Wakayama Castle, Japan
My points of reference for the fisheye lens effect are as follows: any Busta Rhymes and/or Missy Elliott video, circa the 1990s, and the Stanley Kubrick film ”Clockwork Orange.” I thought the usage of this was a passing trend, really. A gimmick in amateur photo/filmography. But soon, thousands of distorted images will be seen on ceaseless display here in New York, so something’s gotta give, right?
The current Lomography showcase at the MoMA Store should be enough to fulfill those interested in the “don’t think, just shoot” philosophy. After all, they’re selling exclusives like the Diana F+ camera reproduction; similar to the 1960′s model, with capabilites including multi- and pinhole shots, panoramas, and colored-gel filters. However, in the theory behind hipster photography, there can never be too many photos morphed by blur and over-saturation so, on Saturday, January 24, the Lomographic Society (yes, that’s real) will be meeting at the MoMA Design in SoHo to begin the tour of three Lomography exhibitions going on at the MoMA Stores other locations. They’re allowing participants to borrow loaner cameras and shoot to their content along the way.
On January 27, the Lomography Gallery store will officially open in Greenwich Village and will serve as the home of the largest LomoWall in North America. It will be comprised of 35,000 hand-picked and hand-mounted photographs collected through an online submission call to Lomo-lovers around the world asked to show New York through their eyes and lenses. It will be a destination point for weekly workshops, teaching techniques, guest speakers, parties, and of course, exhibitions. On the retail front, expect a wide range of analog photography products, and limited edition cameras that will allow even the most novice of photo-takers to create increasingly charming imagery. After all, with such small size, simple controls, and the ability to turn low-lit settings into intentional environments, a Lomo has the potential to be carried (and used) any day, anywhere.
There is a trademark to every image shot with a Lomo camera. There’s an optimism that comes with catching the uniqueness of a moment, a “happy accident,” and a candid approach to everyday life. That kind of attitude should never be a passing trend.
Tour: January 24. 11am-1pm. Soho MoMA Design Store. 81 Spring Street.
Opening: January 27. 41 W. 8th Street.
Check out the public photo lab here.
- Danielle Cheesman
