Derek Livingston's Documentary Photography on Lomography Experimental 120 Films

Missouri-based photographer and videographer Derek Livingston is all about capturing what's in the moment, whether that's the people around him, architecture, or outdoor scenery. He's always down to experiment with films and cameras, and enjoys sharing his experiences through videos on his Youtube channel. So, we equipped him with a few rolls of our 120 format Redscale XR 50-200 and LomoChrome Metropolis to get his take. Check out what he has to say below in our conversation and his videos below!

Photos by Derek Livingston

Hello Derek, welcome to the Lomography magazine! May you tell us about yourself?

I am a photographer and videographer located in Joplin, Missouri. Married and we have two dogs and one cat. I enjoy creating content in general from my photos and video shoots. Love the outdoors and traveling.

What drew you to Lomography?

I was drawn to Lomography after seeing a few videos on Youtube of the unique film stocks that you offer!

Photos by Derek Livingston

Can you remember your first instance of shooting film?

My first time shooting film would have been in 2010 after purchasing a Yashica Lynx rangefinder from a flea market and putting a roll through it to test it out. Still own this camera today.

How would you describe your photography style? Who/what/where influences you?

I would say my style is kind of photojournalistic in some ways. I try to capture the moment for what it is and my editing style doesn’t change it, just emphasizes it some. It’s hard to say who influences me as their styles don’t show up in my work but I really enjoy Vuhlandes’s work of capturing a moment and Brae Hunziker’s work is also influential as well. They both do a good job capturing the moment on film and on video in a cinematic way, which grabs me as I do video full time.

Photos by Derek Livingston

What were your first impressions of the LomoChrome Metropolis and Redscale XR 50-200 films? Any features you’d like to highlight?

My first impression of Redscale was shocking in a way. The overcast of orange and yellows really can enhance a sub par composition. It really adds to the scene you’re capturing in a unique way. I can’t wait to try out another roll at 50 ISO. Metropolis surprised me as well. I shot the roll on an overcast cloudy day and it really captured it nicely. The dynamic range and spot on representation of the muted colors was awesome. Also, this film is super sharp and has very fine grain from my experience! I will be shooting more in the future that is for sure.

Do you like to plan your shots or be spontaneous? How did you go about taking these photos?

I am a spontaneous shooter for the most part. Trying out new films for the first time, I load it up and just go drive around and find a spot to explore. For Metropolis, I drove to my favorite area of my town and just went to some of my favorite houses to shoot. For the Redscale XR, I loaded it up and just carried my camera with me to various places I was going that week and took random photos to get an idea of it in various situations.

Photos by Derek Livingston

Can you share one of your favorites from this series? Why this one?

My favorite photo would be the mid-century chair at table with window light and the cabinet behind it. This photo I have tried capturing before with other film stocks and though I like it, I feel like it’s usually lacking.

Is there anything you hope to experiment with next?

Some films I have had my eyes on for a bit is the LomoChrome Turquoise, that film has some very unique photos coming from it that I have seen in videos! Also, with the longer days with light, I thought Babylon Kino would be a great film stock to try out, ISO 13?! That is very interesting!


Thank you Derek for sharing with us! Don't hesitate to follow him on Instagram and Youtube.

written by kaylalew on 2022-04-09 #gear #people #videos #redscale #lomography #experimental-film #lomochrome-metropolis #derek-livingston

Lomography Redscale XR 50-200 (120)

Bathe your photos in glowing shades of red, orange, yellow and even cool blue – experiment with the extended ISO range to render different results.

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