Lomo-Love in the '90s: How It Began with the LC-A

The ‘90s was when Generation X reigned supreme. Girls wore babydoll dresses with combat boots, while guys were clad in flannel shirts and torn jeans. It was a time when being blasé was considered cool, and youth culture involved tuning in to MTV 24/7, making mixtapes, and channeling their emotions through alternative music and fashion labeled as “grunge”.

Meanwhile, a group of Austrian students fatefully stumbled upon the Russian Lomo LC-A camera while traveling in Prague. This was in 1991, that sweet spot in between analogue and digital. Because of its Minitar-1 lens, the Lomo LC-A produced charming 35mm photos with a distinct look — characterized by rich colors, deep saturation and contrast, and shadowy vignetting. This effect became so popular, that many modern photo-editing apps and programs have tried to replicate this “Lomo” look. Nothing comes close, especially that pairing this camera with different kinds of film will give different results each time.

Who knew that this small camera would make waves in the analogue world? In 1992, after our Austrian friends endorsed the Lomo LC-A by taking so many vibrant photographs that were shot from the hip, the Lomography community (which YOU are a part of!) was born.

A big part of the ‘90s had Lomographers championing the Russian Lomo LC-A’s production, which led to the improved Lomo LC-A+ that we now know and love.

Now we’re seeing a resurgence of the ‘90s through fashion, TV show reruns, music playlists, and nostalgic think pieces. Trends may come and go, but the Lomo LC-A+ is here to stay.

2018-01-30 #gear #lc-a #lc-a #lomo-lc-a