April 2 2013
I was looking through some old photos from my san francisco trip and forgot I had these great photos of the lomography store there. Lomography is a small-ish community of analogue photographers who share a sense of exploration and connection through the imperfections 0f vintage film and cameras. I picked up this little hobby over a year ago now and I truly have been enjoying the process and experimentation that comes with it.
We don’t have a brick and mortar location in denver, so I have been supplying my habit of toy cameras and film through the good old internet. So when we came around the corner near Chinatown and I saw the shop – I had to stop in. The employees were so friendly and happy to let me photograph everything (of course). The store had a gallery space and a great showcase of cameras and film.
Here are a few analogue shots from San Francisco. I wish I had taken more, but I was really using my DSLR for most the photography while I was there.
As always you can see all my analogue/ toy camera shots on lomography.com – brianna725. Or you can check out what I did shoot, a black and white album of Lady San Francisco.
January 22 2013
I have a thing for toy cameras, they’re fun, quirky, and unpredictable. Last year I sought out the La Sardina for its wide angle lens and traditional 35mm film, which comes in a wide variety of chemical treatments.
These treatments in combination with light exposure change the color and hues of the film. In Hot Springs, Arkansas I used Tungsten 64. Which lead to some purple and orange blowout shots. In Mexico, I used the most common 100 Color Negative film (which turned out to be some of my favorite shots) and a really special X-Chrome film that was super blue, and perfect for the beach.
But one toy camera is never enough, and I already have a camera that needs film to be developed which I don’t get around to as often as I should. So for my next toy camera purchase, I decided that an instant camera would be perfect. With some birthday money, I got the Fujifilm Instax Mini 25 and I am oh-so very much in love.
August 28 2012
You may remember a short and sweet blog post about Hot Springs, Arkansas where my guy and some of our friends ventured into the deep south for a hot 4th of July weekend. Here are some of the film shots from that trip. It was probably my favorite trip this year. And I can tell you this year has been quite busy.
It was the perfect weekend getaway. Full of summer shandies, boat driving, cliff diving, and floating in Lake Ouachita. What I enjoyed the most about the trip was that there was absolutely nothing we had to do. We simply escaped from work and stress to enjoy the simple pleasures of life. Cool water rushing around your legs. The warm sun tanning your shoulders. The tangy refreshment of a frozen adult beverage. And your cheeks hurting from laughing so much.
We simply laughed, played, and acted as if there was no end of the weekend. A fond memory with some great people.
These are just a few shots from the rest of the series which lives @brianna725 on lomography.com
*All photos by Observant Nomad
June 21 2012
Gotta say, my Sardina is quite the prefect little traveling companion. I love how it’s wide-angle lens captures the details of a whole scene that are usually lost in 4:3 film. At the same time it has enough pinpoint focus to bring a singular detail to your attention. Say, the delicate sequin lining of a sombrero or the luscious emerald leaves who sleep timidly behind budding coral flowers.
I save my film camera for those moments that at first glance seem inconsequential. The moments that are fleeting. These photos are like a daydream, looking away will cause it to disappear. And as abruptly wonderful as it was, it will seem to never have happened in the first place.
That sense of wonder invested in these small moments, is so powerful that I can feel the way the cobblestone felt on my bare feet, or the taste of the dry salt rising from the ocean. Buildings that drip in tangerine colored stucco. Spicy red motorbikes throwing flirtatious winks in your direction. While bright turquoise colored doors make you swoon.
These photos are all trivial pieces to a larger place. But that moment carved out for these pauses delivers a sense of clarity for me. There’s no denying Playa del Carmen is drenched in rich color. And the vibrancy is so visually stunning that the other senses must jump alive to soak it in.
These are just a few shots from the rest of the series which lives @brianna725 on lomography.com
May 18 2012
Film: 35mm X-Pro Chrome
Time: Afternoon
Location: Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Ta-da! I preset the first in a series of film – yes, film – taken on my new Lomography Sardina Domino camera. I decided I wanted the Sardina a few months back after much deliberation between the more traditional options, like the Holga, Diana, and other toy counterparts. The Holga’s ability to capture elegant ghostly images make my heart flutter. While the quirky light flares and dreamy color contrast have me swooning after Diana.
But it had to be some of the 22mm wide-angle shots captured on Sardina.com that caught my attention. The curve around the edges, so subtle yet mimicking it’s Fisheye cousin. It was one-of-a-kind and totally flexible. It had many of the same features as the more popular Diana. I found that The Sardina can capture the details of your subject and the wonderful context they live in too. I thought it would be the perfect camera for traveling shots, and on my trip to Mexico, my suspicions were confirmed.
I’ve had the camera for about half a year now, and through trial and error and some wasted film, I’ve finally figured it out. Some people quizzically squint their eyes and turn their heads when I tell them I love working with film. Don’t get me wrong I love my DSLR, Black Betty, too for so many obvious reasons. But I don’t find film bothersome at all. Actually I find its quirks wonderfully unique. Loading film is like a mini ritual. Setting up my shot is purposeful and deliberate. Each composition becomes an absolute surprise to relive after the film is developed – like a faint memory you thought you had only dreamt about.
There’s a heritage, practice, ritual, and a small community of appreciation around the tangible beauty of film. I pour my eyes all over film from toy cameras almost having to remind myself that they are contemporary – as it often harkens a golden age of perhaps my parent’s youth. Carefree, limitless, yet aged.
These are just a few shots from the rest of the series which lives @brianna725 on lomography.com
All photos taken by Observant Nomad
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