Shooting Film is like Time Traveling! – Hong Kong Photographer Cato With the LomoApparat

For Hong Kong Film Lover Cato, shooting a roll of film is fleeting and exciting. Pressing the shutter seems to ingrain the image at that moment in his mind. Looking at the photos later feels to him like time traveling, bringing his thoughts back to the moment of taking the pictures.

Shooting film is not only a hobby but also a slow lifestyle, which allows Cato to learn to appreciate the ordinary and precious moments around him. This time he tried our new LomoApparat 21 mm Wide Angle Lens and 2021 LomoChrome Metropolis 35 mm ISO 100–400. Let's have a look at some of his photos and hear his thoughts in this interview!

Hello Cato, welcome to Lomography Magazine! Please tell us a bit about yourself.

Hello everyone, I'm Cato from Hong Kong. I am just an ordinary person who likes to record my life with film cameras and explore creative analogue photography occasionally.

How did you get into film photography?

I started my analogue journey ten years ago. At the time I received a film SLR camera by chance, but I stopped taking film photos for a while due to the rise of smart phones. But I'm back on it now because I encountered a new film camera at the beginning of last year. In addition, my previous summer job was working and developing films in a dark room!

What were your first impressions upon receiving the camera?

Lomography cameras always have their own unique funky style, and the LomoApparat 21 mm Wide-angle Lens is the same! In addition to its pocket size, there’s no need to overthink things and ponder over the camera’s settings. It represents the spirit of "Don't think just shoot" and allows you to enjoy the true fun of film photography. Plus, this camera is also equipped with a bulb mode for long exposure and double exposure (both are my favorite features) which can achieve good results without a tripod. It's really a creative and convenient film camera.

What's the feature you liked most?

The multiple exposure and long exposure functions for sure! The photos shot with the LomoApparat 21 mm Wide-angle Lens often surprise me! The various functions of the LomoApparat can meet my different photography needs. And the kaleidoscope lens is very fun!

How do you find inspiration for your photo shoots?

Generally speaking, photos tell stories. I am greedy and want to express more stories. I often express my imagination to create interesting compositions by shooting surrounding things. To a certain extent, it is necessary to use double exposure to express more artistic conceptions. In order to create an alternate perception of reality, we need to understand the principle of double exposure first. And then we will know how to observe the dark parts in the current view and create something truly unique from the two images. So I like to walk around and take pictures of what I see. I just go with the flow, it’s so hard to stay at home and suddenly get inspired.

You also used our LomoChrome Metropolis film. What are your thoughts on this film?

Uniqueness. LomoChrome Metropolis has high contrast and low saturation. By using LomoChrome Metropolis, the images contain an iconic and recognizable color tone. Used at night, Metropolis shows another different atmosphere.

What style of photography do you think LomoChrome Metropolis film is most suitable for?

Metropolis is suitable for taking portraits, double exposure, and long exposure at night. LomoChrome Metropolis desaturates the colors of the subject and it produces a very mysterious tone. This film fully presents the sense of indifference in Hong Kong under the rapid changes in recent years.

In the digital era, you shoot mainly on film. Why this choice?

For me, film photography is like driving an antique car for a ride, to feel and slow life down.

If you understand the whole process of developing film, you will find that film is an incredible and romantic thing that cannot be described in words. Each film photo is truly "one and only." The limited number of shots on film allows us to learn how to "take" and how to "let go" when we press the shutter.

Using film to record my daily life, the memories of that day seem to be particularly unforgettable. When I look at the film photos again, it feels like time traveling, which brings me a feeling that digital photography cannot give me.

Do you have any tips to share with those who will be using the LomoApparat for the first time?

Just enjoy shooting film!

To be honest, I am just a beginner learning analogue photography. But I will ask myself What? Why? How? What do I want to shoot? Why do you want to shoot like this? How can I get it?

If you really like film photography, I suggest you to understand the relationship between ISO/aperture/shutter speed, commonly known as the exposure triangle. It will be more effective when learning to shoot films.

Since the LomoApparat is a 21 mm wide-angle lens, be careful not to cover the lens with your fingers when holding the camera. And don't forget that the flash contains interchangeable colored filters for colorful flash effects!

Thank you Cato for sharing your photography! Please follow his Instagram for more of his work.

written by daioiyiu on 2023-01-31 #gear #people #places #wide-angle #interview #hong-kong #first-impressions #lomochrome-metropolis #lomoapparat