Lomographers' Print Exchange — A Community Project Recap

The city and our jobs keep us moving, they are part of our life, but at the same time, they are stealing time from us, time which we could have used enjoying ourselves more, with friends and families, sports and hobbies, brainy and spiritual activities. One of these spiritual activities that popped up in our Community nine months ago is Lomographers' Print Exchange which we couldn't love more!

Wait, what is Lomographers' Print Exchange?

One Community member would print a postcard size photo (4x6 in), stick a stamp to it, write the address of a fellow lomographer and a nice message on the back and send it through the mail. When received, it would be their turn to send one back.

So a bunch of beautiful people gathered one by one and revived the lost art of snail mail, and what at first seemed to be just a print exchange, very soon it became much more.

"Every time I travel somewhere I send postcards to the people I love most because even if people forget to send them while they are traveling, I discovered that most people love to receive one. It is probably because we love the surprise of opening our letterbox and find out that someone somewhere took his time and effort to choose, write and send us a tiny card just to say hello. This makes this project so special and emotional because people take the effort to choose something they shot, like a tiny piece of themselves to send to a stranger somewhere in the world. In most cases to a place, they've never been to. I must admit that I grew curious about all the places the cards reached me from and where mine were directed." – @crazy_little_red_riding_hood, Italy

"Lomographers' Print Exchange is a great project, it puts you in touch with other people who have the same passion for analog photography, it's a nice thing, it keeps alive the exchange of postcards, something that with the advent of digital and internet has been lost." – @ilcontrariodime, Italy

"I wondered what to send to others and I came to the conclusion that I would send not so much the best picture of mine as something about my city in which I live. That's why I sent a postcard from Krakow. It's an invitation to visit me and my beloved city." – @tomczykd, Poland

Once in a while we all have to take a break and how else but slowing down time. Therefore our Community members put their phones and laptops down and grabbed a pen to connect with each other the way we did before this digital world took over. And what a feeling this thing gives you!

"This project is like a time tunnel. When I was a kid, traveling wasn´t so usual as today. But when I went somewhere I always sent a few postcards from there. It was a normal routine and it was affordable. As I was growing up I sent postcards less and less. And suddenly appeared a cell phone... It was the slow end of postcards. And this project appeared! After more than twenty years I again sent a postcard." – @gesp, Czech Republic

"It reminds me of my younger days when I used to send out letters to my penpals and waited patiently for their replies. The wait might be long, however, it gives you that element of surprise once you received it. It is always better to hold a physical copy than a digital one. A little photo and a short and sweet write up put a smile on a person's face." – @lzyrich, Singapore

"It's a bit like going back to the childhood and running to check the mailbox to see if a new postcard has arrived. It's the joy of holding in your hand an image that was lovingly chosen, printed, handwritten by someone who you do not know but it is close to you." – @aronne, Italy

Aside from connecting with wonderful people from around the world, the postcards we've received beautifully decorate our homes. We are all photographers, we need photography all around us, we can't get enough of it.

"It is great fun for two very simple reasons. First, it is great to print up some of my images, something I have neglected of late; and second, and possibly the best reason, I now have some fabulous images from my fellow Lomographers adorning my desk and my post has become somewhat more enjoyable." – @guin, United Kingdom

"In the meantime, I’ve gathered a lovely collection of prints, that I proudly display in my apartment." – @debja, Netherlands

"I now have a collection of postcards from my fellow print exchangers attached on my magnetic board. The postcards certainly show the signs of their travels. I suppose the curled corners and creases symbolize their unfettered openness to all those who help them through the postal process; possibly having the chance to appreciate them if they so choose." – @downsouthuk, United Kingdom

And we are not the only ones who enjoy this project. Have a look at this little helper of @lomonina from Slovenia!

"The best part of the print exchange is that I look forward to sifting through my envelopes for that moment of discovery. I saw lomographers that I already had addresses for had signed up for the exchange, so I sent them cards as a surprise. I even sent a few cards out to ones that didn't sign up. To paraphrase a friend, 'It's nice to get something in the mail that doesn't require paying a bill." – @fartstorm, Canada

"It's fantastic! I've never expected to check my mailbox so often with such excitement. And it's a nice feeling to know that my postcards traveled across the world (e.g. all the Europe, Hong Kong, Hawaii)." – @_wool_x, Poland

"Since I embarked on this project, not a day passes that I look expectantly at the post box, or with curiosity about the postman's passage. This has become a relationship of sharing with others, and friendship. The real joy of this project consists in the difficult but rewarding process of choosing the photograph to be shared, and what message to write to whom, to make the relationship with the other person unique." – @ellie97, Italy

Here is how Lomographers' Print Exchange world map looks like so far. Let's fill this map!

Want to join us? Drop me a line at @systemdevice to include you in the project's members list! Check the guidelines here.

By joining Lomographers' Print Exchange you agree that your LomoHome will be included on the list so the other members could contact you for the print exchange. Don't worry, there will be no personal details on this list, no real name, no address.

written by systemdevice on 2019-04-09 #culture #news #project #community #lomographers #print-exchange #lomographer-s-print-exchange