Ask Your Guru: Kuraara Asks Clickiemcpete

In this new age of technology, distance is no longer a problem especially when it comes to interacting!

That’s one great innovation man has eventually developed. Need to ask a few questions? Need to show something? There are e-mails and video calls for that now! And we’re thankful because us, curious analogue cats, can always ask our fellow Lomographers about anything and everything under the analogue sun. Heck yes, we’ve also got our Ask Your Guru feature for that!

And in this week we bring you another Newcomer-LomoGuru team up! Let’s give a warm hello to kuraara from France and clickiemcpete from the USA!

Three years ago, Peter Atwood, or known as clickiemcpete in our Community was curious on toy cameras and decided to search some information about it online. By luck and by chance, he discovered our Community and from then never looked back. It’s his new home!

From being a film photographer, Peter is also your handyman who invents “new tools, unusual gadgets, and pocket knives” in his place in Western Massachusetts, USA.

She has been a Lomographer for years but just found out about the Community. Coming from Paris, France, Clara Abi Nader created her LomoHome named kuraara a few months ago.

Currently studying film and editing, Clara admits that she is “a young photographer” who can’t be separated from her cameras, music, notebook, and ink. “I’d love to publish books, photography and writings” she added.

Looks like an interesting combination, these two! We better see how their interview went. Read on!

Clara Abi Nader (CAN): How do you think when you compose for a double-exposed shot or multiple-exposed one?

Peter Atwood (PA): Well, doubles are an amazing amount of fun and I love shooting them. But I have found that they come out the best when I actually ignore the Don’t Think Just Shoot philosophy and try to put a bit more effort into it. But there are many ways to do cool doubles. Sometimes I like to pair up busy backgrounds with something close-up and isolated for and this often makes for a strong impact. Another great approach is to shoot a landscape and then turn the camera upside down and create a sort of mirror image. And then there is the film swap approach where I only create one layer and someone else shoots another layer.

But doubles are complicated because that is only the start. Then you have to consider what camera or cameras you are using and that can make a huge difference in the outcome as some cameras don’t always mix well in my opinion. Such as putting Fisheye images over a Sprocket Rocket roll. I mean, it might work but it often doesn’t look that great to my eye. But that’s part of the fun of course, you never know what you are going to get until you try it.

Lastly I think film selection is really important for doubles. I like Redscale XR because it is very forgiving about over-exposure. Slide films are wonderful to use but can be tricky as they are easily overexposed and in the heat of the moment you might not remember to change the ISO so you can get both images to come out.

CAN: What do you like shooting mostly?

PA: I will shoot anything that moves, or doesn’t move as the case may be! I like landscapes, building details, signs, cats, water, bridges, trees, textures, and of course my own grinning mug.

CAN: What is the photo that makes you proud the most? Why?

PA: I really don’t have a specific picture. I shoot so much and with so many cameras that I can honestly say that my favorite picture is the next one and my favorite roll is the next one and my favorite camera is also the next one. For me, Lomography is a journey and goal oriented activity so I am always looking for the next cool experience.

CAN: I haven’t tried a lot of types of films, which one would you advise me for wide reportage and landscapes photos? Maybe you can show us some samples, too?

PA: I like the Ilford XP2 400 because as a C-41 film it is easy to get developed anywhere. It has a good workable range as well so your exposure can be a little off and you’ll still get usable images. Another great one is Redscale XR which has an even broader range and can deliver many different color tones especially as it gets more and more exposed.

CAN: How did you get into photography and what is appealing for you there?

PA: I needed to improve my product shots for my business so I began to accumulate nice digital cameras and lenses. Then I got into Lensbaby images which led me to toy cameras and that in turn led me to film. Now I very rarely shoot digital except for product shots because it bores me to tears.

Sure was an interesting one! Thank you Peter and Clara! Until our next Ask Your Guru. :)

Are you a curious Newcomer? Or maybe a LomoGuru who would like to share tips and tricks to our noobs? Then this is your time to be featured! Just drop me a line at mayee.gonzales@lomography.com. Catch ya!

written by mayeemayee on 2013-04-10 #lifestyle #clickiemcpete #ask-your-guru #kuraara