Korea 2011 in Lomo

I took my Superheadz Super Fat Lens with me when we went to Korea last October 2011. Here are some of my favorite shots. :) 

Film: Kodak Elite Chrome 400 (Color Slide) 

Autumn at Namsan Park

View from the N Seoul Tower. I really love how you can see the tower's shadow!

Horse Statues near our Hotel

N Seoul Tower

At the Gyeongbokgung Palace

Myeongdong Cathedral

I really love the dark-to-light effect on the tree :)

At Gyeongbokgung Palace

Climbing up to N Seoul Tower!

Love Locks at Namsan Park

Lomo Idol: hodachrome

LOMO IDOL #1 - hodachrome

Source

This guy's lomography skills are INSANE. I hope to someday be like him. This is why I want a Lomo LC-A! 

You can check out his photos here.

Current Love: Diana Mini En Rose

My Pink Baby!

I really wanted to start expanding my camera collection and start handling the "big boys" of Lomography. But I was loyal to the 35mm format so I thought it would be a while before I can get my hands on a "Level 2" camera.

And then I discovered the Diana Mini. As soon as I found out that it used 35mm films and had the square shot/half-shot options I went CRAZY.

This camera was a bit of a splurge. Really the first time I invested on a hobby. I was suppose to buy online but I couldn't find anyone who had stocks. So I bought mine at Team Manila. The package contains the Diana Mini, Diana F+ Flash (cheaper if no flash but absolutely worth it to have one), Camera Strap, Color Gels for Color-splashing, Diana Plug-to-hotshoe adapter, and the Diana Mini Book.

The first time I used my Diana Mini, I was honestly disappointed and started regretting my choice to buy it. I took 24 shots since I tried the square format but only 12 came out. I still don't know what caused the other 12 to get destroyed. Maybe I was using the wrong settings and the photos got overexposed. There were some really great and surreal shots but I wasn't satisfied.

Film: Fuji Sensia 200 (Color Slide, Cross-Processed)

Colorsplash and Multiple Exposure :)

Despite the weird angle, LIGHT LEAKS!

I love this :)

Hi Friends!

I was losing hope (drama! haha). But really, I was starting to think that this was going to be a waste.

And then I read a blog post about a guy's first experience with his Diana Mini. He said that he too had a disappointing first roll because he was still figuring out how the camera behaves. But when he tried using it in a "Don't Think, Just Shoot" moment at party, he saw its beauty. He said that you just need to give it a chance. So I brought it with me at our summer outing and literally shot away!

Film: Fuji Superia X-tra 400 (Color Negative)

Hi crazy friends!

'

What came out is now my current favorite roll. It was so crazy and fun and I loved every single one of the photos.

So what did I get from this experience? Lomography is still a trial and error hobby and that you just have to be patient will all your "testing". Kaya nga experimental photography eh haha. And don't worry too much about how you take your shot and wanting to get the perfect angle. Sometimes I get the best photos when I don't think about how it will look like when it gets developed.

I recently used my Diana Mini last October for our Korea trip and I'm just wait for my schedule to free up so that I can have my rolls developed. Really can't wait! :)

To end, YES, the Diana Mini is still worth it. Just be prepared for its mood swings. Lomography was right to name it after a girl hahahaha :P

PhotoLabs in Metro Manila

Wondering where you can get your photos developed in Metro Manila? Here's a couple of PhotoLabs I've tried-slash-found-in-the-Internet. :)

1. Fujifilm, SM Megamall Branch (Basement, Mega A side)

My go-to PhotoLab for the past two years. I spend around P280+ per developed 36-exposure film because I have them printed out in 4R (4" x 6"). They also offer scanning services and can burn your photos into a CD for free, as long as you meet the minimum number of developed photos.

They only do C-41 processing (for color negative films only) but accept cross-processing for color slide films, just make sure to request it. Update: they accept B&W processing (will be sent to Studio 58) but it will take 1 month for you to get your photos.

Staff is very accommodating and developing time is 1 hour, although they can only start by 12NN since "their machines need to warm up first."

2. Kodak Photo Express Trinoma (Level 1, Trinoma Mall)

I had my first slide film, Kodak Elite Chrome 400, developed here accidentally. I never mentioned that it was slide and until now I don't know if they cross-processed it or what. I called them to inquire a couple of months later and they told me that they don't accept cross-processing since it can damage the chemicals. Hindi daw siguro alam nung nag-develop nung elite chrome ko before na mali yun. GO FIGURE.

Anyway, so yeah they only do C-41 processing.

3. Studio 58 Lab 10, Inc. 

Address: 2289 UPRC III Building Pasong Tamo Ext., Makati City, Philippines (Location Map)
Phone: 843-0770/892-0742/729-6047

Whenever I scour the Internet for PhotoLabs in Metro Manila, Studio 58 is one of the most mentioned places. Baket nga naman hindi ko sinubukan i-Google kung saan siya located.

Called them up to do a quick inquiry. They do C-41 Processing, E-6 Processing (OH JOY), Cross Processing (slide to C-41) and B&W Processing. Unfortunately they don't have per piece printing so the option is to print your photos in a big sheet and then have someone else cut them for you. They also have a schedule when developing films (e.g. X-Pro every Tuesday) since they need to meet a minimum number of films for the machine so you don't get your photos ASAP.

Rates:
1. E-6 Processing is P220 + P250 if photos will be scanned (dafuq)
2. B&W Processing is P100 + P250 if photos will be scanned
3. Cross Processing is P120 + P100 for contact print

More convenient to visit but very pricey and their system kinda sucks.

4. Wells Photo Enterprise in Magallanes

Google Maps Coordinates: 14°32'25"N   121°0'57"E
Phone: 833-8666/833-4874

photo from here

They do C-41 Processing, Cross Processing and B&W Processing and sell films. Called them up and they don't do E-6 Processing. Would love to visit them soon though since they're cheaper! Medyo adventure kasi sila puntahan haha

Rates:
1. Cross Processing is P120 + P150 if photos will be scanned (min. of 5 photos)
2. B&W Processing is P90 + P150 if photos will be scanned
3. print out of picture is P45/pc (WHY??)

Developing time is 1 hour or more, depending on the kind of film (B&W processing takes longer than Colored).

~*~

Hope that was helpful! Feel free to leave a comment if you know of any other PhotoLabs in Metro Manila. :)

Second Love: Superheadz Super Fat Lens

Ordered from SNAPNOOK.COM

Full name: Superheadz Super Fat Lens Ultra Wide Angle Camera

Not only is it cute, affordable and easy to use, it's perfect for beginners like me. With the right film, you can produce breathtaking photos with this simple but powerful camera. It has a wide angle lens so my shots always seem to have this stretched out and "malalim" feel and almost always produces vignetting.  

I've used this camera twice and with different films. You can see below the difference in the photos it can give. 

Film: Kodak Elite Chrome 400 (Color Slide) 

Rialto Sign in Grainy Awesomeness

Film: Fuji Superia Xtra 400 (Color Negative)

We love Korea! 

And can I just share, the photo above really shows how much Lomography can surprise you. This was a random move and I didn't really expect a good shot but it came out super well. :)

Only downside I've experienced with it is that it's very susceptible to light leaks and overexposure. I sometimes get really bright "light spots" which tends to cover a small part of the photo. There's also always 2 to 3 shots that get overexposed. 

Can someone please explain why these happen? :(

Right now I have Lucky B&W SHD 100 installed in it. Will probably have it developed on Monday. Can't wait to see how this camera fares with B&W film. 

First Love: Vivitar IC 100

A fellow lomographer from the internet calls it the "Poor Man's LC-A". It's one of the most basic toy cameras you can get your hands on. Plastic kung plastic haha. Just point and click, no other fancy settings. It uses 35mm film and so far I've only used color negatives with it. It also has a hot shoe so it's good for indoor photography but I never had the chance to try it. 

My Favorite Shot from my First Ever Roll

Trivia: To get the shot above, I had to lie on the grass and shoot it from an upward angle. It was worth it. :) The result was unbelievably random and unexpected. This was the shot that got me hooked. This shot will always remind my why I love Lomography. 

Picture is taken at the La Mesa Eco Park in Fairview.

At Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar

This camera also gives awesome vignetting and using the shoot-from-the-hip technique and upward shooting will produce great results.

Sadly (blame it really on my lack of creativity and my scrimping on quality films) my love for this camera gradually waned as I used it. There was always something missing in the photos and I was never satisfied. This ultimately resulted in me buying my second camera. 

My Vivitar was pretty banged up after my Bicol trip last year and is now just sitting on my shelf, all rusty and creaky. But it will always have a special place in my heart. 

The Obligatory Introduction

Hello!

I've been thinking of starting a Lomography blog to document my new hobby for quite a while now but I never went around to do it. I don't know what happened last night (maybe it was that huge mug of Barako coffee which, by the way, kept me up until 4:30 AM) but something suddenly inspired me to start it once and for all.

Maybe it was quarter-life crisis. Or my officemate who started a blog with his friends.

Maybe it was the frustration of not being able to properly share my love for lomography and learnings, as I was always limited to what I can only share via Twitter and Facebook.

Or maybe it was the desire to encourage more people to take this hobby up.

Anyway, in the end, here I am, writing the first ever post in this blog. I don't want to turn this into a diary so I'll keep this obligatory introduction short.

I hope you all enjoy my posts and I really hope I inspire people to start doing Lomography. I know it can be an expensive hobby but the feeling I get whenever I browse through my recently developed photos is just insanely fulfilling. I really wish more people can experience it and learn that it's just what they've been looking for.

So to conclude this post, I would like to share a quote from one of the best Lomography-related articles I have read, "Buckshot's Lomoalphabet: An A-Z of Lomography" by buckshot:

Q is for Quirky

Lomography is not about following conventions: it’s about breaking the rules, being left of centre, looking at life from a different angle, trying new things, deviating from accepted wisdom, seeking out peculiarities and finding your own, unique perspective. The quirkier the shot, the more character it has, and that’s what makes the difference between a good photograph and a mere snapshot.

Enjoy your day everyone! :)