Community Spotlight: Martin (@callaveron) and Flavia (@flaviaslick)

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 Martin and Flavia and their unique way of seeing the world.

Name: Martin Engelbrecht
LomoHome: @callaveron
Location: Aachen, Germany

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

I am a carpenter and a social worker. I have been taking photos since 2004. I initially bought a simple digital camera but switched to analogue photography relatively quickly. My first film camera was an Exa 1b and the Pentacon six TL.

Who are your favorite photographers here?

I like the pictures of @yunona_prud, @sophiamaks, and @sashapodgurska.

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

I am mainly interested in portrait and nude photography. I mainly photograph my wonderful wife. Occasionally, I also do street photography or landscapes. I take pictures because I enjoy it. I don't do it professionally. When I look through the viewfinder I have to feel good. If that works, I'm usually satisfied with the picture.

In this day and age, why choose film?

Analogue photography is exciting because you don't directly know how the picture will turn out. You can also use film to create certain looks that you can't get digitally. I develop black and white films myself. The first look at the negative is always great, and that's what makes analogue photography so appealing.

What does a perfect day look like for you?

The perfect day for me is to be with my wife on the Baltic sea and a camera in hand. I am in love with my wife and the water!

Name: Flavia Slick
LomoHome: @flaviaslick
Location: Rome, Italy

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

Hi! Actually I'm almost a neurobiologist but with a huge passion for photos and light since I was a young kid. My family started to give me cameras as a birthday present around the age of 10. I've always been super excited to take pics and it quickly became my way of expression. But the real passion and addiction for photography started in 2012 when I found in the back of the wardrobe, my mom's Nikon FM2. Jeez, that was a divine sign, something that really changed the way I feel, experience, and love how to shoot pics. Since that day I became an analogue addict, trying different cameras older, newer, and finally, Lomo too.

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

My first Lomo camera was an exchange with a friend of mine, who really wanted to try my compact Olympus in exchange for her Lomo Fisheye One. In the beginning, it should have been temporary but at the end, we said to each other "I like your camera more", so that started my Lomo passion. A few years later my ex-boyfriend gave me a Diana F+ for Christmas and that was the moment when I started using Lomo rolls and 120 films. Last year, I moved to Vienna, Lomography homeland, and it was such a big love story between me, the city, and photography. I used to apply for the Lomo contest on the website but at the beginning, I didn't have my Lomohome, I only applied without an account, then I thought that maybe I could upload all my analogue shots and create my own Lomo home. My last Lomo purchase was a Lomo'Instant Square Glass Combo, my first instant camera, and I love it!

Eheh that's pretty hard! I have a bunch but here are some: @popoti; @nudels; @montagu; @akula; @stevejacko; @stereograph, and @sinkinanchorssince1984.

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

I'm really devoted to shooting landscapes and street scenes, but lately, I'm trying to approach portraits, which in the past I considered to be boring because they were too static.

In this day and age, why choose film?

Because nowadays the hi-tech and digital world have taken control over our lives, during our whole lifespan - from childhood to adulthood. Especially with the advent of smartphones and powerful cameras, there's no more value in the images. They are sterile and without any soul. Choosing film allows me to travel in time, using expired rolls and old cameras, rediscovering light and film grain. The magic of waiting for the developing and forgetting about the pictures I've taken months ago, give them way more value and satisfaction. For me it's like a multiplied experienced, before I shoot, when I shoot, and when I can finally see the pics developed. It's really something magical that gives me the strength and the enthusiasm to explore and keep on shooting every time – when I'm happy, when I'm sad, when I'm surprised, when I'm in love, and when I feel lonely.

What does a perfect day look like for you?

A perfect day is a day where I can only live in the moment, second by second, not thinking about the past or future, in the wild nature under the sun alone, with a dog or with the person I love. Walking, swimming, sleeping, and obviously shooting with my cameras around my neck.

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

written by cheeo on 2020-09-27 #culture #news #people #community-spotlight #callaveron #flaviaslick