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Question: Are people getting film photography confused with "lomography" !?
In some ways, I think the "lomography" fad is a good thing because it's generating a lot more interest in film!. Especially 120 film!. So that's good for us who are interested in photography and prefer using film!. (I use both digital and film, but 90 percent film now!. And I also develop my own black and white film and pictures)!.

But I'm seeing kind of a disturbing pattern, where it seems that people are getting "lomography" confused with real film photography!. Some people who have only used digital cameras have decided to try film!.!.!.but with a lomography camera (Holga, Diana, etc!.)!. That's fine, but I'm wondering if for people whose first experience with film will think that the defects in a lomography camera are the same for ALL film cameras!. Do they know the difference!? Holga and Diana cameras are known to have light leaks, and problems with color fringing and soft focus because of the poor quality plastic lens!. But if someone has never used film before, and the first film camera they try is a Holga!.!.!.will they just assume that ALL film cameras are like that!? They've been told that digital is always "better" than film, so they might think that light streaks, vignetting, and soft pictures are just because it's a film camera!.

I can get awesome, razor sharp pictures with my manual 35mm rangefinder cameras and medium format Twin Lens Reflex cameras!. But someone who is only using lomography cameras wouldn't know that!.

So has anyone else wondered about this!? The "lomography" fad might be good because it is generating more interest in film, and is increasing demand for 120 film in particular!. But in the long run, could it hurt film photography because some people might confuse lomography with real film photography!?

When the fad dies down (which all fads eventually do), will people just lose interest in film because they think that ALL pictures from film look like lomography pictures!?

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Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:
I think you are absolutely correct!. Many kids today think photography means a digital point and shoot and "photoshopping"!. Many of the Holga questions on here are about where to get the film processed or how to "set" the camera for such and such photos!. If they had ANY film experience at all they would not be asking these questions!. So I very much think many, many people will base their assessment on film by their toy camera experience, then will, sadly, be one of the many on here whining that "digital is better" and "film is dead"!.

Was not one of the major clothing stores giving away Holga cameras recently!? Probably 99% of those who were given the camera had never even heard the word lomography and likely had never even used a film camera beyond a disposable, if even that!.

So yes, I think the whole lomography thing is a double edged sword!. It is good that it may bring some more people into trying film, but they will soon be burned by the poor experience and form the totally wrong opinion about film photography!.

I have always been of the mind that a lomo camera such as a Holga takes MUCH MORE talent and knowledge of photographic principiles than a high tech automated film or digital camera!. The lomo camera does NOTHING for you!. If you get a good photo out of it, YOU have to be the one that makes it happen!. Putting a camera such as that in the hands of someone with no experience or photographic knowledge is a total waste of film!.

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there may be a few, but I believe that, by far, most will know the difference!. Lomography is such a specialized portion of film photography, I can't imagine someone buying, say a Holga, and not knowingly do so, knowing the special qualities (problems) involved!. I think what is more likely is that there are many that are picking Lomography as their entry into film for that specific purpose!.Www@QuestionHome@Com