Seeing Double with the Lomo’Instant Wide Glass: Patty’s Double Exposures
2 7A Toulouse-based photographer for over twenty years, Patty recently got her hands on our Lomo’Instant Wide Glass for a series full of emotion and double exposures. Balancing careful staging and happy accidents, she shares with us her artistic approach, eclectic inspirations, and her creative encounter with instant photography.
Welcome to the magazine! Can you introduce yourself to our readers?
I’m Patty, I’m 43, living in Toulouse, and I’ve been into photography for 25 years—first as a passion, then it became my job. I studied visual communication, and it was during an optional photography class that I had a real eye-opening moment. After that, I spent three years at a photography school (ETPA), where I earned a CAP in photography (a French vocational qualification) and a final diploma.
What’s inspiring you right now? Any artists, places, or emotions you’re trying to capture in your images?
There are so many inspiring photographers out there—I have a huge photo book collection that I often browse through. But honestly, I don’t have a single “favorite” artist. I love all kinds of styles and movements: from Daido Moriyama to Stephen Shore, and also Nan Goldin, Diane Arbus, Harmony Korine, Andrei Tarkovsky, Dash Snow, and Ryan McGinley.
My go-to spots that I visit often and really love are the Galerie Le Château d’Eau (a museum dedicated to photography) and the Musée des Abattoirs (modern and contemporary art museum).
I’m kind of a “dark” person in real life (I only wear black; I’m tattooed from head to toe, and I listen to a lot of alternative music), but ironically, my photographic world is the complete opposite—always super colorful. That said, I try to capture strong emotions, whether it’s through looks, poses, or whatever else.
How was your first experience with the Lomo’Instant Wide Glass? What immediately caught your eye about this camera?
I’m a bit of a camera collector, I probably have close to thirty that I’ve tested. I’m really into instant cameras, especially for how the images turn out. With the Lomo’Instant Wide Glass, since I have some experience with gear, I found it pretty easy to use. What I really loved were all the possible settings, like the 1/30 shutter speed option, the “bulb” mode for long exposures, or the f/22 aperture.
The feature I used and explored the most was the multiple exposure mode, which creates some seriously stunning double-exposure effects. And as for the design, I thought its vintage look had tons of charm.
Did you build a story around this series of portraits? Was there an emotion or message you wanted to convey through these images?
Given all the possibilities this camera offers, I created four mini photo series, using a lot of double exposures. I was lucky to work with two different models and did two series for each, with different color tones. I tried to highlight a dreamy vibe and leave it open to the viewer’s imagination, letting them create their own stories around the images.
Instant format is often linked to spontaneity, but you work with real artistic intent. How do you find the balance between improvisation and staging?
The staging was set partly by the styling, which was prepared beforehand, and partly by the models’ poses. Since it was double exposure, I tried to anticipate how the shots would turn out by imagining two photos merged into one. Sometimes the surprises gave unexpected photos, but they always stayed true to the flow of the series.
You really explored the multiple exposure mode. What draws you to that feature?
I love experimenting with photography, and this mode let me fully try out a technique I’d barely used before. I appreciated the fleeting, almost ghostly vibe these photos can create. It was like telling a story by layering two images into one.
With all its features (multiple exposures, glass lens, color filters…), the Lomo’Instant Wide Glass is pretty unique. Has it sparked a new way of photographing for you?
This camera is definitely original and high-quality. I’d never really tried multiple exposures before, and it was a real pleasure to explore this different approach. I had to imagine in advance how one photo would look layered over another, so I planned the framing and poses with the overlay effect in mind.
Is there a shot from this series that especially stuck with you or surprised you with its final look?
I tried to control the shots beforehand, but the final result always had a surprise factor. There’s one photo in particular I really love for everything it conveys:
Are you interested in continuing this approach in other projects? Could we imagine a full series or even an exhibition around this work?
Yes, it would be really exciting to keep going with a photo series using this double exposure technique, highlighted by a consistent color theme. The effect is super interesting and quite unique.
The idea of an exhibition is definitely something I’m open to. Some friends I’ve already shown these instant shots to really loved the results and congratulated me on the quality of the work, so I think it could catch other people’s interest too.
If you could design your ideal instant camera, halfway between art and experimentation, what would it look like?
I think it would be pretty close to the Lomo’Instant Wide Glass because this camera offers tons of features and settings that really let creativity run wild. The quality of the glass lens is a major plus. And the different modes allow you to experiment with all kinds of techniques. If I could add one feature, it would be a zoom on the lens to easily switch up your framing and maybe get some cool effects if the lens supports wide-angle.
Thanks so much, Patty, for taking the time to answer our questions! Check out her work on Instagram.
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