grains

Photography

A moody black-and-white ferris wheel close-up shot from the hip with Lomo LC-A

I picked up this hobby around 2006-2007. I started hauling a camera with me almost everywhere, and it became a sure way to make friends. At school I was very much into live music, and I would get a lot of fun shooting concerts and festivals.

A camera was a big part of my identity until my early 20s, but then my interests shifted away. I've been making multiple attempts to reconnect with the hobby through street photography, but it never stuck for too long until very recently, when I started working on this website.

To decorate pages here on grains, I've started to use my phone's camera more often. I also developed a routine of regularly skimming through recent photos and showcasing them to friends through lookbacks. Hopefully, this will help me to keep the habit, and maybe replace the phone with a proper camera again.

Cameras #

Owned now #

Motivation behind Ricoh #

The prices have been insane ever since the pandemic shortages, and I regret selling my X100F for a fair price – now it costs twice as much and cannot be regained. These were my alternative options:

A big camera will likely stay at home most of the time, so it boils down to a choice between the Ricohs and the Fujis, and at the moment Ricoh wins. I had one before and I loved it, but I struggled without an EVF.

A viewfinder gives me an excuse to hide my face behind the camera, and without it insecurities pop up. It can only do me good if I overcome this little quirk.

Owned before #

Lomography #

Lomography Manifesto's 10 golden rules had a huge influence on me. I borrowed a Lomo LC-A from someone at school, and the few rolls I shot with it were immense fun. I don't possess one anymore, but it helped me internalize the manifesto and gain an unconditional love to disposable cameras.

Here are the rules:

  1. Take your camera everywhere you go
  2. Use it any time – day and night
  3. Lomography is not an interference in your life, but part of it
  4. Try the shot from the hip <--- everyone should try doing this at least once
  5. Approach the objects of your Lomographic desire as close as possible
  6. Don’t think (William Firebrace)
  7. Be fast
  8. You don’t have to know beforehand what you captured on film.
  9. Afterwards either
  10. Don’t worry about any rules

Articles, tips & tricks #

People #

Magazines #

Books #

Software #

Advice #