@flamingoid's Captivating Street Photography on 35 mm and 120 Film

Lomographer Thomas (@flamingoid) knows how to distill the essence of a place into its truest form, as reflected in his 35 mm and 120 film photographs of China, Thailand, France, and Laos. Framing subjects and scenes amidst bustling and thriving cities is where Thomas’ lens feels most at home. Previously based in Bangkok for about eight years, he has now found himself in a new environment, having recently moved to the heart of Shenzhen, China, where he’s adamant to continue discovering the depths of his film photography practice.

Having learned about the Lomography online community after buying his first Lomography La Sardina camera a few years back, it was only natural that Thomas would dive into the culture of the creative community, a “friendly, diverse, and lovely community” as he describes it.

Hi! Welcome to Lomography Magazine! Can you introduce yourself and tell us what you do?

I’m Thomas, an English literature teacher who’s recently relocated to China after 8 years in Bangkok.

When were you first introduced to film photography? How many years have you been shooting on film?

My earliest memory of film photography was of going on summer camps with a disposable camera. Later, for my 8th birthday, I received a Konica Pop Junior. It’s a very simple, barebone camera not too dissimilar to Lomography’s Simple Use camera, without the color gel flash filters. I was hooked.

Like many, later on I transitioned to digital photography and got a bridge camera for my 16th birthday. I didn’t find much joy using it and slowly stopped making photographs altogether. At the time I thought I just grew out of it and adopted new hobbies.

Years later, I moved to Australia for a bit more than a year. Soon, I was hit with a painful realization: I had traveled so far and had no pictures to show for it. Not one image of my time there. On the way back, I stopped in Bangkok and settled there. It soon became obvious that the need to get back to photography had turned into an urge, an itch I could only scratch with film. Fortunately, the analogue scene in Bangkok is active, young, and fun. I bought a Lomography La Sardina, then a Minolta SLR, soon followed by a TLR, and before I realized it, the hobby had become an obsession.

Your LomoHome bio reads “Wasting light-sensitized celluloid since May 2017 on pretty much anything I deem worth capturing and making mine forever: landscapes, animals, urban scenes, people, architecture, or simply random, oddly picturesque whatnots. All photographs are hereafter classified by theme/genre in different albums for a simplified perusal.” Can you tell us more about this and what led to it?

I got back to film photography in 2017. I still haven’t found my style, my signature, my subject of predilection. I photograph everything I find interesting with just one shared characteristic: I use film exclusively.

Finally, the last part refers to my albums, which I create around a theme rather than extending chronologically.

How has your perspective on film photography changed since you first started?

My journey led me to the conclusion that I will only ever shoot film. I take no pleasure in using digital cameras and I’m not fond of my digital shots.

Furthermore—and I may sound like an extremist here—I have a hard time appreciating captures made with digital cameras, as most are edited to such an extent, they often end up looking too fake to be appreciated as genuine photographs rather than digital paintings, even when it’s not the case. With image enhancing technology and AI generation of content, the gap between analogue and digital has broadened even more. Besides, it’s digital that tries to emulate film with presets, not the other way around. I prefer the original to the copy.

Your LomoHome acts as a public diary of sorts where you have a detailed log of the various film stocks you’ve used. I find the expired film stock descriptions and logs very interesting. You’ve shot with rolls that had expired in the 90s (and even decades earlier). Kindly share more about this.

I buy my expired film from sellers who test the stock and recommend an exposure index and a developing process. I buy several rolls to make my own tests and then take it to the streets. I have gained a lot of experience with expired film and especially with old cinema film. What matters most is finding the correct exposure and following the correct development process. A bit of luck also helps greatly.

Why choose to still shoot on film?

All the reasons ever evoked as to why shooting film in this digital age apply to me. I like the process, the tangible nature of film photos, the delayed gratification, the anticipation before getting to see the results, the subsequent satisfaction or frustration, the use of old mechanical marvels of engineering, the unmistakable and inimitable look of film photographs, the lessons in perseverance, in meticulousness, and the simple unmitigated pleasure to make prints and offer them. It’s a whole different experience.

I love the array of colors present in your photographs. How do you achieve such colors? Do you post-process your photographs at all?

Another reason why I don’t shoot digital is my distate for post-processing and endless editing. Adjusting a setting, moving a bar left and right, spending time in front of another screen is a bore. I try to get the shot in camera. If it’s tilted, misfocused, underexposed, or just plain and boring, so be it. I’ll try again next time. There are photos I’ve tried to make a dozen times before getting it right.

You have photographed using many Lomography film stocks. Do you have a favorite? What do you like about it?

I usually prefer to shoot XR films like Metropolis or Turquoise at the lowest end of their ISO range to keep some shadow detail but again, one of my most liked pictures is made with Turquoise pushed to 800. Generally, I prefer to minimize the grain and keep a wide dynamic range but there are times when you need to experiment.

If you could only shoot with one Lomography film stock for the rest of 2024, what would it be and why? Where would you take it?

That’s a tough one. Probably Color Negative 800 because it’s very polyvalent. Or Berlin Kino 400 for the same reason. I’ll take it anywhere. I always have a camera with me, wherever I go, be it halfway across the world or just to the grocery store down the street.

You document a fair amount of Bangkok Street Photography as well as your travels to France, Cambodia, Laos, and in and around Thailand. Do you have a personal favorite location to photograph in?

Traveling has convinced me that Bangkok is the best place ever for a street photographer. There’s always something happening, day and night, there are dozens of film labs scattered around the city, people are kind and friendly and don’t react negatively to being photographed. The city is full of markets, temples, narrow streets, stray cats, amicable folks, and street food stalls to grab some food or drink and refuel. I met many people during my photo walks and some have become great friends. I recently shot the graduation ceremony (on slide film only) of a fellow film shooter I met when I bought one of his cameras.

What made you want to start self-developing and scanning your own film? Any tips for first-timers to the whole process?

I knew early on that in order to have complete creative control over the results, I needed to develop and print myself. I’ve also discovered that it’s a very enjoyable activity and not a chore. A tip for beginners would be to buy a reliable book like Ansel Adams’s "The Negative" or "The Film Developing Cookbook" by Troop & Anchell. Read it and then experiment on your own. Trust your own judgment and your own preferences and don’t let online forums influence you too much. A good photo is a photo YOU like, period.

Do you have any recommendations for film photographers visiting Bangkok? Any cool creative hubs, film labs, etc. to check out?

They should definitely go to Hua Lamphong station and walk all the way to Wat Pho with their most trusted camera. It’s the perfect place to get a toe in the water.

For the labs, I recommend Photocity for their choice of films at a decent price and the quality of their development and scans, for what is perhaps the most competitive price in the world. Fotoclub BKK and HIM Lab are also really great labs, with a wide variety of services and films available, but also accessories and workshops. For a more bespoke and professional service, they should go to Patani Studio. The owner is really knowledgeable and likes to share his experience. They do pretty much everything you want like development in C41, B&W, E6 and ECN-2 in every format from 110 to 8x10, but also color and black and white prints. There are many other labs but these are the ones I know and recommend.

What film formats, cameras, and film are you looking to try out next? Any Lomography products you are curious about and would like to explore?

I’d like to get my mitts on the Lomomatic 110 soon and later on the LomoGraflok.

Who are your favorite photographers and artists whose works have been integral to your visual sense and sensibilities when it comes to crafting images and visual stories?

My all-time favorite photographers are Fan Ho, Ray K. Metzker, Vivian Maier, Yousuf Karsh, Robert Doisneau, and Samuel Fosso. I do not possess an ounce of their talents and creativity so I doubt anyone would see their influence in my photographs though.

Anything you’d like to share with the Lomography community?

I’d like to thank Lomography for easing me back into film photography as well as the community in its entirety (but in particular those who always support me with likes and earnest comments). They know who they are and they have my sincere gratitude.

I’d like also to extend my invitation to anyone who lives in Shenzhen or Hong Kong and would like to meet for a photo walk or anything else.

Thank you to @flamingoid for speaking with us and sharing his journey with film photography! Looking to join a global community of creatives and artists who all share a love for film? Join Lomography and create your own LomoHome here.

written by macasaett on 2024-09-04 #people #places #120 #color-negative #street-photography #china #photowalk #portraits #thailand #35-mm #lomochrome