Lomography Newcomers: @toratoto's Rookie Year with the Sprocket Rocket and Diana F+

One of the many exciting aspects of film photography, whether you are a novice or a seasoned photographer, is the thrill that comes with exploring the variety of cameras, lenses, and techniques the medium offers. With the recent launch of the Lomography Sprocket Rocket 35 mm camera in Coconut and Peacock colorways, it’s inspiring to see members of the community sharing their collections of panoramic images taken with this expansive camera. Lomographer @toratoto’s sunlit and spacious panoramic photos highlight the broad and enriching experience that this analogue practice can continue to provide, offering a change of scenery, a shift in pace, and new dimensions to our creative lives.

As our latest Lomography Newcomer, we had the opportunity to speak with @toratoto about his return to film photography, partially made possible by the addition of new cameras to his collection, such as the Sprocket Rocket 35 mm and the Diana F+.

“Being able to shoot panoramas and expose the images past its borders is such a joyful experience.”

Taking around his new Sprocket Rocket 35 mm Panoramic Camera paired with the LomoChrome Color ’92 35 mm ISO 400, @toratoto has shot a series of vibrant photographs around local towns in Japan: through open fields, mountainsides, and coastal areas. Scenes of nature and natural elements are what draw him in the most — gravitating towards the calmer and higher altitude atmosphere.

“I’ve only used about 10 rolls of Lomography films so far. My current favorite film stock is the LomoChrome Color ’92 35 mm ISO 400. This film suits my subjects as it keeps a good color balance without being oversaturated, which is good for Autumn or winter seascapes. I also recently bought the Lady Grey B&W 35 mm ISO 400, Potsdam Kino B&W 35 mm ISO 100, and LomoChrome Color ’92 Sun-kissed 35 mm ISO 400 and am looking forward to trying them soon.”

Reflecting on his initial exposure to film photography, he shares that he has experienced a range of being both in tune and out of tune with the analogue practice over the past 30 years. During this time, he primarily worked with slide film to achieve much sharper landscape photographs. However, he also admits how he had withdrawn from this practice due to the anxiety that sometimes comes with the inescapable rookie mistakes that happen along the way.

However, over time and after working with new film photography tools that helped him surpass some worry, he discovered the Lomography online community through one of the summer Lomomission open calls. It was from there that he created his own LomoHome and officially joined the community last August 2024. Since then, he’s shared how he’s usually left in awe and filled with inspiration by all the film photographs shared by the global community.

We asked him what he considers to be a good photograph and his underlying philosophy when it comes to this visual practice. @toratoto expressed it’s in the personal qualities that every individual can bring to a photograph. According to him, a good photograph stems from a sense of play, telling us "My number one rule is to just have fun."

“...pictures that the people in them can be happy to see. I want my photos to be worth coming back to.”

@toratoto is also a big fan of the classic Diana F+ camera. He told us, “Its 6×6 format is easy to handle and the zone focusing and unique vignette are really good for casual snapshots.”

As the year comes to a close, we asked @toratoto what his next steps will be on the analogue road. Experimenting with multiple exposures and journeying into instant film were all mentioned.

We’re excited to see more from @toratoto and where else his film photography practice will lead him to!

Thank you to @toratoto for speaking with us and sharing his film journey with us!

View the brand new Sprocket Rocket 35 mm Panoramic Cameras over on our online shop and learn more about the shoot to self-scan process over on our magazine.

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 2024-12-06 #people #medium-format #120 #japan #35-mm #diana-f #sprocket-rocket #lomochrome-color-92 #lomography-newcomers