Lia Candelario's First Time Trying Our LomoChrome Color '92 ISO 400 Film

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We invited Lia Candelario, a Filipina freelance photographer and graphic designer, to share her analogue photography journey and passion for experimentation. She explores various styles and techniques in her work, incorporating digital art and mixed media. Recently, Lia used the LomoChrome Color '92 35 mm ISO 400 for the first time, enjoying its tones and flexibility in unpredictable weather. Check out her photos below!

© Lia Candelario | LomoChrome Color ’92 35 mm ISO 400

Hi Lia! Welcome to Lomography Magazine! Can you introduce yourself and tell us what you do?

My name is Lia Candelario, and I’m a social media manager / virtual assistant. I’m also a freelance photographer and graphic designer!

Can you tell us how you started your analogue journey?

Back in 2006, I found my dad’s old Canon SLR camera. I started shooting film then, and stopped for a few years. I then found an online shop that sells the Lomography Simple Use Camera and bought one immediately (this was in 2018). Since then, I explored other cameras and invested in long-term SLRs. Today, I am shooting with five film cameras in my arsenal!

What are you working on at the moment?

I have two passion projects I’m working on. The first one is The Sonder Project, where I photograph strangers in the streets and ask about their favorite advice that they received. I share their stories online for people to read. The second one is a short film about hands! It’s actually a mixed media short film, and I’ve also started collecting submissions of clips of people’s hands doing everyday things. It’s a work in progress!

How would you describe your style of photography?

I can’t say that I have a specific style since I’m still exploring different ways to share how I see things, but I’m leaning more towards portraiture these days. I also still incorporate my digital art and poetry/prose into my photography which has been going on since early 2019. I’ve also started learning more about mixed media photography (printing my photographs out and creating collages with them). I can’t stick to one photography style, I really enjoy testing out everything I can!

What kind of gear do you mostly use?

I would say my go-to cameras would be the Pentax Spotmatic, the LomoApparat, and the Olympus Mju II. I particularly enjoy using point-and-shoot cameras for spontaneous trips and experimental shooting, and I mostly just use the Pentax for more “professional” or “calculated” shoot sessions.

Could you tell us about this shoot? Where and what did you decide to photograph?

I did a lot of research about the color outcome that the Lomochrome Color ‘92 produces, and I got the impression of a muted, deep look. I immediately thought of doing an at-home outdoor shoot with my sister! I enjoyed the setting up of our makeshift studio. We decided on a “dreamy” vibe, and just winged it! One thing I remember vividly during the shoot was the sunlight - it had been raining for days in my area and I was worried that it would rain during our shoot, but the sun came through! It was a perfect day for portraits.

What features did you like most about our LomoChrome Color ‘92 film?

I loved the tones and the depth of the colors once I got my scans! The deep greens and the bright reds made the photographs very moody. I also loved the brown tones as well, since I also took pictures of my cat at home. The thing I love most about the LomoChrome Color ‘92 is the overall flexibility of the film in unpredictable weather. Since we shot outdoors with some clouds covering the sunlight, I thought that some of the photos would be underexposed, but they turned out perfectly lit regardless!

What is your favorite photo from this series and why?

I actually have two favorite photos! One of my sister, and one of the birds flying over my house.

The photo of my sister was one that was unplanned for the shoot. I was lying down and impulsively asked her to come over so I could take the shot. The light was perfect – the trees’ shadows fell on her cheek and the background highlighted the green tones that the film stock rendered so beautifully.

As for the photo of the birds, during this time of the year (October to December), there is always a flock of birds that circles my part of town. I never really got to take a decent photo of them considering I have lived in this area for about three years now! The blues looked so soft, almost dream-like. It’s also currently my desktop wallpaper!

Anything you’d like to share with the Lomography community?

It’s time to purchase the LomoChrome Color ‘92! It’s currently my favorite film stock. It’s perfect for portrait and landscape photography! Aside from that, keep shooting and keep experimenting! Remember that film photography is a hobby that never gets easier the more you learn about it, and that’s the best part. We always keep learning! Cheers!