My Friend Neja (by mephisto19)
written by mephisto19
on November 12th, 2008
, 20 comments
(0 votes)
I really like the idea of “my friend”- interviews, but I think only one is not enough. Everybody has lomofriends! One of my lomofriends is Julia. I was so brave to ask her once in my early days to make a double. And we did it.
It was a great pleasure seeing her in London on LomoWorldCongresss…
Here are now 10 questions and her answers + photos….
Give me a short CV.
Born in 1980 in Siberia, moved to Lithuania in 1993, graduated from school in 1999, went to Saint Petersburg to study at University, stayed there till 2007.
Get involved into Lomography in 2003, immediately started to win different contests and missions. In 2004 won trip to Beijing, China to Lomographic World Congress, after that went to Cape Town , South Africa there spent 6 months (and 90 rolls of film). Now live in London, UK.
Julia, you are one of the grand dames of lomography, but after Lomo World Congress in London 2007 I haven’t heard a lot of you. So where are you now (again travelling so often?) and what are you doing (to earn your money, in your free time, with cameras)?
Not sure why you haven’t heard about me- I kept on taking part in all Lomography books and missions. Latest LCA book has my pictures, for example. I was part of Hind’ s Holga exhibition in Dubai, and latest party by Russian Lomographic Embassy used 50 colorsplash pictures of mine for their LomoWalls. Yesterday my Double Exposures slide show was screened at relaunch of famous Russian Bar, here in London. After London Congress I became Associate Teacher at London College of Communication and was teaching Lomography to Post Graduate students. I took part in London Lomographic Thursdays, too.
As for earning money, I do some freelance. From Corporate Photography to Still Life for Wedding company, and from translations from Russian and English to being a part of Assessment Team at Uni (I had to judge post Graduate Diplomas in June).
As for free time, I recently get Sleipnir grant from Nordic Council to go to Stockholm to do some creative research, and I am preparing an exhibition about London’s area called Bermondsey together with my friend, lomographer vividiti.
Although it is really expensive to develop films here, especially cross process (I do lots of Holga x-pro), I still do not give up. Every time I go back to Russia, or someone I know goes, I use this chance to develop all my films. So it ‘s non-stop film trafficking :)
You had a school- project with Adam Scott, please tell me more about it.
It was really cool project to work on. I was still studying at college when The Photographer’s Gallery approached me and asked to join forces with Adam. The project was called Photomotion. We went to 3 schools in East and South London during a month. The idea was to give 15 years old pupil multi lens Lomographic cameras, so they could shot Movement and Dance in a sequence. It was all about exploring the ideas around the aspirations of the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics games. Later Adam animated all those shots into a mini movie and flip-book. There was a big Lomo Wall on Trafalgar Square, too.
What is your favourite outfit? Do you have a picture of yourself wearing it? And do you combine cameras and clothes? What is your favourite camera?
Yeh, I believe in Lomo Fashion :) I like colourful, unusually shaped, asymmetric clothes. I like to stand out. And, I am earrings addict. I do not combine cameras with my clothes, but every time I take my Colorsplash camera to the party, I got lots of attention from Digital Minded people. My favourite cameras are Colorsplash, Holga and Horizon.
If you could ask for three products that LSI would develop for you, what would you need? A special Julija- camera? A Julija- bag? Other Julija- things?
Yep, special NEJA bag would be nice to have, cute and stylish. Lomo Earrings, of course would do, too. Even whole jewellery range. Then, shoes!
What is your special technique/tip/trick???
My special technique is my Vision. I just keep my eyes wide open all the time, and think about angle, too.
Digital versus analogue: Do you use both? What do you prefer? In what situations?
I have both. Although I sold my Digital SLR, I have little digital Ricoh, which actually looks like LCA. It was St.Valentine’ present from my BF. I use it when I travel, or do Still Life. As I already said, it’s impossible not to use Digital nowadays, especially in London. To develop 1 film here costs up to 4£, and it is 7£ for cross process. I am not talking about scanning and printing here.
But I am still an Analogue person. Nothing can compare with the colours, grains and whole feeling you get from film. Every time I see results of my film shots, I think that I am a Genius. Every time I look at my Digital pics – hmmmm, I am not so sure…
Make a top 5 of your favourite things (food, films, music,…)
Oh my gosh… In my case it ‘s all about Positive Vibrations. It can be achieve in so many ways: falling in love, travelling, eating nice food, drinking lots of Chianti, watching a great movie….
Ask yourself a question and answer it!
Do you believe in miracles? Yes!
Your best shot is… And why?
My Cape Town shots are still the best. Holgas I did there (many of them ended up in Holga book, and even on the Holga camera’ package) are just the masterpieces. So are the Lomo shots. And, I adore almost all of my Horizons. Thanks again to maceo/ deccir lomographer from Brazil who gave me that wonderful camera as a present!
Please login or register to use this feature.