Tipster: The Great Outdoors with the Lomo’Instant Automat Glass & Lomo’Instant Square Glass Cameras

The summer season makes it a perfect excuse to go out, engage in some activities under the sun (knowing the better weather and highlights of this season won’t always last), and take your film camera with you — at all times.

Instant cameras are a great option for when you want to strike that experimental balance between living in the moment and purposely exercising creativity, for the reason that there are no rules when it comes to this medium. Instant photography is an analogue format that offers a perspective that 35 mm, 120, and 110 film format cannot match. Perspective in the sense that instants are a refreshing take on one’s film photography practice and style of framing images. Working with 10 instant films per pack forces intention and purpose out of your photograph, while also being rewarded with the unique image that appears in 90 seconds.

Here, we embrace the summer feeling and share a series of Instant mini and square photographs taken outdoors on the Lomo’Instant Automat Glass and Lomo’Instant Square Glass cameras. These are photographs I took on trips I made to the beach, to the tennis court, a university softball game, and on a hike to a crater lake.

Read through this tipster for three things to keep in mind and be creatively experimental with when taking your Instant cameras along with you on outdoor adventures:

1. Adjust Focus Zone
2. Turn the Flash Off
3. Experiment

Adjust Focus Zone

Mastering the appropriate focus zone per photo on the images you choose to take is fundamental to crafting a sharp shot. The Lomography Instant cameras have at least three focus zones that differ depending on the Instant camera used. For the two specific Instant cameras I used, Lomo’Instant Automat Glass and Lomo’Instant Square Glass cameras, I mostly switched between the 0.6 and 1m-Infinity.

A. Zone focusing: 0.6

For when you want to turn the camera around towards yourself, or when you want to capture more detailed moments that are within arm’s length, choosing the 0.6 zone focus is key to flexing the qualities of the glass lens cameras.

B. Zone focusing: 1m-Infinity

1m-Infinity is a good baseline to keep in mind for outdoor photographs since the elements that are usually being photographed are mostly landscapes and subjects at a further distance.

Turn the Flash Off

One important thing to remember about the line of Lomography Instant cameras is that the moment you turn a unit on, the flash function is simultaneously booted up as well. When photographing outdoor activities in the daytime, and with there already being a considerable amount of sunlight and highlights, this is a reminder to be mindful of the flash feature and to switch it off if you don’t feel the need to use it.

The four photographs taken below show instances of framing subjects that are facing toward the sun and against it.

For times when you want to opt to keep the flash turned off but still need either a boost or lessening of light, turning to the exposure compensation (-1 and +1) would be a good alternative.

Experiment

Unlock a whole new range of possibilities that can be achieved on instant film.

Add a twist to your usual outdoor and landscape photographs by experimenting with the multiple exposure and splitzer lens. Naturally, these two features make a good match for when you would want to craft layered and creatively structured photographs. Through this, you’ll play around with capturing the passage of time and its accompanying motions — all shot in a range of natural feelings and wonder.

Note: When waiting for the instant images to develop, it is recommended that the instant film photograph be placed in a dark area. Whether that be turning the instant film face down or placing it in your shirt/pant pocket or even inside a bag, the chances of your image developing to its full extent (best results!) is more likely.

Any other tips for photographing Instant film when outdoors? Feel free to share them with the community and comment them down below!

Learn more about Lomography's Instant Camera catalogue here, and shop the full line-up online at https://shop.lomography.com/ or offline at your nearest Lomography retailer store.

Head on over to the Instant Photography section at the Lomo School for some quick Q&A's on everything and anything related to Instant Photography.

written by macasaett on 2024-06-14 #gear #tutorials #instax #outdoors #square #mini #instant-photography #glass-lens #automat-glass Share Article