Our Lomography New Year Resolutions 2024

A year ago, we released an article on some of the Lomography team's New Year Resolutions with the goal of being able to look back in a year’s time on our pursuits and endeavors.

It's about time to get an update on each one of us, and also get some fresh updates from community members about their 2023 film journey and film goals for 2024!

Kota Sekiya, Junior Sales & Marketing (Japan)

About a year ago, I made a couple of new year resolutions. By the way, time files! really!

First one was to get an enlarger, which I did. But just like when I first started processing color film, it has been a lot of learning and I haven't been able to get the most of it. I have made some small prints (my trays are too small), and this excitement I get seeing an image gradually appear on the paper is truly amazing. But I found contact prints more fun to make because I get to see all the frames on the roll!

I promised to do an exhibition as well. I kind of did, but it was a small group exhibition with my friends and I used ink-jet prints instead of darkroom prints. You can see the photos on my LomoHome.

Now, here is what happened that wasn't planned. I bought a Jobo CPE2+ and Noritsu LS-600 scanner. I'm sure some people would go crazy to see this setup, but I got those at bargain prices (I used all my luck for 2023). I also got a small printer that's connected to the scanner, so as I scan my roll of film it spits out its index print! With this setup I could start at least a black and white film lab, but I need more research and practice to get the most of the scanner.

I also started working on a zine. From 2021 to 2023, I have visited Thailand (mostly Bangkok) 4 times (will be 5 times this winter) and compiled more than 3000 film photos I took there to put in a zine. I think I will finish this sometime before April.

Javier Pimentel, Magazine Writer (Philippines)

Looking back at last year, my New Year’s Resolution was to be more hands on with film cameras and with Lomography products. I honestly forgot about my resolution but eventually I did get my hands on my first manual camera, a Nikon S2 rangefinder that I got myself for my birthday. Though the learning curve wasn’t as hard as I expected, it did take me a few tries until I got shots that I really enjoyed.

Besides this, I was able to try more Lomography film stocks but also cameras. My new personal favorite became the Berlin Kino 400 film and I gained a new found appreciation for the LC-A series.

For the next year I want to try going beyond the 35 mm formats and try out 120, 110 and even Instant. I think trying these formats in raves and nightlife will be something really interesting.

Alex Gray, Online Magazine Editorial Assistant (Vienna)

My new year’s resolution was to start developing film at home. Well, that didn’t happen, but I'm not beating myself up about it. I’m a big believer in not holding yourself accountable to your past self. It’s normal for priorities to change and we’re not the same people we were this time last year, or even last week!

For me 2023 brought many unforeseen challenges, frustrations, obligations, as well as exciting opportunities. When I had a little free time the last thing I wanted to do was dive into something technically demanding. Instead I found myself wanting to retreat to a familiar and favorite activity of simply wandering beautiful places and taking photos on film.

Some of my favorite photos I took this year were on a trip to Japan, as well as just daily roamings in my usual haunts. Oh and a particular joy has been the Lomo’Instant Square Glass, which I have loved using!

AJ Bajo, Magazine Writer (Philippines)

2023 was a slow year for shooting for me as I got acquainted with other hobbies and struggled with (quite honestly) life in general, but I was able to try the 110 format with the Diana Baby and medium format with the Diana F+ so all things considered, I still had a few good times shooting film!

Photos are great reminders of what was, and what I didn't for the life of me expect this year was this dread about having films developed. I felt scared that when the images appeared I'd be forced to look back on something that happened in the past, maybe a happy memory that I'd never get back again because the people in it are gone.

On a related note, I was also finally able to publish my first ever poetry zine! Although I only printed 30 copies, I still get questions about the zine's availability which definitely makes me feel like it was such a success somehow! While I've changed my mind about making a Filipino zine for now, I'm currently working on another one with no release date in mind yet, and plan to include some film photos in it.

New Year Resolutions from the Community

Yörn, a.k.a. @stereograph

I started to shoot half-frame with a Diana Mini this year. It was my main camera on my travels. Shooting the Mini feels like writing a kind of notebook, with photographic sketches, for coming back later and shooting it again with the big stuff!

I haven't uploaded them but here are two:

Actually I had to tune and repair the camera a few times during the summer to keep shooting with it. It was an amazing experience to take out the smallest and lightest camera with me I could find. After the development you have around 70 shots on the roll, this is a lot!

My resolution for the new year would be to try out trichrome stuff, I've waited too long with it! And of course, printing! I upgraded my Darkroom to print 40x50cm Prints.

Mo Mitterdorfer, a.k.a. @agrimony

Last year I finally tried out the LomoApparat. I combined the LomoApparat with films that I had previously manipulated and also with LomoChrome films. I particularly like the photos I took with the prism lens. For me it's a good combination to experiment and transform your surroundings. I experimented a lot with an ancient box camera. Most of the time I made in-camera cyanotypes. I also continued my film soup experiments. I especially like those I took with my favorite lens the daguerreotype achromat art lens.

In 2023 I got myself a Petzval 80.5 lens. Finally! I love the high quality of the lens and also the possibility to do experiments. As I didn't like the aperture plates supplied (too kitschy for my taste) I made one myself. It is not only a good lens for portraits but also for landscapes. In 2024, I would like to continue my work on chemigrams, which I started a few weeks ago. I also plan to soup LomoChrome Purple and LomoChrome Turquoise. But I'm not much of a planner, I prefer to see what comes up. And I will be definitely doing more new analogue experiments, that's for sure!

Mark Lentz, a.k.a. @thehenrydemos

Here are my favorite (photos this year) and they all happen to be Lomography film. I swear I am not shilling for Lomography!

For a film resolution, dang, don't we all have so many! Outside of the usual "take more photos," I would say my resolution is to find my own totally unique style. Now that is a tall order of course but when I see people like @smolda literally inventing her own style, it is purely inspirational.

Her work simultaneous shooting two different rolls of LomoChrome in the same 4x5 film holder is dang amazing. All that to say, I want to be bold like her. Check out her work!

Patrick, a.k.a. @mackiechartres

Hi you all, I am Mackie from Chartres (France), a 50-and-some years old French guy who fell in love again with analogue photography in 2022. With the help of the Lomography community, 2023 was for me the year of exploring all directions - but there's too much to mention, so, to illustrate this year, I'll focus on just two big things: first, my trip to Japan (where I had a lot of fun with LomoChrome Turquoise ), and second, my beginnings with developing black and white films at home (including lots of Lady Grey and Earl Grey ).

Regarding 2024, one of my main subjects will be to seriously get into the 120 film format. I already have a Holga, a Diana and an Agfa Isolette, but to boost myself I have just ordered a Kiev 60 SLR, so all I have to do is load it with Potsdam or Berlin film to start with! I would also like to take up portrait photography (which goes well with my desire for 120).

And since I'm planning to return to Japan, I hope I'll have plenty more images to share again here!

What are your 2024 film goals? Share them with us below!

written by sylvann on 2024-01-08 #culture #people #experimental #new-year #community #new-year-resolutions