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Peter Boesch

Vu dans Luxuriant n°8

In the early 90’s, two Austrian students were travelling in Prague. They found a poor quality Russian camera that took great, colourful, sometimes blurred, but always amazing pictures: the Lomo LC-A. As many of their friends loved the camera too, they saw the opportunity to create a whole community – and company – and bought the dying Lomo factory. Since then, strange cameras (re)appeared under the Lomo trademark like the Holga, the Diana or the Action Sampler. While complex digital cameras are flooding the market, a growing community is having a lot of fun with these toy cameras. They share their pictures on flickr, organize exhibitions and competitions and keep on buying film rolls!

Like the two founders, the Lomography embassador in France is Austrian and passionate, and we’ve asked him to explain the phenomenon.

Peter, can you tell us how you got into Lomography?

In 1998 I was studying at the university and wanted a camera. There was a big Lomography exhibition on and I just loved the pictures and the messages that accompanied them. I was completely overwhelmed with the beauty of the Lomographic approach. It was so unpretentious and natural. So I bought my first Lomo LC-A. And am still in love with it.

What’s the message within Lomography?

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. You do not have to be an artist or a camera technician to take beautiful pictures. Everyone can do it. It is not a question of having a formal photography education or of having expensive equipment. Lomography encourages people to take up photography without pressure. It makes you “unlearn” everything you ever heard about “good” photography and discover your own style. Lomography is a very broad concept. I really love how it opens photography up for everyone, regardless of background.

Among all the Lomo cameras which is your favourite?

I love the LC-A. Even after 15 years, it is still my favourite camera. I have it with me almost all the time. I love travelling with it. It is small and convenient to carry, it is automatic, with a built-in light meter and you just get fantastic images. Every time I go to the photolab, it’s a surprise. And film is just the most wonderful thing. It may sound silly, but you cannot beat it. It is hard, even with the most sophisticated digital cameras, to approach its image quality.

There’s a big Lomo community, a thing that doesn’t really exist within digital photography, how do you explain this?

I use digital cameras too. They can be really convenient, if you need quick pictures. But I feel there is a big danger of “image overkill”: You take too many pictures, you look at them right away on a 5cm screen and then you hardly ever look at them again. Lomography has a lot to do with communication and sharing. The Lomographers I know are very open and social people. They like to share pictures and experiences. They always talk about ways to take better pictures, about weird techniques they discovered and about places to go, music and travelling.

How do you see this Lomography thing evolving in the coming years?

I feel a lot of people are returning from digital cameras to film. It really is a highly addictive medium. Even if it sounds silly, I really believe there is a great future for film and Lomography. And with our website lomography.com – probably the first social network on the internet back in 1999 – people can share their own work and experiences, worldwide. I am really excited to be part of that.

Can you give us some tips for taking great pictures?

I think people tend to focus too much on technical issues. I think the most important factor is being in the right place at the right time. Life does not wait for your camera. Have it with you all the time! The most beautiful moments do not necessarily happen at weddings or birthday parties, but sometimes in a supermarket or at the post office. Be curious, keep your eyes open, have an extra roll of film on you!