The C.A.S blog of Adam Hanif

Out of all the CAS activities I did during my IB years, the Lomography promotion & exhibition, with its cooperation with ‘Body Shop’ ensuring the awareness of domestic-violence, is the only activity that I experienced alone and outside of school. In this activity, I experienced a new way of approaching photography, made new friends and connections with other photographers in Brunei and led me to become a founding member of the Lomography society in the country.

There is no definition to Lomography; it can be defined and interpreted many ways. For some people, it is a certain style of photography; some people take it as an expression of a Art form. But whatever people think of it, the foundation of using it is the same: it is the aesthetic of using old-fashioned, toy or plastic cameras to produced 120mm or 35mm film rolls. For me, Lomography is more an expression; as an artist, I use Lomography as a way of expressing the freedom of photography; because of its use of film rolls, it becomes limited when it comes to taking photographs. But the irony is that Lomography encourages the user to ‘waste’ and express as much photographs as possible. Unlike Lomography, digital photography is more instantaneous where the photographs can be viewed on the scene and exploited or discarded completely; Lomography breaks down that habit as its photographs are exposed onto film rolls making it more appreciated and gratified as it can never be lost (unless you loose the film).

When I did the exhibition, I was very new to the style or approach. Alin, the person who was in charge of the whole event, was the mastermind by planning the cooperation of this new group to tie up with the awareness. Initially, the group was just a blogsite where Bruneians all around the world share their Lomographic photographs, but after the event and the recruitment of new members, it became a known society.

It was hosted at the ‘Body Shop’ at the Mall in Gadong. It was hosted from a Friday afternoon till late Sunday night where we had to be punctual on different types (given that we had shifts). Because the group itself was new, the plan was devised as such: we were given two different wooden, triangular-trapezium shaped pillars that is 2 feet in width to fit the photographs that we wanted to display. With the members of the society, including myself, we brought our Lomography cameras where we took millions upon millions of photograph of the people who either donated for the cause or bought Body Shop products which will be contributed to the awareness of domestic-violence. But by each film roll we use up, we would send it to the basement of the Mall where we organised a photo-lab to print out the photographs onto 4 by 6 inches print to be stuck on each side of the pillar. This then became what we call the Lomography Wall. It was the compilation of the photographs that we took during the days itself where people can review the photographs we took of them.

The beauty of Lomography is not coming from one photograph, but tons! You see, the photographs are not always just plain photograph as taken naturally… but with added unique aesthetics like vignettes, different colour outcome, coloured flash, fish-eye or wide angled lenses, movement, light painting and more! And it is when these photographs are put together, it becomes a unified urban art that everyone can relate to and find it attractive.

As the days go by quickly, as it is always when you have a good time, on the average photographer (or Lonmographer) used at least 6 to 8 rolls with each roll having 36 photographs each roll. I think I was estimated to used up 6 rolls as I was at first reluctant to use my rolls up on the first day, but leant that the number of rolls is not the issue. In fact, nothing was an issue.

In total, we raised more the $800 and had visits from what seem the whole country came to witnessed us. The promotion worked so successfully that the society managed to recruit and influenced new members to join the community. The event was publicised on both the local TV news and the newspapers for our cause and to witness the works of Lomography.

I hate to be a stuck up, but Lomography is currently the trend for most photographers and youngsters across the nation; all because we introduced it.

For more information and update of the society in Brunei, head down to our website; www.lomobru.blogspot.com