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Technique<br />
soaked by incoming waves that caught me<br />
unawares, and they have survived.<br />
Also, not being overly concerned about technical<br />
perfection – accepting flare, vignetting, soft edges<br />
to images, inaccurate exposures, guesswork<br />
focusing – and working within the limitations<br />
imposed by low-tech gear, can actually stimulate<br />
the creative juices. Learning to accept a lack of<br />
control, and going with the flow, relaxing and<br />
recognising that the unknown and the unexpected<br />
are all part of the fun, can be incredibly liberating.<br />
I’ve found that simple equipment like this<br />
encourages me to pay greater attention to the<br />
image and its inherent qualities, rather than being<br />
distracted by the thing being used to capture it.<br />
Match the subject and technique<br />
There are no set rules about what to photograph.<br />
In the spirit of flexibility and impulsiveness, try<br />
everything; the key is to match technique and<br />
subject. For example, in black & white pinhole<br />
photography I’ve found that simple, minimalist<br />
images work best, while in colour I look for subjects<br />
emphasising bold, graphic shapes. It’s obvious that<br />
images dependent on texture and fine detail are best<br />
not shot with a plastic optic or pinhole camera. Trial<br />
and error are the name of the game.<br />
Low-tech photography may appear to be all a bit<br />
of fun, and it certainly is. This alone would justify<br />
giving it a go, but it can also offer a relatively cheap<br />
way to get us out of the creative rut we all find<br />
ourselves in from time to time. Lo-fi photography<br />
can be just what the doctor ordered to get those<br />
creative juices flowing again. You never know, it<br />
might lead to a whole new direction for your<br />
photography. As I know only too well, once the<br />
low-tech bug bites, there’s no going back.<br />
Suppliers<br />
Trial and error<br />
are the name<br />
of the game<br />
● Maker of some wonderful pinhole cameras:<br />
www.zeroimage.com<br />
● Pinhole cameras, adapters and accessories:<br />
www.pinholesolutions.co.uk<br />
● Holgas and other great lo-fi gear:<br />
www.holgamods.com<br />
● An Aladdin’s cave of lo-fi equipment:<br />
shop.holgadirect.com<br />
● Classic cameras (including the Holga, Diana, Lubitel<br />
TLR and the Lomo), fi lms, bags, books, magazines – in<br />
fact, everything for the lo-tech photographer:<br />
www.lomography.com<br />
● A source of fi lm for Polaroid instant cameras, as well<br />
as refurbished cameras and accessories:<br />
uk.impossible-project.com<br />
There are no<br />
hard-and-fast rules<br />
about what to photograph<br />
14 14 May 2016 I www.amateurphotographer.co.uk I subscribe 0330 333 1113
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