Lomographers Throughout the Years: Disdis

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The spotlight now shines on*Diego Ruiz de Gauna López*, also known as @disdis in the community. He received his first Lomography camera in 2004, and joined the community two years later. Let's catch up with him and read more about his Lomography life!

Name: Diego Ruiz de Gauna López
Username: @disdis
Year when you joined Lomography: Since 2004
What keeps you busy now: I watch my children grow up fast and I still work in the same Playing Cards Company I've been since 2007. In 2020 the company will be 150 years old. Of course, I am still a passionate analogue lomographer.

A photo of @disdis, taken by his 5-year-old son, Leo, with a Fuji Instax Mini 90!

Let's do a backtrack: How did you discover Lomography?

The Xmas of 2004 I received a Holga from the 3 Magic Kings. The following year I got 3 or 4 Lomo Cameras in the Lomography Shop in Barcelona and my first original Lomo LC-A in eBay. Since then I think I have every single model Lomography have launched (not versions or lenses). I got into the community in 2006 and I'm happy I'm still part of it though I am not as active as I was before because I have 2 children and less time to take pictures, process them, scan them and upload them. Most of the Lomo friends have seen my children grow up with my pictures and I feel I am a part of a big Lomo family.

What was your first Lomography camera?

Holga came first but the true first Lomography camera was the Supersampler ... I moved fast to the LC-A.

What's your fondest Lomography moment?

Difficult to answer this as there have been lots of good moments within the community. Meeting good friends along the way is maybe the most memorable thing that happened to me. I'll always remember being part of the Euro Team 2 on the first Great Lomo LC-A Race! I enjoyed this a lot. Also having one of my pictures in the Montreal Film Fest and winning the Transworld Surf Lomo contest (I still wear those Nixon watches I received as a prize). But what I love best is to see my children grow through the Lomo cameras. I remember I got a prize of a very controversial contest at the moment with a picture of me kissing my wife's belly underwater. That was maybe the first picture of my older child.

Could you share some of your earliest Lomography shots?

Credits: disdis

The essence about Lomography. Be fast, don't think! I think this picture of Vasvas in León was the first moment I really got into Lomography. We visited the Musac Museum and took pictures of the colorful building. Vasvas jumped in order to stop me from taking more pictures.

Credits: disdis

The first X-pro roll I took with the Holga came out with this. It was during the first weekend with friends in a cottage in Gujuli. Gujuli is a really small village near Vitoria (30 km), in the north of Spain. To get there you follow a serpentine road though all kinds of green valleys. The village is lost between mountains and you'll hear a great cascade somewhere near. If you follow the sound of the water you'll find a 100 meters cascade that falls in a canyon of great beauty. Everything is peaceful there, surrounded by mountains, sheep and green forests. Just 100 meters from the cascade, you can rent a house and keep listening to the sounds of nature. Since then, it's become a tradition and now everyone in our group of friends go once a year to enjoy a different cottage in Castilla León. The first time, we were 8 people. Now, with children we are 24!

Credits: disdis

Still from Gujuli. No cars, no crowd... just you, the water, green fields, and your Lomo cameras. The best time of the year to go there is spring (when the green is intense) or in autumn to have all kinds of oranges and yellows. Though it was taken later on in May 2009 this picture is quite important to me, as that was the year I married my wife. This picture was taken in Sossusvlei in Namibia during our honeymoon. That place is magical to me and I am sure I will be back one day with my children.

Who were your Lomography friends back then?

Where I live there was a small group of Lomographers back then. We started with some exhibitions and some workshops. Some of them still shoot Lomo pictures though a lot of them moved into other kinds of cameras and digital photography. I still see them quite often and consider them friends. I've met some Lomographers around the globe. Not too many but some of the best.

I think the first one was @lomodirk as I go to Nuremberg once a year though last time we could meet, also @panelomo, who lived in Bilbao for a while and we are still in touch. I see @neja, once a year in London and we enjoy a good dinner and some cocktails while updating our lives, @warning who I miss a lot here now ... I still follow most of the people I met though their work here and in other places.

What advice would you give newcomers?

Enjoy life through a camera lens, nevermind if it's a plastic Lomography camera or an analogue classic. It's important to learn the origins of photography if you want to shoot good pictures, and this is the place to learn about it.

What does Lomography mean to you?

It's a part of my life, like an old friend that I will always remember. It grew up with me and I never left it behind!

Some of our favorite shots by disdis

Credits: disdis

Visit his LomoHome to see more.


As we celebrate 25 years of Lomography, we want you to be part of the unstoppable revolution. We’ve got heaps of exciting giveaways, parties, exhibitions and surprises, so don’t forget to stay updated on the official 25 Years of Lomography site and follow us on social media! Stay tuned for the latest updates on the most exciting must-have Lomo accessories!

2017-09-07 #people #25thanniversary #25yearsoflomography #lomographersthroughouttheyears

8 Comments

  1. vicuna
    vicuna ·

    congrats @disdis!! keep on the great work! :)

  2. neja
    neja ·

    a good dinner and some cocktails time is just around the corner! remind me the dates, need to make sure I am in town!

  3. zulupt
    zulupt ·

    Congrats @disdis :)

  4. stouf
    stouf ·

    @disdis One of the very finest!

  5. koduckgirl
    koduckgirl ·

    Excellant

  6. wil6ka
    wil6ka ·

    one of the greats!

  7. disdis
    disdis ·

    Thanks @vicuna , @neja , @zulupt , @stouf , @koduckgirl , @wil6ka ! I feel lucky! I still have to learn a lot from you all!

  8. scootiepye
    scootiepye ·

    @disdis loving your style sir

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