My mechanical romance

Today I dug up and dusted the lomo camera I had picked up as a hobby about 6 years ago.

It's a Holga 135BC - a completely mechanical toy camera that my friends couldn't believe doesn't run on batteries.

Sadly, I no longer keep any film rolls and couldn't find them in any photo shops in such short notice.(#TeamHybridKL is having a day out riding ATV in Kemensah tomorrow - I had thought I could bring the Holga along).

I remembered the first time I saw a lomo camera. In 2011, at the height of the lomography hype, a colleague had brought it to the office and I couldn't keep my eyes off it. A few months later, I picked up my first - a Superheadz Ultra Wide and Slim.

6 years ago, I was ultra-girly girl who insisted everything should be pink

It had quite a few runs - I developed a couple of rolls - and then I learnt about the Holga, which had more functions and looked real neat.

Back then, in 2012, there was this shop at Sunway Pyramid that indulged lomo fans with a wide selection of cameras and rolls. I probably visited the shop every week, even not to shop, but just to look around. 

Finally, I picked up the aforementioned Holga and some lomo rolls.

I developed some black-and-white and colour lomo films as well as regular rolls (35mm) - could have shot more, but I guess I had neither inspiration nor motivation then. Besides, that shop at Sunway Pyramid closed down - so no more easy access to lomo stuff. So, one day, I put the Holga away and never took it out again until today.

Neat, right? Credit: Flickr/Stephan Ohlsen

Film photography remained close to me after that because my best friend/partner at Odd One Out magazine was still very committed to it. In fact, most - if not all - of the photos she took for the magazine were on film. 

Our favourite haunt for all things film is Bang Bang Geng - a photography shop dedicated to film. Its owner, Koon Yik - a film enthusiast who can talk anybody into trying it - had become one of our dearest friends. The shop, located at Publika, stocks an interesting variety of film rolls alongside a display of photos shot on film and books about film photography. When Koon Yik develops your film rolls, he would not only want to discuss how the photos develop, but he also would give tips and tricks on how to shoot better. Even though I don't shoot film anymore, I would still visit Bang Bang Geng everytime I'm at Publika - just to say hi and have a quick chat.

This coming new year - 2018 - is the year I hope I can pick up lomography again. Maybe make more effort to get out of the house more to shoot - maybe in other states, countries, who knows? I am waiting for some stuff I bought online to come in the mail - a 35mm Lomography Color Negative 400 film roll and a disposable, single-use Lomography camera pre-loaded with IS0400 black and white film - but in the meantime, I am just going to start planning on how to seriously make lomography a part of my life again. Look, I love my lifestyle right now - this year had been all about chilling at home - but I feel like I am missing out on what to see out there.

So there, perhaps my first 2018 resolution - to commit to film photography, lomo or otherwise. I usually suck at meeting resolutions - I probably never had my entire life - but then, other people are busy getting married and having babies while I have little to no interest for that. So, this is something I am doing for myself. At least I can put it away when I don't feel like it anymore - which is not something I can say about husbands and babies (please don't).

Here are some of the photos I took circa 2011/2012. You can view the rest of them on Flickr.