It would be hard to not meet an eccentric art or design student these days who does not have a LOMO L-CA in their repertoire of time catchers; they seem to be all the rage.
Aficionados will argue that they have been on this "photographic movement" since its inception and hip kids are jumping on the band wagon in droves.
No matter which faction you belong to, there can be no denying the addiction many develop to these low-tech, analog devices and their ability to introduce the democratisation of art to all.
Millions of these little gems were produced in the LOMO Arms and Optical factory in St Petersburg in the 1960s. The Russians were about to do what the Japanese are so good at.
A Japanese compact camera had been brought into the country, two officials saw its potential and they made adjustments and improvements, and prompt mass production followed.
Simplicity is the key to a cult following for this solid little chunk of extraordinary engineering. It takes 35mm film, has three distance settings, is as easy as point-and-shoot and can be used in low light settings. But it is the genius of the Minitar lens that creates the dream-like, colour saturated images that turn everyday aesthetics into the interesting.
It has been described as the tool that allows the "colours to dance on the ceiling" and helps produce the blurring appearance at the edges of images. Where digital photography is all about crystal clarity, lomography celebrates the textured and grained appearance, and heightens your awareness of the most minor details where innate objects take on surreal qualities and jump out at you when you get your prints back from the lab.
The LOMO L-CA's best mate is the Holga – an inexpensive medium format camera made entirely of plastic, lens and all. Retailing for around $50, you can take shots that are, usually by mistake, reminiscent of photographic art.
It's the lack of fine finishing and mass production that gives this camera's images their flair. Light leaks seep in through cracks and produce flares of colourful hues on the photos – often blurred borders on images and an appearance of a fish eye lens, where the central subject is pronounced and the background flows out.
Because of the low price, the cost of 120 film and developing only three rolls will exceed initial costs, and at least half of your photos will likely be better in the bin. However, with perseverance, you will be rewarded – everyone is creative and as The Lomographic Society says: "Shoot, don't think. Extraordinary expression flows from ordinary circumstances."
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