Sa ikalawa, Pwede na

Pagkatapos ng mahabang pahinga, 

heto't nagbabalik na naman siya - 

si Serena at ang mga litrato niya.

Tila ganito na ata talaga, 

Bawat kuha'y kakaiba,

tingin niyo? Ayos naman hindi ba?

Pero dito iyong makikita,

Natural na ganda niya,

Na tila hindi magagawa ng iba.

May pula, may dilaw,

may kulubot, may bughaw,

iba-iba bawat pindot sa kamera.

Maaring ang iba'y hindi makita,

maaring may kung anumang abala,

Pero kung iyo'ng titigan,

Tila dadalhin ka sa karimlan.

Sana'y inyong nagustuhan,

Hanggang dito na lamang.

Ikalawang Rolyo

Photo by Jon Galvez

Photo by Jon Galvez

Photo by Cyprus Malinao

Photo by Cyprus Malinao

One reason why we take photos is to capture each moment perfectly - the smiles, the hugs, and the tears. 

But I wonder why one engage with lomography? Artistic expression? Vintage feel?

I consider myself a fan of lomography. The texture is really genuine and untainted. It doesn't have glamour with it, but it gives an emotion that no other type of photography can give.

Another reason might be it's vintage feel. I am a fan of the classics, and lomography, through photos, give me that satisfaction.

I remember a friend saying that there's Adobe Photoshop, but I am not really into editing. Moreso, not really into digital manipulation. Film, really, is still my first choice - though I would love to have a DSLR.

Maybe, just maybe, it's the element of surprise that attracts me to do lomography. 

Unang Rolyo

We all have our taste of many firsts. 

It may be the first time you ate a frog. The first time you rode a bike. The first time you went to school, or the first time you... Maybe I should stop there, I might go vulgar with the next.

I vividly remember the first time I rode an airplane. Young as I were, I went berserk the moment we stepped to the boarding gate. I cried out loud. Literally. I went out of control, and guess what made me stop? Disneyland.

Here I am again with my first time experience - my first roll of film using our Holga, Serena as what my partner and I call it. 

It was slightly different when I took my photography class back in college. Since it was my first set of lomography photos, I was like a father waiting outside the delivery room for my first born child. 

And when it was handed to me?

I was delightfully ecstatic when I saw the photos. It was as if I won a bet out of Manny Pacquiao-Oscar dela Hoya match. I was so high I felt I took more than just a party drug; I was lomographically high, so to speak.

On the other hand, there was a trifling disappointment in me when I saw the photos. Maybe I expected the photos I had using the SLR or DSLR - those seamless, almost perfect photos I had.

And that's what I learned with lomography. Expect an out-of-this-world, crazy but stunningly beautiful photos using a lomo camera. A superbly distinctive photo than any other.

I was also really surprised with the panoramic effect of the photo. It was out of my control, honestly. It made me wonder if I did the instructions correctly and when I reviewed, I did. I wonder what went correctly wrong.

Let's just say that I was struck with my first set of photos.

I did.

I hope you also did.

Holga equals Serena

I'm a big fan of photography - may it be digital or film.

Growing up in a digital world would sometimes dictate you to join the bandwagon. One click and you get the photo you always dream of.

But it's a whole lot different when it comes to film photography. You exert too much effort on setting your camera in accordance to what you want. 

Being a self-declared photographer, I prefer film over digital photography. 

I love the intense feeling whenever I trigger the shutter to open using my SLR. I love the long wait for your film to develop and as I take hold of it, it's ecstatic. 

I may sound vintage but I find self-fulfillment out my craft when I use film.

Period.

* * *

After a few months of wanting to own one, I now have my very own Holga. World, meet my Serena - my partner's anniversary gift for me. 

From this day on, watch out for our (my partner and I) photos using Serena.

Serena, by the way, is a Holga Multicolor 120 CFN lomo camera. It seems to be a toy camera. But never underestimate my Serena, it captures the "world through a plastic lens."

I can't hardly wait.