Singapore Street Photography With Husband and Wife Duo Damian and Sandra, and the Lomo'Instant Automat Opbeni

A beautiful relationship goal is we travel together on the same creative journey. Singapore husband-and-wife duo Damian with Sandra have for a long time shared the same interest to towards analogue photography, and they have been active in the community since 2015. This time, they showed us the beauty of their hometown through the Lomo'Instant Automat Opbeni.

Hello Damian & Sandra, it’s nice to have you here in the Lomography Magazine! Please introduce yourself to the Lomography Community!

Hello! We’re a husband-and-wife duo based in Singapore and we have been active in the analogue photography space since 2015! In fact, we were also featured by Lomography in 2017, using the Lomo’Instant Wide. We have been using Lomography cameras for a long time, in particular since the Lomo’Instant camera was released in 2014.

Share with us your photographic background. What is your story? How did you get into analogue photography?

We both grew up being exposed to analogue cameras but quickly transitioned into the 2000s where digital cameras became increasingly popular. Growing up, Damian had fond memories shooting 35 mm on a simple point-and-shoot camera, and those photos he shot are still with him to this day. For Sandra, she owned a Polaroid iZone camera which she used to capture snippets of her adolescent years and this is a camera she still treasures!

In 2015 we decided to expand our interest in photography and started trying out different instant cameras. Naturally we first delved into Lomography, with the Lomo’Instant camera, followed by the Lomo’Instant Wide and the Lomo’Instant Square Glass. We found the experience of shooting instant film a breath of fresh air, compared to using our phones and digital cameras. At the same time, we dabbled into Polaroid cameras and film (made by Impossible Project then), and our fascination with these older but beautifully made cameras only grew.

We also decided to share our photos online through Instagram and our own website, in the hopes of meeting other like-minded photographers.

How did you like shooting with the Lomo'Instant Automat Opbeni ?

We definitely enjoyed our experience with the Lomo’Instant Automat Opbeni! It has a small and compact design, which means it’s easy to bring around. It also has a straightforward shooting approach, given it has automatic exposure mode and three simple focusing distances. This allows us to focus on composing our shots and finding interesting images to capture.

However, what we like the most about the camera are the accessories! We have the option of shooting using a splitzer, wide angle lens, close-up lens, fisheye lens, and this allows us to broaden our creative output!

What's it like to take an instant camera around with you during your daily life?

We enjoy bringing our analogue cameras around, because you never know what you might encounter on a daily basis! Having the opportunity to shoot film also allows us to break free from the monotony of daily living.

Any tips for people using the Lomo'Instant Automat for the first time?

Don’t be afraid to try out new and funky things! We always take heart from learning through shooting and seeing what we shot, even when the whole image turns out blank. Sooner or later, it will feel like second nature to shoot photos with the Lomo’Instant Automat.

What do you think about the results? Do you have a favorite photo taken with this camera?

We love the results! We recently published a short video on Instagram, featuring some of our favourite shots taken on the Lomo’Instant Automat Opbeni with the different modes and accessories.

Our favourite shot is a double exposure:

This comprises of two shots: the first is a shot of the famous Duxton building in Singapore through the fisheye lens, and the second shot is a darkened image of the surrounding greenery. Because of the fisheye effect, the surrounding frame is black, which allows the second image to be fully exposed around the frame (except for the fisheye image). Consequently, we can better predict how the shot will look like when shooting under those settings!

What’s coming up on the horizon for you? What’s in the works and what’s on your mind?

Photography has always been our hobby, so we are just going to continue what we both love to do. Of course, we are always open to trying out the latest analogue cameras and film.

Any messages to Singapore Lomographers out there?

Singapore has a lot of hidden gems which we are still discovering day by day, and every shot tells a tale of life in Singapore. Go forth and shoot film! Also feel free to reach out to us on Instagram, the community is a lot bigger than you think!

We would like to thank Damian and Sandra for sharing their adventure with us! Get to know more about them by following them on Instagram.

written by kayleywu on 2024-07-04 #gear #culture #news #singapore #instant-photography #special-edition #lomo-instant-automat #opbeni-edition