Budapest Tour with LomoAmigo Ah! Kosmos

This month’s LomoAmigo from Turkey is Ah! Kosmos a.k.a. Başak Günak. She took the La Sardina with her when she went to perform in Punkurika Festival in Budapest, along with her Lomo LC-A. We had a nice chat with Başak about her La Sardina adventures, before her Ah! Kosmos “über” performance with Övünç Dan ve Gizem Aksu at the Lomography Embassy Store Istanbul.

Tell us about yourself.

I can say that my life revolves around music. I publish the music I make under the name Ah! Kosmos. Nowadays I am focused on social theory texts.

Have you ever used analogue cameras before? What attracts you to analogue photography?

Yes, my father is very much into photography. He used to shoot with film and because of him, I began shooting with analogue cameras. The rituals of selection of film, the development, the wait in analogue photography make every photo I shoot a lot more exciting.

You own an original Lomo LC-A. What do you think of your LC-A camera?

Eight years ago, after a long selection process, I bought my second-hand LC-A. LC-A is a very precious camera. Especially the photos shot with expired slide films turn out very beautiful.

Do you use any other analogue items, such as notebooks or vinyl?

I use an analogue synthesizer, vinyl and notebooks. Analogue in my music is a completely different feeling. I own two analogue synthesizers. I adore records but I cannot say I have a large collection, I gather it little by little as years go by. No digital app can replace the place of a notebook. I still love to write things onto paper.

You shot photos with the La Sardina. Can you describe La Sardina in two words?
Unexpected, joyful.

You shot most of your photos in Budapest. How was the experience of shooting in a new city with the La Sardina?

Budapest really has beautiful architecture and tone and I think the La Sardina fits the city perfectly. I decided to shoot all of the photos as double exposures, as La Sardina’s mx mode can really produce some nice images. Unfortunately, I only had one day, since I was going to perform at Punkurika Festival and come back, but I had so many sights I wanted to take photos of. So I can say that we did some running with the La Sardina.

Which of your photos do you like the most?

The one where a statue meets the cartons in the sky.

You had plenty of concerts in a lot of different cities as Ah! Kosmos recently. How does it feel to be so busy?

It is actually going great, we had a nice concert in Belgium a couple weeks ago. I am so happy that the weather is so warm and we can enjoy performing in open-air venues, under the sky. Other than my solo performances, we also continue to perform as “über” with Övünç Dan and Gizem Aksu. I am excited that our concerts will continue in Istanbul during the summer months.

What are your projects for the rest of the summer?

I will be preparing all summer for the album that we’ll publish in the fall. Also, we will do the premiere of the performance we have been working on with Gizem Aksu, so we are planning to do the final touches on that. Other than these, I have been accepted to the Red Bull Music Academy that’ll be held in Japan this year, I am excited about that trip in October.

Where would you rather be and what would you rather be doing right now?

I would love to travel around Iceland. I have been dreaming about it for years but haven’t had the chance to go yet.

Which popular culture figure would you like to take a photo of?

Even though it is impossible now, Nico (Christa Päffgen).

What advice would you give to community members who will be using the La Sardina for the first time?

Doing multi exposures in open spaces produce really lovely results. As for indoors, I can suggest experimenting with the colored flash covers for a different effect!

Thanks for the chat, Ah! Kosmos! Make sure to visit her website to get to know more about the artist!

written by nural on 2014-07-28 #people #lomoamigo #lomoamigo-ahkosmos