Express Yourself: Customize your Lomo'Instant Automat

It’s been eight years since the Lomo’Instant Automat launched and creatively changed the instant photography landscape. This means that there have been eight years of instant analogue experimentation, eight years of Instax mini domination, and eight years of seeing film photographers and artists alike customize their camera models.

From illustrators to business owners who all come from unique backgrounds, we’ve been lucky enough to see a good mix of one-of-a-kind Lomo’Instant Automat Camera Bora Bora Edition pieces designed by a pool of talented creatives and visionaries. Imbuing their personal style and artistic flair into their own Lomo’Instant Automat (LIA) models, see how Gianne Encarnacion, Josh Parkin, Pimchanok Teepapong, Clarissa Veronica, Ella Lama, and Dinda Puspitasari have breathed life into the instant format and simultaneously inspired us all to express ourselves through crafting our cameras and worlds.

Gianne Encarnacion

A spiraling ornate-styled garden, a golden ratio, and the practice of photography come to life in Filipina artist Gianne Encarnacion’s custom Lomo’Instant Automat. In sharp but extremely intricate strokes, Gianne visually crafted a sphere where flora, fauna, and all kinds of living organisms and abstract elements coalesce and focus into frame.

“I was playing around with the mechanics of a camera, the shutter, etc. But I kept feeling like something was lacking. Eventually I remembered a line from “Crave” from Paramore (“a picture cannot contain the way it feels”), and I think I based the entire direction on that song. Basking in beautiful moments and being so moved by life, missing it before it even ends, wanting to preserve every second of it in a photograph—I think my earlier designs were lacking in that emotional aspect. I made the design circular to “capture” the lens.” - Gianne Encarnacion

UK-based illustrator Josh Parkin (aka) JoshyParkyArt is an artist who likes to keep the tactility of analogue forms integrated into his practice. For his customized Lomo’Instant Automat, he put pen to paper and illustrated monochromatic icons that ring true to the film photography experience; with the instant camera all decked out and inked on with an image of a 35 mm film stock dangling about, a sharpened pencil ready to be sketched with, a camera viewfinder in focus, and loads more.

Metaphysically speaking, Thai illustrator Pimchanok Teepapong (aka Paerytopia) lives an aquatic life as is reflected in her art. When tapped to design a one-of-one version of the Lomo’Instant Automat, she took to the seas and inhabited the underwater world. As an artist whose work mainly consists of various oceanic elements, she wanted her camera unit to take on a new form:

“I wanted to combine these preferences from my perspective into the design of this camera, before printing UV ink onto a hologram sticker to add a more unique look to the work. When picking up the camera and flipping it around, where there are air bubbles in the picture, there is a hologram that reflects beautiful light.” - Pimchanok Teepapong

Taking pages from her love of colorful comics, Indonesian artist Clarissa Veronica shows us how to create a playground of fun in the shape of an instant camera. Designing her Lomo’Instant Automat in neon highlights, Clarissa tapped back into her youth and wholly embraced what it led her to do:

“I chose to draw objects related to childhood memories and included punchlines like "Don't Forget to Have Fun," as gentle reminders to the audience to always embrace the joy in life.” - Clarissa Veronica

Filipina artist Ella Lama purposefully stuck to a three-colored palette when designing her version of the Lomo’Instant Automat. Leaning on the varying shades of blue with a tinge of gold lining, the words “cool, composed, and collected” come to mind when describing her style and approach to design. Intent on illustrating a sanctuary for her memories from a trip to Japan, Ella chose to include Japanese symbols and key elements that signal luck and good fortune onto the instant camera that would soon capture the fondest and most cherished of memories.

Having work that usually stems from the sights of a bustling city, Indonesian fashion illustrator Dinda Puspitasari chose to take a step back from the metropolitan lights and turned to more grounding natural elements and scenes for her custom Lomo’Instant Automat. Using acrylic paint in a punchy turquoise and neon pink, she painted spring florals reminiscent of the much-beloved season and based off a fine memory of a peaceful spring day in Tokyo, Japan.

Thank you to all the incredible artists and creatives who have shared their talents and design processes with us!

Inspired to design a custom Lomo’Instant Automat? Begin your journey with the Lomo’Instant Automat Bora Bora Camera Edition and share your personalzied camera models with us here on Lomography!

Looking to learn more about Instant Photography? Head on over to the Instant Photography section at the Lomo School for some quick Q&A's on everything and anything related to the analogue film format.

written by macasaett on 2024-08-31 #gear #design #print #custom #unique #personalize #one-of-a-kind #lomo-instant-automat #mini-film #instax