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Lomography is a commercial trademark of Lomographische AG, Austria for products and services related to photography. The name is licensed from a former state-run optics company LOMO PLC in St. Petersburg, Russia. The 35 mm LOMO LC-A camera was promoted by business men from Austria with international gallery shows.

Like a Fahrvergnügen for shutterbugs, Lomography emphasizes casual, snapshot photography. Accidents such as over-saturated colors, lens artifacts, and exposure defects are rehabilitated to produce swirly, abstract effects - a trait emphasized by practitioners. Others use the technique to document everyday life, because the small camera size and ability to shoot in low light encourages candid photography, photo reportage and photo vérité.

A reasonable alternative analysis is that the Lomography concept simply redefines what others would consider bad photography as 'Art'. Which of these opposing points of view you subscribe to is a moot point, but it is undeniably true that there is nothing particularly special or unusual about the iconic LC-A model. It is a very ordinary automatic 35mm camera, the only remotely unusual features of which are that it has a very primitive lens-coating (hence the strange colours), and an unusually long automatic exposure in low light conditions. It is undeniablt true that the same results could be acheived with any run of the mill automatic camera from the 1950's-60's. They are likely to cost no more than £5/$7.50 in any secondhand store or on eBay. Caveat Emptor.

Similar to Eastman Kodak's concept of the "Kodak moment," the Lomography motto of "don't think, just shoot" presumes spontaneity, close-ups and ubiquity, while deemphasizing formal technique. Typical Lomography cameras are deliberately low-fidelity, or inexpensively constructed. Some cameras make use of multiple lenses and rainbow-colored flashes, or exhibit extreme optical distortions and even light leaks - compare the popular Chinese-made Holga. Principles of Lomography have also been extended to cinema.

Current models marketed by Lomographische AG include Lomo LC-A, Holga, Holga 35mm, Actionsampler, Frogeye, Pop-9, Oktomat, Fisheye, Colorsplash, Colorsplash Flash, F-stop Bang, SuperSampler, Horizon 202, and Seagull TLR. The company also resells modified Polaroid cameras and Russian deadstock - the sort normally acquired at "quirky, old-school camera shops", as the company's website puts it.

The following are the company's 10 Rules of Lomography:

Take your LOMO everywhere you go.
Use it anytime - day or night.
Lomography is not an interference in your life, but a part of it.
Shoot from the hip.
Approach the objects of your lomographic desire as close as possible.
Don't think.
Be fast.
You don't have to know beforehand what you've captured on film.
You don't have to know afterwards, either.
Don't worry about the rules.

The company's promotional website for Lomography showcases many high contrast photographs, with unusual saturation and color, that were created using the technique called cross processing in which film intended for developing in slide chemistry (E6) is processed in photographic negative chemistry (C-41), and vice-versa. This technique can be employed with any film camera.

External links

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-[[Image:Lomo.jpg|frame|The Lomo LC-A]]'''Lomography''' is a commercial [[trademark]] of Lomographische AG, Austria for products and services related to [[photography]]. The name is licensed from a former state-run optics company [[LOMO]] PLC in [[Saint Petersburg|St. Petersburg]], [[Russia]]. The [[135 film|35 mm]] LOMO LC-A [[camera]] was promoted by enthusiasts from [[Austria]] with international gallery shows.
+[[Image:Lomo.jpg|frame|The Lomo LC-A]]'''Lomography''' is a commercial [[trademark]] of Lomographische AG, Austria for products and services related to [[photography]]. The name is licensed from a former state-run optics company [[LOMO]] PLC in [[Saint Petersburg|St. Petersburg]], [[Russia]]. The [[135 film|35 mm]] LOMO LC-A [[camera]] was promoted by business men from [[Austria]] with international gallery shows.
 Like a ''[[Volkswagen|Fahrvergnügen]]'' for shutterbugs, Lomography emphasizes casual, [[snapshot (photography)|snapshot]] photography. Accidents such as over-saturated colors, lens artifacts, and exposure defects are rehabilitated to produce swirly, abstract effects - a trait emphasized by practitioners. Others use the technique to document everyday life, because the small camera size and ability to shoot in low light encourages [[candid photography]], photo [[reportage]] and photo vérité.
+A reasonable alternative analysis is that the Lomography concept simply redefines what others would consider bad photography as 'Art'. Which of these opposing points of view you subscribe to is a moot point, but it is undeniably true that there is nothing particularly special or unusual about the iconic LC-A model. It is a very ordinary automatic 35mm camera, the only remotely unusual features of which are that it has a very primitive lens-coating (hence the strange colours), and an unusually long automatic exposure in low light conditions. It is undeniablt true that the same results could be acheived with any run of the mill automatic camera from the 1950's-60's. They are likely to cost no more than £5/$7.50 in any secondhand store or on eBay. Caveat Emptor.
 Similar to [[Eastman Kodak]]'s concept of the "Kodak moment," the Lomography motto of "don't think, just shoot" presumes spontaneity, close-ups and ubiquity, while deemphasizing formal technique. Typical Lomography cameras are deliberately low-fidelity, or inexpensively constructed. Some cameras make use of multiple lenses and rainbow-colored flashes, or exhibit extreme optical distortions and even light leaks - compare the popular [[China|Chinese-made]] [[Holga camera|Holga]].  Principles of Lomography have also been extended to [[cinema]].