Your Lomo Journey Starts here, Mr Gnarlyleech

63
One of my first and most popular Lomographs taken with my Argus A2F.
November 2008 I got my first iPhone. One of the top picture apps at the time was “Camera Bag”. It allowed you to apply many filters to your pictures and included some lomo and holga type filters. This was my step one into the “lomo” look. Although digital Lomo pictures are frowned upon here and now I understand why, this is were my journey begins.
Credits: gnarlyleech
Flash forward 365 days. The Hipstamatic app comes out for the iPhone. I buy it and I am hooked to the hipsta “look” that I get from my pictures (Again this is highly frowned upon by many people here but this is my story). I learned that this hipstamatic “look” was stolen from a form of film photography. Although I grew up with film photography and polaroids, by the time I was old enough to buy my own camera, digital cameras were everywhere. Around the month of February 2010 I started to research holga’s and found out about the Lomo LC-A. I discovered the Lomography website and wanted to take part in this amazing community. I didn’t have a lot of money so I got the cheapest film camera I could get. I bought an Argus A2F on ebay for $10.
Credits: gnarlyleech
My first camera was the Argus A2F, then the Argus C3, my dad’s old Pentax ME super, diana mini, fisheye 2. Then I found a steal, a broken Lomo LC-A on ebay for $30. It took really good pictures at night, but on bright days the pictures were very underexposed due to the “sticking shutter syndrome”. I couldn’t afford an new LC-A+ at the time so I sold the LC-A and bought an Olympus XA2 for $15 on eBay. This XA2 was my main camera for a long time. It fits in a pocket easily so I took it everywhere. It is a great camera, but I longed for the vignette and tunnel vision that my late great LC-A gave me, so I devised a plan.
Credits: gnarlyleech
Articles! Articles! Articles!!! I wrote and translated as many articles as I could. I won the Harry Hairy third place competition and I talked Lomography guys into giving me piggies instead of the fisheye camera prize. It took a lot of hard work and many late nights but on November 19, 2010; (drum roll please……………. . . . . . .) I bought a Lomo LC-A+. YYYYYYYYAAAAAAAAYYYYY!!!!!
Credits: gnarlyleech
My first roll of film in the LC-A+ came out amazing. It was everything I dreamed it would be. Amazing pictures. I feel like I am really in the Lomography club now. Before I was just that dude who didn’t have an LC-A+.Now I am on the roster. I am not a bench warmer anymore, I am on the field, playing the game every inning. I’m in for the long haul. Hitting home runs.
Credits: gnarlyleech
Although my photographic journey began 2 years ago, I feel like my lomographic adventure has just begun. So with my Lomo LC-A+ in hand, I will continue down the road to my destination, where ever the path takes me………
Credits: gnarlyleech
Credits: gnarlyleech

Thanks for stopping by :D

written by gnarlyleech on 2010-12-01

63 Comments

  1. socialdeath
    socialdeath ·

    nice story! great beginning!
    congrats on your Lc-a! i had the XA2 before too!
    great photos!

  2. ipdegirl
    ipdegirl ·

    the XA2 is such a great little camera. cool article!

  3. antibiotyx
    antibiotyx ·

    wonderful! glad your hardwork paid off.

  4. mochilis
    mochilis ·

    Good story!!!!

  5. mightymouse
    mightymouse ·

    Man. I would have so bought that sick Lc-A from you

  6. vicuna
    vicuna ·

    Cool story!! :)

  7. erinwoodgatesphotography
    erinwoodgatesphotography ·

    its great to see someone work towards something and achieve it :) great editing with where you put the photos! Just remember its not what you have in your hands its what you have in your head and your heart :)

  8. javihacefotos
    javihacefotos ·

    VERY GOOD HISTORY!

  9. spoeker
    spoeker ·

    LC-A love :)
    and hey I'm still using hipstamatic and I'm also using my digital SLR for concert photography...
    I'm both - analogue and digital but the anologue side is way bigger ;)

  10. lomoteddy
    lomoteddy ·

    hahha awesome ! definitely not a bench warmer. :) !!

  11. hotdustyroads
    hotdustyroads ·

    huh

  12. idigtulsa
    idigtulsa ·

    That was quite a journey my friend... I'm glad you finally made it to where you are now, I wish you luck on getting where you will be later.

  13. beths
    beths ·

    Nice story! I understand how people don't like digital on here but in my opinion its more because of the perfectness of the shots- i love how the iphone camera apps make it look NOT digital.
    You are extremely lucky to have both an Iphone AND LCA... i'll keep on dreaming :P

  14. ministryofvanilla
    ministryofvanilla ·

    great and honest story =)
    i know digitally edited lomo pictures are frowned upon but a start is always a start
    plus, it's always the effect of the pictures and the colors that first captivated us, right
    i am so saluting you right now for having that amount of hard work and passion
    my story is only halfway compared to yours - the benchwarmer thing (because i have this syndrome called 'lazy' and 'complacent' =P)
    hope by reading this i can somehow inspired to push myself
    congratulations on finding a beginning in an end

  15. gnarlyleech
    gnarlyleech ·

    Thanks for all the nice comments everyone. Much appreciated

  16. wuxiong
    wuxiong ·

    Hi, this is a nice and honest true story and I ma so touched by your efforts to work so hard for your dream LC-a. Go further dude, and I wish you all the best and enjoy yourevery lomoday. By the way, I love your Photos a lot. <:))

  17. theys
    theys ·

    Very good history,bravo!

  18. plasticpopsicle
    plasticpopsicle ·

    Congratulations on your LC-A! I now feel like making huge efforts too to get some piggies for an LC-A!

  19. clickiemcpete
    clickiemcpete ·

    That was fun!

  20. angels_lomo
    angels_lomo ·

    nice story, awesome photos

  21. sarahboat
    sarahboat ·

    Have fun on your lomo path!

  22. warning
    warning ·

    :D

  23. fruchtzwerg_hh
    fruchtzwerg_hh ·

    Wonderful story. Looking forward to see more of your beautiful LC-A pics!

  24. isaacfl
    isaacfl ·

    and everything started with an i phone, an other great achievement for apple computers :D
    keep the story going

  25. trashpilotin
    trashpilotin ·

    have fun with your lc-a+, mine arrived yesterday so i understand your excitement :) btw: i really like the hipstamatic app but unfortunatly i can't afford an iphone :(

  26. wildirismeadow
    wildirismeadow ·

    really great article! makes me want an LC-A even more.

  27. eatcpcks
    eatcpcks ·

    your story is a great one... not so far from mine in some kind of way! that's cool:)

  28. lihooi
    lihooi ·

    the first picture is awesome!!!

  29. kevinlj182
    kevinlj182 ·

    Score Gnarly! Great story, I'm happy to see that you persevered over the adversity.

  30. jeabzz
    jeabzz ·

    yeah, you've got lot of great shot , nice story :D

  31. lupo
    lupo ·

    Happy end !! love it... and greatest shoots too :D Lom'on babe !!

  32. carleightea
    carleightea ·

    wowza. nice story. i'm still in my beginning stage so it's cool to see something like this happen.

  33. i_am_four-eyes
    i_am_four-eyes ·

    yeah! well-written article and story... nice shots ! Lomo On : )

  34. naqi
    naqi ·

    congrats on your lca+!! I hope I can get one too =)

  35. lo-fi-laydee
    lo-fi-laydee ·

    nice :D

  36. dyluzo
    dyluzo ·

    very nice !

  37. yochan
    yochan ·

    Great story

  38. stouf
    stouf ·

    Good job mate !

  39. gebunnag
    gebunnag ·

    Very nice story !!

  40. kneehigh85
    kneehigh85 ·

    This has made me want an LC-A even more now!

  41. atreyuthechild
    atreyuthechild ·

    cheers for rubbing it in that I don't have an LCA.... but I do love my Diana so all is forgiven ;)
    that first photo is awesome too so I don't know why you felt excluded before.

  42. jimmyhido
    jimmyhido ·

    wa~wa~

  43. coca
    coca ·

    LC-A is the best!!!! nice article and great pictures :)

  44. born-to-ruin
    born-to-ruin ·

    Nice story dude!

  45. phaliyp
    phaliyp ·

    love your blog!!! ^^

  46. nicebim
    nicebim ·

    nice one bro!

  47. natalieerachel
    natalieerachel ·

    Nuts; I loved your story!

    You make me want the LC-A+ even more now :((((

  48. lakandula
    lakandula ·

    Looking forward to more and more beautiful lomographs! Keep the lomo passion burning!

  49. homer
    homer ·

    I'm like you, seeking that day when I can get an LC-A.Good Story.

  50. gelagoo
    gelagoo ·

    Nice one! I do have a story to tell as well! www.lomography.com/homes/gelagoo/blog/991-lomography-as-a-p…

    Thanks for dropping by earlier and letting me know about your story.

  51. neurodiaz
    neurodiaz ·

    Great story bro, :D. Lovely shots.

  52. cptsalek
    cptsalek ·

    Great pics, great story! :)

  53. dhuffone
    dhuffone ·

    Cool story! Now... can I borrow your LC-A? :-)

  54. antea
    antea ·

    Ohhhh!!! The lomo and holga type filters are awesome!!
    Very nice story and very beautiful photos!! congratulations! ^_^

  55. antea
    antea ·

    Ohhhh!!! The lomo and holga type filters are awesome!!
    Very nice story and very beautiful photos!! congratulations! ^_^

  56. antea
    antea ·

    Ohhhh!!! The lomo and holga type filters are awesome!!
    Very nice story and very beautiful photos!! congratulations! ^_^

  57. antea
    antea ·

    Sorry! I have a trouble with my comments :(

  58. holydarkyfied
    holydarkyfied ·

    Nice article :)

  59. mrmonsta
    mrmonsta ·

    Good article and a nice story!

  60. freezedudul
    freezedudul ·

    awesome story!! :D

  61. freckleface
    freckleface ·

    Good on ya ;) love your pics too

  62. yuan15
    yuan15 ·

    good photographs! I like it

  63. bonetpunya
    bonetpunya ·

    u r great!!