Photo: courtesy of noe**/Flickr
In Bangkok they were wearing bows and fake tattoos. Food and drinks were promised in Tokyo and in Seoul there was cake. Revelers in Hong Kong drank shots of vodka while listening to Russian music and in New York the ’80s returned for an evening of karaoke.
The Lomo Compact Automat (LC-A) was celebrated around the world on June 19, marking its first shipment from the St. Petersburg-Leningrad Optical Mechanical Organization (LOMO) factory 25 years ago.
Over the camera’s lifespan, its cheapness has morphed from a liability to its killer feature. The unpredictable aberrations and vignetting of its lens have become artistic and fashionable, not to mention egalitarian – even the most inexperienced photographer can pick up a Lomo camera and get interesting results.
While these same features grate on many serious photographers, the fact remains that it’s fun, dirty and its cheapness makes it easy for Lomo communities to form and share their shots. In a market where competition is driven by technological innovation, Lomo found success selling simple plastic film cameras that offered uniqueness rather than features. Now Lomo’s stable includes a variety of cheap cameras with different quirks and styles.
Read on for a brief history of Lomo cameras, shots from pros who use Lomos on the job, and to spot the Lomo fakes done in Photoshop.
From: Wired
2 comments… read them below or add yours now
I had a Lomo about 10 years ago but I trashed it becos I thought it was crap. I didn’t realise they would become iconic, almost on a par with the great Kodak Instamatic!! The Wired article is an excellent read, thanks for the link.
Glad you liked the article, Marcus. I’ve never owned a Lomo but I did have a Kodak Instamatic many years ago.