How to be a Lomographer

Follow the 10 Golden Rules

01. Take your camera everywhere

In bed, in Gorky Park, in a propellor-driven airplane or in the launderette: you grab your camera and everything around you starts to vibrate with life, be prepared, keep your camera close at hand and ready for action everywhere and all the time.

02. Use it anytime, day or night

Every single second has its own unique, light, grey, colourful, woolly, profound, flat mood. Your life is not going to wait for the camera, its rules and the fooling around involved. Either click - you have captured the situation as it is, or you haven't.

03. Lomography is not an interference in your life, but a part of it

Lomography doesnt interrupt the direction your life is going, and its just a significant and integral part of it. Just like talking, walking, sleeping, eating, thinking, drinking, laughing and loving. Lomography is a powerful sign that you are alive.

04. Try the shot from the hip

It is as simple as it is unusual: you don't have to look through the viewfinder to take a good picture, no, on the contrary! Give yourself more freedom in your choice of perspective. Hand up in the air, out in the front or behind your back. No limits; just your experience mixed with some luck.

05. Approach the objects of your Lomographic desire as close as possible.

Get close click - from the wrist looking deep into the eyes, full frontal, close up and precisely whatever it is that interests you. Laughing as you go, feeling good, so that everyone can see that Lomography is the most obvious and natural thing in the world.

06. Dont think (William Firebrace)

Put your head in the ice cold bathtub, hold your breath, count to 100 and let your troubles dissolve. Then jerk your head out again, and with it firmly on your shoulders, grab your camera and hit the streets. Start snapping away, live it and have fun.

07. Be fast

A mere tenth of a second makes the difference between Lomography or not Lomography. Just don't waste time with settings, adjustments, thinking about it, faffing around and procrastinating. First impressions have a quality of their own, trust yourself.

08. You dont have to know beforehand what you captured on film

Give the random in Lomography a chance. Enjoy your new way of living with random occurrence. You're not here for Lomography! Lomography is here for you! Lomography only works if the only thing you concentrate on is celebrating your life.

09. Afterwards either

Wow, that looks great, what's that, where was I there? Your brain is running on top speed, your memory is spinning, your history is tumbling. No you dont have to know exactly whats on the film even afterwards. Just read between the Lomographs.

10. Don't worry about any rules.

Forget the 10 Golden Rules discover your very own Lomography, immerse yourself in whats going on. Do it and do what you want but do it now.

For more tips on how to use your Lomo, explore the Lomographic Society website. Look for your type of camera; most have tips and instructions to get the best out of your Lomo.