LomoGuru of the Week: Nicolasesc

There’s no other way than going bountiful with the far-reaching LC-Wide of his, says our guru, Nicolas. He also thinks that film is something of a silly way to document life and would prefer it as breakfast and give sausages and eggs a pass. Get a glimpse of how Nicolas lives his hardcore analogue life on this interview!

Full Name: Nicolas Escalada
LomoHome: http://www.lomography.com/homes/nicolasesc
Location: California
Number of years as a Lomographer: 2 years
Number of years in the Community: 2 years

Share to us your most memorable experience in the Lomographic Community.

Lomography has given me so many good memories. I’ve met a lot of new friends and learned so many new things. But, I would have to say the best experience for me within the Community was when I was announced as one of the finalists for the Make Your Prophecy rumble last year.

When I heard about the prizes for the competition, I felt like it was too good to be true and I had just had to participate! I’m very passionate about movies and so I felt like shooting and editing a video about the prophecies and Lomography would be so much fun to make. Months passed and slowly, one by one finalists were being announced and I was so excited when I received the email saying I was chosen! I remember telling my sister micesc the news and we were both screaming. That moment for me was the best feeling and experience I got from the Community.

Have you actually met people in the Community that you now consider as close friends? If yes, name at least one of them.

It’s funny because I knew j_rad as a finalist for the first prophecy competition, the Shoot Your Prophecy rumble. When I had my first orientation for the Lomography SF store, I was so surprised to see him there! It was my first experience to meet someone that I had seen through Lomography. And now, we’re super homies and get to talk about cameras everyday.

A few weeks ago, I went on an LA road trip and I was fortunate enough to meet the amazing satomi! It was a lot of fun to get to know her. She’s from a place in Osaka near where I used to live, we’re both into cinema, her photos inspire me so much and she even helps me with my Japanese. And I like her because she looks like a cat. But there are still so many friends I am dying to meet! All my friends in the Community really motivate me and keep me shooting! I know one day I’ll be able to meet them and shoot together. And if any of you come visit San Francisco, let me know!

Do you think you’ll still be taking Lomographs in the next 5 years? Why?

Oh, most definitely. I eat film for breakfast. I’m going to be shooting until I die or until there’s no more film. I’m not a serious shooter so digital doesn’t interest me at all. Part of the whole reason why I do this is because it’s a silly way to document how I see the world. The whole process of film whether it’s loading my camera, finishing a roll or getting it developed is part of the magic I love about photography. I could care less about megapixels, memory cards or having the ability to see my picture after I take it. Film has that something digital will never have, no matter how great the technology advances. I even have a plan to carry my LC-Wide with me while I get married and have my friends all shoot their cameras at my wedding! I don’t need a pro photographer. I have LomoPals.

What is your favorite Lomo camera and why? Do you have any memorable experiences while using this camera?

I’d have to say the LC-Wide! Even in cinema, I love wide aspect ratios, so that camera quickly became my best friend. I’m always feeding it film and trying new stuff with it. The best thing about it is the super fast focusing, which is perfect for me because I shoot really quickly! I remember adi_totp saying he wasn’t a fan of self portraits until he got this camera. I was the same way, until I realized how cool the shots look! Well, I could keep talking about the camera or you could just read my review I guess. Haha!

Is there any advice you can give to new analogue shooters?

Never get discouraged! Like anything in life, as long as you have a passion to learn and create something new, you’ll be able to do anything. A lot of my first few rolls were horrible, either under or overexposed and a lot of blank rolls too. Even today, I still mess up on a lot of pictures. But everything in life is a learning experience, no matter how small or mundane you think it is. You’ll always learn from your mistakes and you’ll eventually be able to trust your heart to know you’re capturing a wonderful moment of your life that will never happen again. Every second that passes is captured and lives forever on film. And that’s the reason why I’m always taking pictures and have no plans of stopping at all.

They are the ones whose passion transcends not only by what they do and say, but also with what they see and capture with their film cameras. And with such attributes aforementioned, they are what we call LomoGurus! Every week, we get to ask questions and reveal some insights with the most talented and productive of all Lomographers from the Community!

written by fookshit on 2012-08-19 #lifestyle #interview #community #feature #q-a #lomoguru