Great Musician and Lomographer, LEE Sangsoon Shoots with LC-A

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Great guitarist of a Korean acid jazz group ‘Rollarcoster’, LEE Sangsoon is came back with new album called ‘Day off’ of ‘Verandah project’, made with another artist. He is very well known as film camera’s lover, mainly Lomographer since early 2000. LGS Seoul host his LC-A photo-exhibition during July and this is LomoAmigos interview we can see what he’s thinking and shooting with his LC-A.

Real name: LEE Sangsoon
City: Seoul
Country: South Korea

How long have you been a Lomographer?
I remember since 2000. I saw LC-A on a monthly magazine at a hair shop maybe 1999 or 2000 and it was attracted me for the first sight then I bought one LC-A via online shop soon. There was totally attractive sentence of that article ’Don’t think and just shoot!’ and I loved it very much because I didn’t care at that time for general photography and I didn’t like complicated machine. Lomo LC-A was different for me and it was finally the first camera of my life.

Describe the LC-A+ in five words.
vibrate, memory, friend, analogue, eye

If your photos shown here could have a soundtrack of three songs, what would they be (song title & artist please).
Madeleine Peyroux – I’m Allright-
Celso Fonseca – Slow motion bossa nova
Rollarcoster – Daily event

LEE Sangsoon @ ‘LC-A photo-exhibition’ of the LGS Seoul

Everybody knows about you in Korea as you are musician since very long time but if there was someone who don’t know about you at all, what do you want to be introduced for them?
Musician and also guitarist, LEE Sangsoon.

Tell us your thinkings about Seoul and what do you usually tell your friends about Seoul?
I tell them usually ‘Huge city of too many cars and always high traffic streets’. I’m from Seoul but Seoul isn’t actually my favorite city in a view of photography because it make me feel heavy with murky air for me. It’s true there’s lots of delicious foods and plenty of nostalgie places but too big and huge at the same time.

If you could shoot any person alive or dead (or imaginary) with your LC-A+, who would it be and why?
I do not usally a lot take portrait but I want to shoot with my parents because I’m not professional photographer and I love just natural snap shots, my parents naturally older and older would be best model for me.

What’s your inspiring place you can recommand to other Lomographers? You’re in Netherlands for your study since several years, what your tips for travelers who will be in Netherlands for the future?
There is one Lomograph I love very very much. A picture with a perfect combination of light and shadow, taken at Tate Modern Art Gallery of London several years ago. I had even a free flight ticket with that Lomograph submitted in an event on online website. I think that perfect place is always ready to be taken with every cameras of everyone, it means if you were there, you could be best photographer :-) For traveler in Netherlands, I want to tell them to take a ride by bicycle. As everyone knows Netherlands is absoulutely perfect place for bicyclists, you should have experience to move slowly and then go to the beach, Scheveningen of Den haag (see Scheveningen on the Lomolocations ) you shuold have brilliant relax time.

Where do you want to go now and what do you want to do there?
Brazil! I’m recently obsessed by brazillian music and I’m always wondering how they could play these kind of music. I like a lot the scenes brazillian musicians are playing guitare on the street and passer-bys are naturally dancing or singing together on many music clips and documentary videos from Brazil. I ask by myself ‘Can I be just like them if I was in Brazil?’ and just want to live there just like them to feel such energy.

We can see you’re very good on focus with your LC-A. Tell us your great tips of focusing which is the most requested by beginner of LC-A+ and tell us also your favorite subject for Lomography.
Manual/instruction is the best tool for this :-) I’m very proud of my good focusing of LC-A hahaha but think about the distance like these tips. Genral length of arm for 0.8m, uppper body for 1.5m, a full view of car for 3m! You should have a sence of distance after shooting a lot with your LC-A+. My favorite and often shooting subject is animal, especially dogs and cats. I don’t feel comfortable when I’m shooting portrait or snapshot of people. Animals are always there and I’m feel free to take them haha. I love to see the sky and trees also, especially I feel cetain energy from trees when I’m Netherlands.

What’s your favorite rule of Lomography 10 Golden rules?
‘Don’t think’ and ‘Shoot from the hip’

As you have several Lomographic camera, which one is your treasure?
Absolutely LC-A and LC-A Instant Back++

Your favorite photographer?
William Eggleston. I like a lot the vintage colour and calm atmosphere of this artist.

Tell us the behind story of new album ‘Day off of Verandah project’
I met my partner,KIM Dongruyl in a group of photography lover with his friends in 2004 so photography was a very important point between him and I. I’ve taken pics a lot with them from different careers on ordinary days and traveling. I was saying “We can make a music album with all of us one day!” and it became finally my partner and I, just 2 of us. I didn’t even know to make really an album at that time but he came to the Netherlands to see me in 2007 and we passed very gloomy rainy days so we had to stay together at home. I suddenly suggested him “We’re going to make a song together!” and we loved the song we made together and then another song, another song…it was finally an album of ‘verandah project’ which is very familiar, simple and easy to public as name of group. We want this album would be good to listen drinking a cup of tea in the afternoon of sunny day at a terrace.

verandah project’s guerrilla concert at a cafe on June 2010

Your advice to future LC-A+ shooters
I know many use easy digital camera but I want to people taste ‘inspiring and vibration by waiting ’film process’. You should be happy waiting your analogue pictures in front of photo labs. I got only 1,2 great shots of 1 roll for the first time but these favorite Lomographs and great feedbacks from friends made me smile. If you carefully click a shutter with your LC-A+, the better results will show up for you. Of course,it’s also very important to shoot without thinking with your LC-A+ like golen rules because there should be unexpected great Lomographs for sure. Don’t forget you’re Lomographer and pleasantly shoot until you’ve got sense of distance and your own shooting techniques. Here is the best advice though, ‘Read carefully once instruction of camera’ :-)

Here is all Lomographs of him we can see during last exhibition of the LGS Seoul: Online gallery