Dear Young Shutterbugs, Never Argue with the Results! - A Letter from @stereograph

Lomographer and Going Lo-Fi 2022 Challenge mastermind @stereograph (a.k.a. Yörn) is definitely one of the movers of the Lomography community. He demonstrates photography as a vehicle for creative freedom through his distinct Sprocket Rocket images and overall versatility.

He's in for the thrill of experimentation and of course, the ever-unexpected results! One of his pieces of advice to new film photographers, of accepting each outcome as they are, rings true more than 5,000 photos later.

For the third article in the Dear Young Shutterbugs series, we got to know more about Yörn's lo-fi photography, and why capturing moments without fear and expectations is part of the bigger process of finding yourself in your craft. Let's get into his letter!

Hi, I’m @stereograph also known as Yörn to some. I’m a Lo-Fi Photographer.

I got my first camera from my dad when I was nine years old, a 126er Baby Rollei Clone, which I still own and use. Since then I have shot many, many cameras and rolls of film, but I got into all the lab stuff such as development and print only five years ago.

I joined the Lomography community in 2014 on the edge between my analogue 3D and 2D shooting while reviving my old Diana & Holga Cameras, and more than 5,000 pictures later I'm still here.

I don't measure my photos based on “best” or “worst”. When I shoot with some kind of expectation I’ll get bad photos, but without expectations I’ll get unpredictable, surprising stuff. That is an important part of my work.

My most memorable photo, I can answer precisely, is this one:

It’s a pinhole shot which tells a story about five people smoking five Montecristo Habanos in a bar. When I see the photo I still can dive in and feel and smell the atmosphere; it's like watching a James Benning Movie, only one frame and it tells the whole story.

I guess my personal photography style comes out best when I shoot with cameras like Holga, Diana and my favorite, the Sprocket Rocket. No measuring, just frame and shoot! It's creative freedom and not the construction of a picture.

Dear young shutterbugs, be as versatile as you can. Try anything, any camera, any film you can find, never argue with the results. Every photo is a photo and part of your bigger, personal picture!

Try to understand aperture and speed, and then forget it. Stay whimsical!

Go full circle one day, try developing and printing, no fear! And fill in the damn metas, it's important!

Oh, and join my 2022 Lo-Fi Challenge!

Thank you for sharing the wisdom behind your style, @stereograph!

Through this series, we hope to inspire a new generation of film photographers to dip their toes into the craft and learn from the adventures and advice of some of our long-standing community members. You may also view klawe and jess_spd_'s letters through the link provided.

Want to write your own letter? Connect with aj.bajo@lomography.com with the subject Dear Young Shutterbugs!

written by sylvann on 2022-08-07 #culture #people #dear-young-shutterbugs #lo-fi #holga #diana #beginners #stereograph #lomography-community #baby-rolleiflex #dear-young-shutterbugs