Best DSLR cameras 2019: The best interchangeable lens cameras available to buy today Best compact cameras 2019: The best point-and-shoot-cameras available to buy today
Image by panelomo
One way in which Lomo is spreading its net is with the introduction of a remote processing service - a first for the UK Lomo market. The new service, which was exclusively revealed to Pocket-lint prior to its launch, began beta testing on 1 March with a full service launch tentatively planned for April 2011. Previously Lomo camera users could only get their film developed by Lomography by taking their films into the stores and picking up their prints or discs in person.
The brand’s new UK-based processing service has been made possible thanks to its new LomoLab, located at its East London store. Lomo fans will also be pleased to hear that the lab will be offering workshops in the same way that gallery stores do. These usually involve a group of people going out and about for a few hours with one of the Lomo shop staff, a loaned camera and a film to take shots of a specific event or area, such as Chinese New Year celebrations in Chinatown or a tour of Jack the Ripper’s haunts in East London. All for a small fee, of course, although you do get a discounted rate on any extra films you want to buy and on processing your snaps. “We’ll have one with everyday household chemicals, as these can have really cool effects on the film. There are all sorts of crazy things you can do to add little extra to your shots - I want to try putting my film in a dishwasher, but unfortunately, I don’t have one! Apparently the heat makes the film come out in bright, neon colours. Our East London store manager accidentally put her film in the washing machine, but it gave a really cool effect to the film. Some people even drill holes through their cameras because they like to get light leak on every shot.” As we mentioned earlier, the Lomo brand has a fair few famous fans, with the The White Stripes even teaming up with the company a couple of years ago to produce two custom cameras - the “Jack” Holga and “Meg” Diana+ - named after the members of the band. Bearing the band’s trademark black, white and red colour scheme, the cameras were made in a limited edition run of just 3000 of each.
Lomography’s most recent celeb collaboration is with British model Daisy Lowe who is taking on a project to help with the British Heart Foundation’s new 5-year project called Mending Broken Hearts. Lowe will be snapping away with an Lomo LC-A for an exhibition to be held at London’s Westfield shopping centre in the near future. It seems a reasonable assumption to make that the resurgence in popularity of analogue photography is, somewhat ironically, fuelled by the success of retro camera apps like Hipstamatic. These kind of apps are loathed by some photography purists, but what does Mace think? “There’s definitely a place for them and they’re a great way to make your boring camera photos look more exciting. It’s a completely different breed of photography, although it is slightly limiting as you only get to choose from a small range of virtual films and lenses. Personally, I don’t ever use the camera on my iPhone because I always have my Lomo with me.”
And, what of plain old digital photography?
