Aim, Shoot, Develop: Diego Ortega with Lomography 110 Films

For California-based film photographer Diego Ortega, the fun of analogue starts with his huge collection of unique vintage and modern cameras that he has gathered over the years. Also known as Aim Shoot Develop on his TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube channels, Diego aims to build a welcoming and supportive community for film enthusiasts through his platform. By sharing his own film knowledge and experiences with tools he has acquired, he opens up the floor for collective learning, exploring, and appreciation.

Recently, we gave Diego some of our 110 Color Negative and Metropolis films to see how he plays with this special format. He went about his day and captured his surroundings using his McDonald's fries-shaped 110 camera. Read our conversation with him below!

Photos by Diego Ortega

Hey Diego, we welcome you to our Online Magazine! Could you let the readers know who you are?

Hello, yes! I am Diego Ortega, I live in Tulare, California and I am a film photographer who goes by the online username “Aim Shoot Develop” on social media.

When did you first press the shutter button? And what made you keep doing so?

My parents used to buy me disposable cameras for school trips when I was younger and I was hooked. Later in life when I got my first job, I spent part of my first paycheck on an instant camera and film. That first camera purchase was 10 years ago and the charm of film hasn’t gone away. I’ve been using various film cameras & formats ever since.

Photos by Diego Ortega

Why analogue in a digital age?

It’s something to look forward to; there's no better feeling than seeing your film scans after shooting a roll. It’s a welcomed surprise every time.

Onto your channels—We love how you share much information and your quirky camera finds to film enthusiasts. How did this get started?

It first started when I made the Aim Shoot Develop Instagram and YouTube. I wanted to find like-minded people to share my finds and experiences with. A lot of the information I would find on these strange cameras is hidden on old camera forums or just didn’t exist at all. So I wanted to put the information out there for people to access and enjoy as much as I do.

Photos by Diego Ortega

Where do you find these awesome vintage cameras?

At first, people would just give me their old cameras. They saw how passionate I was about it and would rather see someone use it than collect dust. Nowadays, I scour the Internet looking for the wildest cameras and wait patiently for them to come up for sale. If film photography has taught me anything, it's patience.

Now, you took some lovely 110 film shots with Lomography Tiger Color Negative and Metropolis. How did you like those stocks?

The Lomography Tiger Color Negative film reminds me of how 110 film looked like when I was a kid: classic & simple. The Metropolis film has more of an industrial dream-type look to it. It has a nice contrast but it’s also soft (I hope I'm making sense). Both are great in their own unique way.

Photos by Diego Ortega

How did you go about this photo series? Do you have a favorite out of these?

For these shots I just took the cameras with me and documented things I found interesting throughout my days. My favorite has to be the self-portrait with the fry camera; it's so absurd I just had to document it.

What’s your take on the 110 format? Who would you recommend this style to?

First off, I am grateful the film still even exists and is readily available. Because of it, I am able to use all of the 110 cameras in my collection!
I would recommend the 110 format to anyone who shoots film or wants to get into film. There are various camera options to fit your shooting style & plenty of film stocks to get the desired look for your images.

Photos by Diego Ortega

Do you have anything planned for the rest of the year?

Just going to enjoy capturing memories and sharing my experiences online. Check me out “Aim Shoot Develop” on Instagram, YouTube and TikTok ! Thank you for the opportunity!

Check out his latest Youtube video of him creating these shots:


Make sure to follow Diego in the links he provided above!

written by kaylalew on 2021-10-07 #gear #people #videos #color-negative #110-film #lomography #metropolis #aim-shoot-develop #diego-ortega

Lomography Color Tiger  200 (110)

All of Lomography’s signature color negative aesthetics packed into a miniature roll of 110 film for a roaring good time.

More Interesting Articles