Getting good results from an LC-A (Focus)

Cancer sucks
© Cary Miller 2005

Probably the biggest hurdle to getting really great photos from your Lomo LC-A is the focus mechanism...there isn't one ; ) If you're a big fan of the offical "just shoot from the hip" Lomographic Society motto, then by all means you should just shoot away...I've seen some gorgeous shot-from-the-hip photos! But if you're like me, you might wish to have a little more control over the results of your work. I've recently achieved a clarity to my photos that I'm very happy with, and I owe it all to blowing half a roll of film on focus tests.

One easy way to do a focus test is to get a willing subject to stand in a well-lit area, and then place yourself in front of them, standing toe to toe. Set your LC-A's focus to .8 (the closest focus setting) and then take a step back. Have your subject hold up one finger to represent the one step back you have taken, and then snap a picture. Now repeat the process by taking another step back, and having your subject hold up two fingers while you take another picture. When you think you've passed out of your LC-A's range of focus for this setting (at .8 you will achieve focus somewhere between 3 to 5 steps,) set your camera to the next setting, 1.5, and start again. It's that easy! Now, when you get your film developed, you will have a much better idea of how far away you need to be to get your subject in focus, and when that inevitable once-in-a-lifetime shot comes along, you'll be able to do a quick measurement with your feet and be all but guaranteed that you'll get the results that you want : ) Of course, you can continue to shoot from the hip when you want, but with this knowledge in hand you'll be able to control the results when you really need to, and control is a photographer's best friend...Lomographers included!

Related Posts:
Getting good results from an LC-A (Film)
Getting good results from an LC-A (Light)

Getting good results from an LC-A (Film)

Crazy Clown
© Cary Miller 2005

One way to ensure you get good results with your Lomo LC-A (Kompact Automat) is to take the time to experiment with different types of film until you find the one that performs best for you...this is such a subjective thing that I hesitate to make suggestions, but for those that want to know, the photo to the left was shot with Fuji Superia 100, which I'm particularly enamored with, but I'm also quite fond of Fuji's Super HQ 100 : ) However, I highly recommend you do your own testing and see what you like best; your LC-A will shoot differently with every kind of film you use, and with different types of light. I prefer the slower films (100 or 50) as the color saturation is just beautiful, but I've seen lovely work shot on 400, too! You might also play around with altering your camera's ASA setting, so that it is different from the film; ie, shoot 100 speed film with your camera set at 200. This can make for some gorgeous color saturation.

Of course, if you're like a lot of people these days, you might want to experiment with cross-processing your Lomo film, in which case you've got to pick a slide film...I haven't done much of this, but have seen great results with the following: Kodak EBX 100, Kodak Elite Chrome 100, Jessops 100, Fuji Provia 100...most people set their camera's ASA to one-step below that of their film (ie, shoot 100 speed film, with the camera set on 50) in order to over-expose for better results.

Your best bet is to buy a few different rolls of film and just start shooting (I mark each package of photos as soon as they get back from the lab, so I won't forget what they were shot with!) Your first few rolls might not come out that great, but as you learn how to coax the best out of your Lomo, you will definitely benefit from knowing what the different types of film have to offer. But most of all, have fun!

Related Posts:
Getting good results from an LC-A (Focus)
Getting good results from an LC-A (Light)

Getting good results from an LC-A (Light)

training day
© Cary Miller 2005

This photo is one of the first I took after receiving my Lomo Kompact Automat (or LC-A) from Russia, and to this day it is one of my favorites. I've learned a lot since taking this, but perhaps one of the easiest steps you can take to get good results from this notoriously wishy-washy camera is to shoot at the right time of day! Dawn & Dusk are THE times to be shooting for best effect...low light levels bring out the best in the LC-A, including that glowing color saturation and some really serious vignetting, too.

This photo was shot in the evening, and because of the heavy backlighting (the sun was directly behind my wife!) I didn't expect it to come out well, but sure enough, the Lomo's funky little lens and light meter handled the job beautifully. This might be one of the greatest things about shooting with the Kompact Automat; you will find yourself continually surprised by the results : ) Of course, you'll want to experiment with many types of film, and you will definitely have to learn how to get your photos in focus, but I will leave those for another day.

Related Posts:
Getting good results from an LC-A (Focus)
Getting good results from an LC-A (Film)

ABOUT ME

my ducky and me
© Cary Miller 2005

Wow...so you really want to know about me, eh? Okay. My name is Cary and I currently reside in a 100-year-old bungalow in Sacramento, California. I've got a few different blogs, most notably Cancer NewsWatch, where I discuss the latest cancer research in terms that average folks like us can understand, and flickrDogs, a showcase for exceptional Flickr photos of the canine persuasion.

My wife Lori has been fighting cancer since her diagnosis in November of 2002, not seven weeks after we got married...her incredible blog is called Too sexy for my hair, and you should really check it out. She is my Superhero, my Goddess, my One True Love, and my Dream Come True. Our family also consists of three freakin' crazy-assed dogs: Zoe, a Queensland Heeler, Cole, a black Lab, and Ruby, a full-bred dork-hound. They are keeping us insane until Lori is healthy enough that we can have kids : ) I've created LOMO LOVE as a way to communicate with other Lomo-Lovers and Holga-Heads, so feel free to chime in on any subject...I'm usually happy to hear from you ; )

Thanks for visiting LOMO LOVE, Enjoy!
-Cary