Question about Lomo film

[SoulfulRecover]

My step sister wants me to do some fun photos of her and her best friend and asked "Could you do it with, like, light leaks and junk?"

So my question is; is it the film that creates this effect or is it the lomo cameras? Id like to use my Mamiya if possible.

 

[limr]

It's 95% the camera, not the film, although there are ways that the film can contribute. For example, you can load a roll of film backwards to get redscale. Or you can shoot expired film, or film that has been "ruined" in some way (there was a thread recently about putting film through the dishwasher, drying it out, and then shooting it. Which you wouldn't want to do with 120 film!)

I doubt seriously you'd get typical lomo effects from the Mamiya without faking those effects in post.

When I first wanted to experiment with lomography, I bought a Zorki 6 rangefinder and then a Lubitel TLR. The Zorki definitely had some light leaks at first, but I decided I didn't like them so I fixed the seals. Then I realized that the lens was just too good to waste on lomo shots. The Lubitel too, crappy little plastic thing that it is, proved itself too good for that intentionally-flawed Lomo look.

A Holga 120 is about $35, and a 35mm Holga is probably similarly priced. Or get a Konstruktor kit (35mm) if you want to have the fun of putting the camera together yourself (it is actually pretty fun. Except for the B10 spring. That one will drive you crazy.)

 

[Derrel]

I would shoot it for keeps on regular, GOOD, new, in-date color negative film, then add the leaks in post. Lightroom light leak presets - Google Search

 

[SoulfulRecover]

Thanks guys. I'll look into the post processing route. I'm sure in the future when she's not into the hipster thing that she's in, she would appreciate having clean copies. One of my friends just said she has one of the plastic cameras for this kind of thing too.

 

[timor]

Thanks guys. I'll look into the post processing route. I'm sure in the future when she's not into the hipster thing that she's in, she would appreciate having clean copies. One of my friends just said she has one of the plastic cameras for this kind of thing too.

You don't need that. Shoot digital, small 4-5 MP, then go to online editors like this:
Photo editor | BeFunky: Free Online Photo Editing and Collage Maker
Photo editor | PicMonkey: Free Online Photo Editing
and many more. You will find all kinds of lomo, holga, pinhole... filters.

Image soc and artsy, done in 3 min.
Nevertheless I like this filters, they help to make fantastic vacation pics.

 

[StoneNYC]

Don't listen to these guys about doing it in post... So lame.

Shoot real film, if you want light leaks then shoot a crappy Lomo camera, they are cheap anyway.

Don't sour the moment of using film with your sister by using digital and pretending it's film...

PS, you could always use a crappy back, not sure if it's a Mamiya 7 or Mamiya RB/RZ67 but there are tons of bad light seal backs on eBay, scout one that's cheap, crappy, or has problems, or just open the back of the Mamiya 7 at each frame, I've done it by accident that thing can open easily.

 

[timor]

Don't sour the moment of using film with your sister by using digital and pretending it's film...

People accept what they can do rather than do what they want to.

 

[StoneNYC]

Don't sour the moment of using film with your sister by using digital and pretending it's film...

People accept what they can do rather than do what they want to.

Yes but he/she CAN do it with film

 

[minicoop1985]

Or better yet: buy an old Hasselblad. It's guaranteed to have crappy light seals in the back, causing a nice big HUGE streak on the film...

Or buy a Vivitar thrift shop P&S special. Run it over with a car.

Or I still agree with the post thing. The love for the Lomomomomo thing may (HOPEFULLY) fade and having a real photo might be advantageous. Or, buy the Vivitar thing, smash it up, and shoot with both cameras-one for good, one for crap.

 

[timor]

Or better yet: buy an old Hasselblad. It's guaranteed to have crappy light seals in the back, causing a nice big HUGE streak on the film...

:lmao:
But why lomography should fade away ? If everyone with own hobby gonna be so serious like COP on duty, life will be just boring.

 

[Josh66]

Lomo brand film has more going on than just being shot in a crappy camera... I'm not a big fan of it, but I've shot some. Other than light leaks, it's still going to look pretty messed up even when shot in a perfectly functioning camera. I don't know what they do to it to make it look that way, but it's probably expired and stored badly (and then they charge you extra for that). Toy cameras with plastic lenses will just add another dimension to the look, haha, but even without that it's still not going to look "normal".

IMO, it's hard to pull the look off in post... Now, the "Instagram" look, that's a little different and of course is all done in post with filters. It doesn't really look like Lomo film to me though. I would have a second camera loaded with "good" film on hand though - as a few people mentioned - just in case you decide that you hate the look.

 

[SoulfulRecover]

Thanks for all the continued thoughts! I have yet to hear back from her about anything (shes flakey) but she is on her summer break after her freshman year in college so I am sure she is busy out having fun.

 

[CHX]

It's easy to get the "lo-fi" look using a 110 micro/toy camera. The toy 110 cameras that leave part of the cartridge outside the film are all but guranteed to have light leaks. I had a Hanimex Micro 110 that left vertical bright light leaks down one side of the frame that made it look like the Klingons were beaming in to every frame. The 110 negative itself is small and so the enlarged image is always going to be more grainy and softer than 35mm or 120 film, even before you factor in the plastic lenses, fixed focus and all that. If you get expired 110 film, all to the 'good'...