So I have been missing from the Lomography world for a while now. I am unsure what happened but something inside me broke, something went, something unseen, unheard and unknown silently left and analogue photography, film, cameras and Lomo was nothing more than a void.
Photo by mattcharnock
Films gathered dust in forgotten parts of darkened basements, my cameras once an arsenal that followed me every where stared blankly at me from their display case seemingly indifferent to their demotion to museum pieces.
I turned to my Digital camera, shooting everything on that, gratifying myself with instant results, with control. It was free, it was easy, it was an affair. A brave new world of discovery. Playing with white balance and flirting with exposure rolling in the bed of photo-shop and discovering true control over an image, and it was glorious. It was the big love. The problem with big love, with any love is that at some point it changes. You realize that the little things you once found cute begin to annoy you, the charm goes stale, the one sided control creates an uneven relationship, that the bright shining brilliance of it all is, in fact, not so brilliant, bright or shiny. I felt Clinical. Sterile. Desaturated.
Just before Christmas I was asked to shoot an exhibition called “Digital Natives”. The term: “Digital Natives”, describes those born in the digital era, where internet, Ipods, mobile phones, HDTV, sat nav, and more technology than Starfleet could have dreamed, are not just a way of life but a part of life, as essential as a fridge or a cooker. The exhibition was fantastic, a cacophony of technology. Interactive displays beautifully designed bringing enjoyment to everyone. Everything lit up and demanded attention, touch screens were caressed and pawed and seemed to purr with delight. The ambient light that each display gave off made shooting it a treat. The guests explored and played and were totally in their world, in their element. And then there was me. A little older than the Digital Natives, who had been involved in the creation of this techno wonderland. I walked through them, round them, unnoticed, invisible because people chose not to see me, as I worked and took the pictures I needed. The more unnoticed I went the more I realized that I am not a digital native.
Photo by mattcharnock
I didn’t belong. I took a moment to edit the images on the LCD screen, and I felt something. Ancient and brilliant, full of colour, of light. My analogue heart had not left. I had been shooting as if I were shooting with a Lomo camera, taking note of the details, shooting from the hip to capture something unseen, changing the white balance so the colours were slightly out, slightly x pro.
My analogue heart was beating again. (Man, I can be cheesy at times)
26 comments
wuxiong
Welcome back , man... <:))
wuxiong
Welcome back , man... <:))
panelomo
this was a good read - i cried, mate. and it's good to cry sometimes :)
disdis
Glad you're back, man! I was missing you!
adi_totp
welcome back :D
mephisto19
good to hear you are back, matt. happy friday!
cruzron
WELCOME BACK MATT!!!
renaishashin
You're the man!
mochilis
Great article! Welcome back :)
vtayeh
Yea!!! We missed you around here <3
saidseni
Welcome back!
vicuna
Welcome back Matt, and happy to see that your analogue heart is beating again! And you didn't lost neither your great writing style I enjoy so much to read! :))
liachan
-a-l-b-e-r-t-o-
analogue is the future, welcome back in the family!
stouf
Well, that's about fuckin' time ! Leave that digital bitch behind ! 8D
icuresick
We missed you! Welcome back!
dogma
Welcome back mate! nice to see you here again!
dirklancer
I love you man.
jaguarwomon
I second what stouf said!
mattcharnock
Thanks for the comments dudes! this is a link to the digital natives shots and if you can look past the digital stuff i think you might be able to see what i mean. http://www.facebook.(…)d=672080182
niko_fuzzy
welcome back! :D
minty_
welcome back! truly a great article.
woosang
I know the situation . We always return eh!? Welcome back
ihave2pillows
yes cheesy, but good cheesy :)
creative_epi
creative_epi