics that spoke to me, for example, Robert Adams, Steven Shore, William Eggleston & Lee Friedlander. I decided to aim to work in a similar manner capturing moments of both abnormal and the banal everyday life, and re-examining these circumstances.

How did you discover Lomography and what made you join our analogue Community? Who are your favorite photographers here?

I first found came across Lomography when I was searching for a particular infrared film Kodak’s discontinued. It was originally produced for the military because it shows the chlorophyll in plants as bubblegum pink allowing the enemy to be spotted in the dense jungle. Some of the profiles I've been enjoying are those of @kento1974, @oleman, and @charliedontsurf.

What is your favorite subject to photograph? What do you usually look for in a scene before you hit the shutter?

Ideally, I’d like to become more comfortable photographing strangers engaging in everyday activities. But what I’m currently drawn toward is landscape photography shot on a portrait angle allowing to achieve a good cross-section of earth and sky. With cattle or sheep dotted across the frame, I want to accurately portray the variance within the Australian landscape.

In this day and age, why choose film?

Because I have acquired a large mass of it with free facilities to develop my own rolls at university. There's also something about the labor involved that makes the images more valuable and to the photographer, you care more about what your framing compared to digital photography.

What does a perfect day look like for you?

Cooking some authentic Margherita’s in a wood-fired oven or smoking some beef ribs.

Name: Klaus Wendland
LomoHome: @klawe
Location: Berlin, Germany

Hi, Klaus! What do you do and what got you started with photography?

I'm an Electronics Technician and took my first pictures with my oldest sister's Brown-Super Paxette. I was six years old. Another six years later, my brother-in-law gave me a complete photo lab. In the 70s and 80s, I almost exclusively photographed black and white.

How did you discover Lomography and what made you join our analogue Community? Who are your favorite photographers here?

Two years ago, I scanned and disposed of over 10,000 color slides. My wife @guja said a new electronic projection could be Lomo ;-)
Here I met creative analog photographers right away.

At first, @troch (trees), @oleman (pinholes) and @chromagnon (colorful). The biggest challengers and entertainers are @wildholzkamera and @alinerunge. Through Tom and Aline, I photograph today almost exclusively analogue and develop all the films themselves.

What makes you stay with film photography in this day and age? What's your favorite subject to shoot?

With film photography, the possibilities of influencing the final result photo are infinitely greater than in digital photography if one develops the films themselves. As in the past with painting.

For you, what's the best part about being a Lomographer?

Learning from others and sharing with other Lomographers.

What is your favorite Lomography camera and film and why?

My favorite camera is the Lomo LC-Wide, it is small, has versatile formats, and fits in every trouser pocket. The most interesting color negative film at the moment is the Lomo ChromePurple — the colors are unpredictable, regardless of the development method.

Stay tuned for our monthly Community Spotlight to discover the work of some of the most talented Lomographers!

written by cheeo on 2019-09-15 #people #interview #klawe #community-spotlight #thegoodrory