Community LomoAmigo hodachrome and his Faithful Lomo LC-A+

By now you’ve all come across community Member, and LC-A star, hodachrome, or at least seen his surreal multiple exposure photos. Dolphins cursing through the sky, “Inceptional” views, and ferris wheels that look so grand and magnificent that you forget their function and treat them as a monument built for the God of photography. Let hodachrome tell you how to get the film deity to smile upon you!

Full Name: Hodaka Yamamoto
Lomography Username: hodachrome
Location: Gifu, Japan

Tell us about yourself. What do you do for a living? What are your interests?

I live in Gifu Prefecture, Japan. It’s a calm and quiet place sorrounded by beautiful nature.
What interests me most, now, is holding my photo exhibitions around the world. I would like to show my Lomographs to as many people as possible. It’s kind of a big dream though. Maybe in my country [Japan] for a start!

How long have you been a Lomographer and how did you find out about the Community?

About 6 years. When I started using the LC-A, I was reading up a lot about LC-A and Lomographs on the internet, and it wasn’t too long after that I found this community. The photos from the community have inspired me so much and I ’ve learned (and am still learning) so many different things from here.

Describe the Lomo LC-A+ in 2 sentences.

Infinite possibilities, that can be realized by not only the camera but also by a wide variety of films, methods of development, some unique tools, and novel ideas. I will keep on, and increase my quest in, searching for the possibilities.

I think you always shoot perfect, and dreamlike, MX photos. How do you shoot these photos?!

Nobody’s perfect – of course I’m not. It would be better to acquire knowledge or skills about photography but the most important element for us, as Lomographers, is (as I’m always saying) patience, concentration, and some luck. If we’ve got only these, the God of photography will still be smiling for us.
And one more thing, I usually shooting the same photos as many times as possible whenever I encounter great scenes. Sometimes using even an entire roll only in the same place! Wouldn’t you think it great, if even just one photo turns out that will satisfy me? I always think a great deal of Japan’s saying “一期一会” which means “Treasure every encounter, for it will never recur.”

How do you like shooting with the Lomo LC-A+, not including multiple exposure?

I give priority to multiple exposure so it’s a little tough to answer. Now I really like to create my works with “Exposing Both Sides of the Film (EBS)”. Kind of multiple exposure though… And same goes for long exposure. It’s one of my favorite themes as it will increase the possibilities photography has to offer. I ultimately want each method of photography to relate with multiple exposure. I love MX!

What or who inspired you to purchase and use the Lomo LC-A+?

A friend of mine recommended the LOMO LC-A. This marked the very beginning of hodachrome, as a Lomographer. When I heard we could shoot interesting and curious photos with it, I bought the original LOMO LC-A. To be honest, I didin’t enjoy Lomographs so much in the beginning, as I do now, because I ‘d mainly been using single-lens reflex cameras til then. It took a while to get used to the new style of photography. I came to be attracted by Lomography’s possibilities after I got the LC-A+ and started to learn MX.

Any funny or strange encounters you’ve had with it?

Many of my photos are calculated, but unexpected happy accidents such as lightleaks or wind-up issues give us the unexpected. These accidents have the potential to lead to great results. Just like “Hell’s Angels” and “Wheels on fire”. It might be a warning sign to me, who’s always calculating, though also might be an instruction to keep down this path. These kind of accidents are welcomed (but aren’t always what I want).

If you could shoot any person alive or dead (or imaginary) with your Lomo LC-A+, who would it be and why?

I respectfully choose Himiko, a shaman queen in ancient Japan. She is one of the most mysterious women in Japan’s history, without certain historical references. She is said to have used shamanism and magic rituals to govern the country. What a great model she would be for my Lomographs! I would like to photograph her lyrical, back view, when doing shamanism, against the sun – the film in redscale. She would be pleased, (or I will be killed).

Kindly share with us your most loved Lomo LC-A+ photos.

It’s a tough question. I can’t decide the order of my photos. If I had to pick just one photo, I ’d choose “Dolphin Sky”. Regarding this photo, all the essential elements that make for a good result, like patience, concentration, skill, and luck, really worked in my favor! It was a difficult photograph to achieve but worth trying as the result shows.

Any future plans or tips with your Lomo LC-A+?

I want to try stellar photography with LC-A+. It will be rare and must be fun. I was planning it last winter but didin’t realize.
And Color infrared photography, if possible. I want to try more magical and novel photography that nobody has ever tried.

Your advice to future Lomo LC-A+ users.

The skills and techniques are important for us but, first of all, I hope you just enjoy analogue photography.
“Don’t think, just shoot!” And “Think a bit once in a while”, for the better results.

You can find more special photos in hodachrome's Lomohome . Let’s check them out and even friend this Lomography master, who’s happy to share his tips, in our midsts!

The Lomo LC-A+ is known worldwide for its amazing features: automatic exposure, extended ISO range, and multiple and long exposure capabilities. Get your own Lomo LC-A+ now!

written by kyonn on 2012-09-11 #people #splitzer #mx #community #japan #multi-exposure #lomoamigos #lomoamigo #hodachrome #inceptional