Community Spotlight: Craig (@209mm) and Chuck (@cbbird1972)

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Being one of the largest analogue photography communities on the web, we are proud of the creativity and diversity of our members. For this month's Community Spotlight, we are pleased to introduce to you Lomographers Craig and Chuck and their unique way of seeing the world.

Credits: 209mm & cbbird1972

Name: Craig Murray
LomoHome: @209mm
Location: Europe/Asia

Hi! What do you do and what got you started with photography?

I’m a filmmaker from a fine art background. I work mainly as a music video director, where I also shoot, build practical elements/miniatures / SFX, and use stop motion… Everything is very much of an older style making.

How did you discover Lomography and what made you join our analogue Community?

I was using the ActionSampler and Colorsplash in the mid 2000s, So I was aware of Lomography back then. I guess, in more recent years I’ve been using film more and more and after sorting out all of my pictures, I wanted somewhere to showcase them, so decided to sign up.

Who are your favorite photographers here?

There are too many to mention really. I like that a lot of Lomographers experiment, it’s not just about making a perfect picture and more about taking risks away from their comfort zone, generating different styles based on their tools of choice. I like happy accidents, sometimes these can breed new techniques: “what happens if I...”

Credits: 209mm

What is your favorite subject to photograph? What do you usually look for in a scene before you hit the shutter?

I love form, texture, and broken things in general. I guess these elements emphasized with a natural light source are what I’m looking to capture to create an exaggerated volume. I guess I don't have a specific subject... It just needs to fit these criteria to draw me in

In this day and age, why choose film?

Working mainly digitally with video has made me crave working on film more and more. I love grain, the process, and the thought of a physical-chemical reaction taking place. It’s far more exciting over that of an optical translation that you find with digital. There seems to be a hidden soul in analogue, a closeness… and if I had the choice it would always be analogue.

What does a perfect day look like for you?

7am or 7pm currently… low Sun... long shadows.

Credits: 209mm

Name: Chuck B. Bird
LomoHome: @cbbird1972
Location: a stone circle in Wiltshire, England

Hello, Chuck! What do you do and what got you started with photography?

Hello Lomo, how are you? By day I work at The Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, but in my spare time, I am a freelance artist. I studied photography at college and fine art at university so I'd say I've always had an eye for image-making and capturing. In around 2015, I unearthed my student camera from out of storage and wondered if it still worked so I bought some film before a trip abroad, casually shot a few rolls and it really snowballed: lately it really has become an obsession.

How did you discover Lomography and what made you join our analogue Community?

I came across it by chance, to be honest. A good few years ago an artist I followed on Tumblr (remember that?) one day shared some photographs shot on your Lomochrome Purple and I was blown away! I immediately sought out how these photographs were taken and wound up on lomography.com! I remembered I had some old prints from over the years so I dug them out, shared them, and began to explore all aspects of the community here. It's a fantastic resource when researching a specific camera, lens, or film & I am able to view & compare so many different results – very inspirational.

Who are your favorite photographers here?

Off the top of my head and in no particular order I am a big fan of: @tinasprinkles, @countrydreamer, @dr_reineke, @koduckgirl, @kunishi, @mmstudiorec, @rik041, @ts_, @zorki, @atomic-mildred, @gheinz, @alexander_krolikowski – some all-round brilliant photographers there; great portraits, landscapes, and experiments.

Credits: cbbird1972

What makes you stay with film photography in this day and age?

I was raised with vinyl, VHS & analogue 1970s paraphernalia so have always mentally inhabited that time and space. I still listen to records every day and I suppose I want to show that there's also so much life left in this old equipment – if it ain't broke...

What's your favorite subject to shoot?

Graveyards, gothic churches, brutalism, ruins, doorways, abandoned streets and cozy cottages. I feel like I should branch out into portraiture as you may notice there are no photographs of people on my home; I find it personally quite challenging to approach people to ask them if I could snap them, even if I know them.

For you, what's the best part about being a Lomographer?

Never knowing what you're going to get! You may have a crystal-clear image in your mind when shooting a scene, but it usually never turns out exactly that way so the learning curve is constant. I also like when things go a bit wonky and there are light leaks or double exposures on the film. I have used a lot of cameras over the last few years, at my peak I had collected thirty(!) and no two are the same so I suppose I am on a quest to find one I consider perfect... I wonder if I'll stop buying more cameras when I find it.

What is your favorite Lomography camera and film and why?

Your new Diana is a tried and true design classic (I have the Dreamer edition) and its limitations really make you stop and think before you shoot and I really love the neatness of the resultant square photographs. She comes with some great accessories too. I shot some fantastic looking photographs on your Metropolis during the summer; I really dig the sun-bleached feel – like faded photographs from the 1970s – I wish I was in that world!

Aside from those, my current go to camera is the Fujica STX-2 from 1985 which I've had since 2002 and it has never let me down. My other favorite film is the Ilford Pan F-50 which I love for its starkness and ultra-high contrast.

Cheers! Thank you for having me, keep on shootin'

Credits: cbbird1972

Stay tuned for our monthly Community Spotlight to discover the work of some of the most talented Lomographers!

written by cheeo on 2020-10-18 in #people #lomographers #community-spotlight #209mm #cbbird1972

5 個留言

  1. gheinz
    gheinz ·

    Congrats for this post and many thanks to @cbbird1972 !

  2. gheinz
    gheinz ·

    Great pics @209mm !

  3. cbbird1972
    cbbird1972 ·

    most welcome, @gheinz

  4. cbbird1972
    cbbird1972 ·

    many thanks to @cheeo !

  5. janparker
    janparker ·

    Brilliant Chuck. I like ❤️

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