Lomography Love - Part II
The very first Lomography camera I ever laid eyes on was the La Sardina DIY. It came in the mail on a Friday, packaged beautifully and so full of intrigue. I carefully removed it and its many accessories from the cardboard and fell right in love with it in 2.0 seconds.
The little plastic camera was white with removable plates that you could draw on or glue stuff to or even cover in glitter, if you wanted to. It came with an external flash and interchangeable coloured filters. There was a multiple exposure switch on the top, and a place to adjust the focus by the lens, and a knob to wind to advance the film. And that was it. Uncomplicated, but still full of possibilities.
I loaded it with 35mm film and away we went.
I took it on vacation to the mountains. I took it to my inlaws' for Christmas. I took it down the street for a walk. And every time I flipped through my newly developed film, I saw things that were not new to me at all as though they were. And that is the coolest thing.
Things to try with your La Sardina:
1. Take a picture, change the filter on your flash, take another shot over the same frame (using the MX switch on the top of your camera). Repeat x3. Or 2. Or 4.
2. Take a picture, turn the camera upside down, take another shot over the same frame.
3. Take multiple exposures of the same person in the same place, moving only the camera. Take multiple exposures of that person moving around, keeping the camera in the same place. Take multiple exposures of your cat. Make it look like your cat is triplets.
4. Take a picture with a coloured filter in the sunlight (only bits of the picture will be tinted) or indoors (for total saturation). Take a picture of your cat with a filter on the flash. Make it look like your cat is blue. Take a picture directly into the sun for cool solar flares.
The La Sardinas run from around $60 - $120. They take 35mm and a battery for the flash. (You can still get 35mm film developed rather cheaply at Don's Photo or Walmart.) Each camera comes with two booklets--one with inspirational pictures and unique shooting techniques, and one with instructions for how to use your camera best.
Lomography is constantly coming out with cute new designs for the La Sardina, and Paper Umbrella is ordering new ones in all the time! Make sure to stop in and check them out.
Suzy Krause lives in the Cathedral Village and is an avid regular at Paper Umbrella. She also writes at www.suzykrauseandtheskyscrapers.blogspot.com and would love to see you there!