Lomo Camera Saves Film Photography

It was a nervous time for film photography when digital cameras took off in the 1990s, and seemed set to take over entirely. But with some help from Vladimir Putin - then deputy mayor of St Petersburg - the little Lomo camera became a retro cult classic, and showed film had a bright future.

In 1991, a group of Austrian art students on a trip to nearby Prague found, in a photographic shop, a curious little camera.

Black, compact and heavy, the camera was rudimentary. The lens was protected by a sliding cover. Loading, focusing and rewinding were all done by hand.

Lomo camera

After developing the shots, the students found it produced pictures unlike anything they had seen before.

The colours were rich and saturated, an effect heightened by the lens's tendency to darken the corners of the frame to create a tunnel-like vignetting effect, and there were dramatic contrasts between light and dark. The Austrians were hooked, and so were their friends when they showed them the results back home in Vienna.

The little camera was the Lomo LC-A - Lomo Kompact Automat, built in Soviet-era Leningrad by Leningrad Optics and Mechanics Association (Lomo) - and very soon a craze was born. It was an analogue Instagram in the days before digital photography.

Lomography

This Lomo craze may have ended up helping save film photography from an untimely end.

In 1992, the students set up Lomographic Society International, exhibiting shots taken on unwanted Lomos they had bought up from all over Eastern Europe.

Then, in the mid-90s, having exhausted the supply of left-over Lomos gathering dust in Budapest, Bucharest or East Berlin, they went to the camera's manufacturers - still making optics in St Petersburg - and persuaded them to restart production. The negotiations were helped along by the support of the city's then deputy mayor, Vladimir Putin.

On Friday 23 November, Lomography is celebrating its 20th anniversary, by starting a series of parties in some of its 36 stores around the world.

The movement's art-school ethos is enshrined in 10 golden rules of Lomography, with an emphasis on spontaneity and experimentation - and a rejection of some of photography's basic laws of composition and focusing. It's common for Lomographers to "cross-process" slide film in negative chemicals, which gives an additional boost to colours and contrast, and to play around with colour filters.

The original LC-A has been joined by a range of other cameras, some of which are redesigns of the LC-A, but there are also various models of plastic-lensed "toy" cameras, the Sprocket Rocket, which exposes the film around the winding sprockets, and the Spinner, which revolves as it shoots, taking a 360-degree picture. The most recent addition is a retro medium-format bellows camera, the Belair.

As former giants like Kodak and Agfa's film ranges have dwindled, Lomography has also rescued old emulsions from extinction or created new ones. There has been much speculation that Lomography may buy the rights to some of Kodak's extinct emulsions if the photography giant - now in bankruptcy protection and likely to focus in future on its printer business - sells off its film division.

It's not the biggest player in the film market, but it's the most vibrant, and it's been there all along - unlike Ilford, which went under, and was resurrected.

Courtesy of Toby Mason

The rise of digital photography is widely supposed to have made film photography redundant. Rather than burn through rolls of film, digital photographers can instantly review and tweak their pics. Lomo cameras have also been derided by some as a fashion accessory, bought by people more concerned with trends than any real love for the art of photography.

Lomography has its celebrity fans, too, from Lord of the Rings actor Elijah Wood to garage rock band The White Stripes.

Courtesy of Kevin Meredith

When all around us other people are looking for an instant fix, instant results, and images that you just take, look at and delete in a flash, then Lomography is doing something great by going against the grain.

There is also one kind of excitement that most digital photographers have forgotten, or will never experience - the wait for the film to come back from the lab!

The Real Life Invisible Man

      Liu Bolin is the amazing artist who paints himself into any background. He has been disguising himself to blend in urban or nature backdrops, creating the illusion of a human chameleon or a ghost. Bolin spends about 10 hours being painted for each work so he perfectly matches the background.

      One of Bolin's recent projects includes painting fashion designers to visualize how other creative people – such as Angela Missoni and Jean Paul Gaultier – get lost in their work. But Bolin's most famous project is 'Hiding In The City' with installments in Beijing, New York and Venice. Featured is also Bolin's new work and some of his classic pieces in this blog. 

Bolin's art of blending in the background has earned him the nickname 'The Human Chameleon'

He paints himself all over to blend into the background of city scenery

The invisible man

Bolin recently painted famous designers in their work. Here is Angela Missoni

And Jean Paul Gaultier

And Alber Elbaz for Lanvin,

And Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pier Paolo Piccioli for Valentino.

Bolin brought his art to the streets of New York City for a new installment of his 'Hiding In The City' project.

Hiding in New York – Tiles for America

          38-year-old Liu Bolin, from Shandong, China, manages to camouflage himself in any surroundings, no matter how difficult they might be. Liu works on a single photo for up to 10 hours at a time, to make sure he gets it just right, but he achieves the right effect: sometimes passers-by don’t even realize he is there until he moves. 

 The talented Liu Bolin says his art is a protest against the actions of the Government, who shut down his art studio in 2005 and persecutes artists. It’s about not fitting into modern society. Despite problems with Chinese authorities, Liu’s works are appreciated at an international level. 

No-one should be shy about their body, says Britain Got Talent naked violist

The ‘sexy’ violinist who wowed all four judges on Britain’s Got Talent has defended her decision to pose naked for a risque photo shoot.

Analiza Ching, who posed nude with her violin covering her breasts, said: ‘I just wanted to try something different and I really don’t think anyone should be shy about their own body.

‘We are all human at the end of the day.’

Analiza Ching

Analiza won the approval of all four judges for an energetic routine during which her violin playing was accompanied by enthusiastic dancing.

Little Britain star David Walliams told her: ‘You made playing the violin sexy,’ and head judge Simon Cowell said her act ‘was exactly what we should be looking for in a show like this’.

Analiza, originally from China, said that she didn’t set out to be provocative when she performed.

She said: ‘You can never try to be sexy because you’ve either got it or not. For me, it’s the music and every time I start playing the violin and the music starts, my whole body and my personality changes.’

Analiza has performed in front of several members of the Royal Family and counts Colin Firth, the Oscar-winning star of The King’s Speech, as a fan.

At Royal Albert Hall

Currently single, she has inevitably been compared to Vanessa Mae, another classical musician with mainstream appeal.

She said she hoped her participation in Britain’s Got Talent would bring her work to a whole new audience, adding: ‘I hope the show will give me a bigger stage and a bigger career.

‘It is a great chance for me.’

10 places where women want to be touched

 Forget a woman’s cleavage, there are more erogenous spots that you can explore to get your lady sexcited. Read on to discover her ten most sensuous body parts....

What guys often mistake is that they go straight for the woman’s breasts or other private parts, without concentrating on her nine other moan zones.

So, if you want to get your girl into the mood, stimulate some of her often-neglected body parts.

Tresses
All guys like women with gorgeous locks. But what you need to know is that women love being touched on their head. It’s quite a stress reliever.
Running your hands sensuously through her tresses is likely to send shivers down her spine. Massage her temples to the nape of her neck and she'll be game to your desires.

Nape of her neck
In ancient Japan, the back of a woman’s neck was considered extremely attractive by men as it was one of the few zones that were not covered by the elaborate kimono.
Today, very few men focus on the nape of the neck, but we suggest you build up the pleasure by gentle touching and kissing your lady love from her hairline down to her shoulders. It will make her reach dizzying heights of pleasure.

Collar bone
A well-defined collarbone is what men find irresistible. So, why not touch and kiss her there. Unbutton her shirt just a little and stimulate her collarbone with your touch. Create circles with your tongue and give her love bites right there, just to remind her of how much you want her.

Small of her back 
Most women love it when their guy places his protective hand against the small of her back as it shows that he feels very strongly about her.
So, why not incorporate this gesture into your foreplay routine, by kissing or licking down her spine to end up with a kiss on the small of her back. It will definitely get her into the mood for more!

Behind her knees
This area is a power house of sensitive nerve endings. You can gently caress the back of her knee under her skirt while the two of you are in an open public space as it is sure to get her excited by the time you reach home.

Palms of her hands
 We use our hands to please our partners, but have you ever thought that you could arouse a woman by stimulating the palm of her hand? Run your finger along her palm as that will make her feel relaxed and ready for a sexy rendezvous ahead.

Her earlobes

This is one of the most erogenous moan centers of a woman’s body. Touching, kissing and even gently biting her earlobes will send her into a sexual tizzy. If you are getting extra adventurous, simply nibble around the outside of the rest of her ear as well, but don’t put your tongue inside her ear. That’s a major turn off!

Happy feet 
There’s nothing more sinfully seductive than a foot massage. It will help her relax, especially if her job requires her to be on them all day. Get yourself some aromatic massage oil or lotion.
Pay extra attention to the pressure points such as her toes, ankles and the sides of her feet too. Some women love enjoy having their toes sucked, but others find it repulsive, so ask your babe what she would have you do before putting them in your mouth.

Soft thighs 
Touching a woman’s inner thighs without touching her private parts is the most sensual tease that is sure to get her all charged up.
Employ your hands and mouth to caress and kiss the insides of her thighs but remember to pull back before going all the way.

The world's best card-stacker - Brian Berg

These buildings are fit for royalty - well, the two-dimensional kind.
The incredibly intricate and delicate creations are the handiwork of Brian Berg, who claims to be the world's best card-stacker and has built a number of breath-taking card constructions.


Iowa-based Berg cut his first deck of cards aged only eight, and now he holds the world record having built a 26ft tall stack in Dallas, Texas, for which he used an amazing 1,060 decks.
(scroll down for video)

 Mr Berg stands proudly beside his world record 26ft tall tower of the Dallas skyline, which he built in 2006

The 37-year-old has duplicated the New York skyline, Cinderella's Castle and many other of the world's most recognisable landmarks.

'Cards are my form of architecture,' he said. 'Most of the time my structures do not collapse. 'Because of the structural geometry and all the weight of the cards, they are very strong and stable.'

Mr Berg has perfected his art for almost 30 years, and having trained as a professional architect at Harvard, he has broken his own Guinness card-stacking records a dozen times over his career.

The 37-year-old created this Cinderella's Castle at Walt Disney World during 2004 in Orlando, Florida

His largest work - a card recreation of the Venetian Macau Resort-Hotel - broke his own world record by using 4,000 decks or an amazing 219,000 individual cards, placed on top of each other over a period of 44 days.

The Iowa-based artist first picked up a pack of cards aged eight and has been fascinated ever since

'I have many techniques that I use to build my structures from standard commercially available decks of cards,' he explained.

'I'm never just randomly placing cards, I'm always following a set technique for a certain visual or structural goal.

'All the cards are placed at right angles in such a way as to brace each other from falling over or bending under a load.

'It's important to note that all my structures are free-standing.

'There is no means of support or sticking the cards together.'

But what goes up must eventually come down - and Mr Berg accepts the temporary nature of his spectacular houses of cards.

What goes up ... Mr Berg can allows his Dallas skyline to tumble down - and important part of the process, he insists

'I also enjoy knocking the structures down because I consider the demolition of each project part of the creative process,' he said.
'My favourite method of destruction is a leaf blower because you can really control the wind, where it hits, and the damage it does.


'It's great fun, and really interesting to watch tall towers sway in the wind - to see walls or columns collapse from a huge burst of air or from impact from some other portion collapsing.
'A great deal about physics can be learned by watching the demolition process.
'I've learned just as much by knocking cards down as I have by building them up.'

Miru Kim - The Artistic 'Naked' Explorer.

She's shy and unassuming, but her work, taking photographs of herself naked (totally naked!), is gaining her a worldwide reputation as a provocative artist admired by art experts and casual viewers alike.
Miru Kim, a former medical student from New York, goes to strange places such abandoned factories, tunnels, bridges and photographs the structures with her in the picture nude.
The 30-year-old said her work has been a way of conquering her fears.

(scroll down for more photos and videos)

Turkish delight: Artist Miru Kim has earned international acclaim by taking photos of herself in the nude in unusual spots such as this area of Istanbul

She said: 'My work in general involves getting over my fears that are deeply embedded since childhood: Fear of darkness, fear of dangerous activities in general, and fear of dirt - I had a considerable obsessive compulsive disorder as a child.


'It's beyond therapeutic. I do this through art, because I identify with countless other people who go through the emotions of overcoming fears.'
'I have always been timid since childhood. Most people may think I'm joking considering my work, but it's true.

Urban decay: Miru in the Revere Sugar Factory in Brooklyn, New York

'When I spoke at a technology, entertainment and design conference in 2008 I had to cross my leg and my arms because they were shaking so much.'
Miss Kim started taking her clothes off in 2004.
'Now I'm used to it, but when I first tried to be nude in front of camera in 2004 I was very nervous,' she said.

View from above: Playing with danger on the Williamsburg Bridge in New York

'I remember, in order to get used to being nude for my project's sake, I modelled for a nude portrait for a painter in Berlin, who was my studio mate at the time, and I got so nervous I couldn't stand still.


'As I got used to being naked in urban ruins, I felt these spaces transform from dangerous to peaceful, from stranger to familiar.'


Miss Kim has put herself into what some people who regardv as dangerous situations.
In the process of getting a good nude shot, she's found a dead body, run in to a schizophrenic homeless man, ran away from security guards in subway tunnels and dodged a helicopter while standing nude on the Manhattan Bridge in New York.

High above the metropolis: Miru conquers her fears by putting herself in dangerous situations

She also risked arrest by stripping in Istanbul, Turkey.
Miss Kim said: 'I was with a Turkish fashion photographer shooting at an abandoned train depot by the active train station. Angry guards came to us, but my friend was a very smooth talker and got us out of there.


'The guards apparently thought that he was shooting some kind of soft-core in public, which doesn't happen often in Muslim countries.'
'Another time I was in a poor residential area and a Turkish filmmaker friend was helping me in an abandoned house and we got seen by some residents nearby.

Among the rubble: Naked in the shadow of a mosque on the hill overlooking Sulukule area of Istanbul

'He told one nosy old lady that he was from the military police and that she shouldn't question what we are doing.'
The woman later returned and shouted: 'What are you doing with a naked woman if you're from the military police? We're calling the police.'
Miss Kim packed up her stuff and ran.
She did a project entitled 'The Pig Therefore I Am' which involved crawling around in a pig pen.
Miss Kim said: 'I got many bruises from bites. They were being very curious and gentle with me overall, probably because they didn't understand why I was naked with them.

Exotic beauty: Miru admires the beautiful nightscape in Istanbul

Miss Kim's work has been acclaimed by serious art critics, but casual viewers may look at it in a different way.


That, however, doesn't bother Miss Kim. 'People have different interpretations of my work, and I like that flexibility and openness,' she said.


'The figures in the photos work as a direct sensory link between the space in the photograph and the audience, because everyone can relate to skin on a very basic human level, the sense of touch.'