Lomography

Everyday we wake up to a digital world - we're all tangled up in wires and waves of electronics and machines and gadgets. A simple weather check is done online, we wait impatiently for the *beep* when our food is ready, and send e-cards on birthdays. Give it all a break! Here, we give you some tips on injecting a little analogue love into your hectic lifestyle.

Photo by: born-to-ruin

• Write a love letter. – When was the last time you used a pen besides for signing credit card receipts? In the age of Facebook, Twitter, Blackberry, and iPhone, it seems that interaction has been reduced to a tweet, a “PM”, or a text message. Grab a paper and a pen, and write that special someone a good ol’ fashioned love letter – sealed with a kiss, if you like. Use the postal service more often!
• Visit a library. – Shut down your laptops and read a book. Don’t click – flip, to the next page. A visit to the library is not only an escape from the digital world, but a warm welcome to a treasure trove of towering bookcases, intricate illustrations, beautiful typefaces, and small talk with the cute librarian.
• Ask a friend to teach you how to play the guitar. – That way, you can play together next time – not in Rock Band 3, but in a real band.

Photo by: zatoichi

• Play sports with real people, not gaming console characters! – Turn off your Wii and sweat it out under the sun, buddy.
• Keep a journal or a scrapbook. – A small notebook, a pen, and a few minutes of your time. Spill your secrets, write down your goals, plan trips! Paste your Lomographs, make collages, doodle all you want.
• Watch movies in a movie theater! – Resist the urge to download torrents! Get off your couch! Buy a ticket, line up, and watch flicks in the cinema. Toss popcorn at unsuspecting moviegoers! (Just kidding)
• Enjoy music in vinyl. – Pause your mp3 download queues and place the needle on the record! Turntables and vinyls are still available today. Mmm, that crackling vinyl sounds as good as a shutter click. Plus, you can grab a camera and do a sleeveface!

Photo by: stoonja

• Catch up with a friend “IRL” (in real life) – Logoff your instant messaging applications and hang out with a friend. Take snapshots together, update each other without having to say “LOL” or “OMG”.
• Check the weather – outdoors! – Yes, we know – as soon as you get up in the morning, you turn on the computer and the weather app automatically updates you of the forecast in just a click. Try to get your sleepy @$# off the bed and soak up the morning sun!
• Document your days with Lomography. – Ah, we don’t need to tell you this, do we? Sure, it’s tempting to do a daily Instagram update (ha!), but using an analogue camera is more exciting. A roll of 36-exp. 35mm film is enough for a month (plus you get a little extra for self-portraits), and you’ll have to wait until the month’s end to see your shots … but that makes it more thrilling!

If you have any more ideas on how to reduce your digital grind, share them with us. We’d love to hear them!