La Sardina - OFFICIAL LOMOGRAPHY PRESS RELEASE

La Sardina
The Fresh and Unique 35mm Fish Can Super-wide-angle Camera

Fishy Fantasy - Straight from the La Sardina fish market, Lomography brings you four stylish cameras that will take analogue lovers' hearts by storm. Meet El Capitán, Fischer's Fritze, Sea Pride and Marathon, the first four colorful clones (with a 1000 more to come) of the brand-new La Sardina camera. La Sardina is a point and shoot camera, using 35mm film and equipped with a plastic wide-angle lens that enables pros and beginners to shoot beautiful Lomographs easily. No need for long explanations at your local lab, the processing is really easy due to the regular format of the shots. As different as these four models may be, they all have one thing in common - a crazy wide-angle plastic lens and the best lens ring of all time.

El Capitán and Fisher's Fritze are also equipped with Fritz the Blitz, Lomography's newest and most powerful flash. Not only is this stunning flash the most powerful Lomographic flash ever, it also comes complete with 3 unique distance settings that allow you to set the power of the flash - giving you maximum creative control. This flash is also packaged with yellow, red and blue filters that will drench even the darkest pirate adventure in colorful light.

While its designs are flashy and stylish, the technical features of La Sardina are humbly reduced to the basics to enable even the greenest of greenhorns to make a first step into Lomography. Say hello to your new favourite camera!

Get it now! shop.lomography.com/cameras/la-sardina-cameras Read more about the La Sardina Camera! microsites.lomography.com/la-sardina
See the galleries! microsites.lomography.com/la-sardina/galleries



Technical Details
Film Type: Standard 135 roll film
Exposure area: 36 x 24mm
Lens focal length: 22 mm
Aperture: 1:8
Angle of view: 88 degrees
Focusing range: 0.6m - infinity
Shutter speed: N (1/100), B (bulb)
Multiple exposure: Independent MX switch
Flash contact: Unique Fritz the Blitz flash contact
Flash Sync: first curtain X-type synchronization
Flash Battery: 1xCR123A
Tripod socket thread: Standard 1/4" tripod socket
Cable release: Universal cable release socket
Retail price: El Cápitan, Fischer's Fritze with Fritz the Blitz Flash: EUR 89 / USD 99
Sea Pride, Marathon: EUR 49 / USD 59




WHAT THE HELL IS LOMOGRAPHY?

http://www.lomography.com/about
The Lomographic Society International is a globally active organization dedicated to experimental and creative snapshot photography. Boasting over a half-million members across the world, the concept of Lomography encompasses an interactive, vivid, blurred and crazy way of life. Through our constantly expanding selection of innovative cameras & photographic accessories, we promote analogue photography as a creative approach to communicate, absorb, and capture the world. Through the efforts and skill of our Lomographic Society members, we seek to document the incredible planet around us in a never-ending stream of snapshots - literally a global "Lomographic" portrait as seen through the eyes of countless individuals and cultures. The Future is Analogue!

10 Golden Rules of Lomography

For those who are just new to Lomography, one of the most popular searches made concerns with guidelines or tips on how to take lomographic pictures. Just as traditional photography have basic rules on composition, so does lomography. Although the term “rules” seem to be antithesis to what Lomography is all about, there are 10 Golden Rules that actually exist. You may use them as initial guidelines if you do not know where to start. Eventually, you are expected to make rules of your own; so that, you can have an identity as a lomographer or photographer. Here goes…

1. Take your Lomo everywhere you go. This is a very useful tip. Many times in the past, situations have presented themselves to me; a beautiful subject, a single spectacular moment in time, etc. Unfortunately, on some of these occasions, I am without a camera. If you ever had such an experience, I believe you know the feeling. Regardless of where you are going, however boring your errand is, always carry your camera. Even if you will simply walk around the corner to buy something. No two moments are ever the same, and interesting subjects are never too remote. So, don’t be lazy, put that lomo camera on your pocket, or sling it on your shoulder, and be ready for that one great moment. One more thing, an extra roll of film is also not a bad idea at all.

2. Use it anytime - day and night. Because photography is essentially painting with light, some people are very particular with the quantity of available light. This should not be a concern for lomographers. Your primary loyalty should be to the moment. When the moment comes, with no particular consideration for time of day, click that shutter. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain. However, there are certain limitations to this rule, depending on the camera you are using. A handful of lomo or toy cameras, those with fixed aperture and fixed shutter speed, and similarly does not have flash, are completely useless at night. That’s just their specifications; they are for day time photography only. Unless you find a way to modify that camera to be used with a flash, reserve them for moments under a brightly shining sun.

3. Lomography is not an interference with your life but a part of it. If you feel uncomfortable about what you are doing, or if you feel that you are burdened by the act of carrying a camera and taking photographs, there is something wrong. It could be that, it is simply not your cup of tea, or you are pressuring yourself with unnecessary expectations. Relax! There is nothing at stake here; you are supposed to have fun. Enjoy it as much as you a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice!

4. Get as close as possible to the objects of you lomographic desire. Or, as close as your camera could possibly allow you. Unless you are taking photographs of landscape or clouds, try to get close to your subject. Fill that frame up! It is difficult to appreciate photos that do not seem to have a story to tell. Also, lomographic techniques that result to saturated colors and high contrast complement well with well defined shapes.

5. Don't think, just shoot. Among all the rules of lomography, this is probably one of the most frequently quoted. It is a slogan for many lomographers. It is the ultimate expression of the carefree and punk rock nature of lomography. Too much thinking makes your photos more predictable, hence less surprising. It defeats one of the major joys of lomography, that is, stumbling upon happy accidents. Spontaneity is the key, not composition; let your instincts take care of that. Humans by nature are hardwired to appreciate beauty, order and symmetry, so it should come natural for us to compose an image without being conscious about it. Besides, lomograpic cameras are not necessarily SLR cameras, so there really is no point in relying much on your view finder, in fact there are some cameras that do not have one. And, if you are still thinking if you should take a photograph of a subject or not, that simply means you should!

6. Be fast. For me, this is one of the most challenging rules. Timing means a lot to photography in general. Great pictures are those that immortalizes a single great moment in time; like Pacquiao’s gloves pressing against and denting Cottos cheeks. The impossible question is, when will that time come? More often than not, timing is a game of chance; hence, if you cannot predict it, don’t wait for it! In a matter of seconds, one special moment would gone by, never to return again. Do not wait for the right moment, because the perfect moment is here and now. Once you feel it, shoot it! Again, refrain from too much cognitive processes.

7. You don't have to know beforehand what is on your film;
8. Nor afterwards. After the shutter clicks, move on. Do not linger on the previous subject or imagine how the image might come out. You can’t do no wrong in lomography, so relax! It is done! Your next subject awaits you. Commit to the moment!

9. Shoot from the hip, behind your back, from the ground, and what not. The camera should not always be in front of your face. Everybody’s looking for a new perspective, those which the eye does not often see; so let your hands take your camera to unchartered territories and impossible angels. Surprise yourself, as though these pictures were taken by your alternate personality. Go psycho over lomo!

10. Don't worry about the golden rules. Break it and shake it! Welcome to photographers’ anarchy!

Buying Your First Camera

Although it may seem not critical, the choice of camera to purchase is one of the first decisions one has to make if he or she is to pursue lomography; an important one at that. As many of you know, there are a lot of cameras available in the market; toy cameras, vintage cameras, Russian cameras, lomographic camera,s among others. Different cameras have different characteristics; in their built, features, affordability, and in the quality of the images they produce. Individuals are different themselves. Your spending capacity, preferences, and priorities, are things to consider in making that first purchase. I say first, because if you stay long enough, you are likely to make your second, third, and so on. As of now, I have gone as far as my fourteenth buy; but that is just few, compared to how much others are willing to spend in collecting cameras.

Below are some questions you have to ask yourself before buying. If you cannot understand some of the terms, please feel free to Google them.

How much am I willing to spend?
Do I want to use 120 or 135 film?
What type of image quality do I like?
Do I like more flexibility in setting the ISO, shutter speed, and aperture?
Without flash? With flash? With color splash?

These are just few; you may have other considerations. Chances are you will have conflicting preferences; you like one camera’s affordability, but also like the other camera’s flexibility, and yet like the other camera’s film size. The final decision will depend on what you prioritize most. Of course, if you have the money, you can simply buy five at a time. But for me, such is ill advised. It is better to buy one, and warm up to it; enjoy it. When you are ready to try something new, that’s the time you buy your next camera.

My first camera was a Holga120N; Amanda, as I have personified her. There are many things that drew me to this camera; the square frame, the vignette, the vintage-like appearance of the images, its flexibility in term of the modifications you can do with it, and its affordability. I spent a lot time learning about this camera before I bought it. It really is very important that you research before buying. Do not make the mistake of relying only on the photos on the internet, as a gauge to what you are looking for. There is more to the camera than just the quality of the pictures they yield.

Again, be intelligent in choosing your first camera. This is a make or break situation for you. A good camera choice can enhance your passion or interest in photography; but a poor one may just as easily bore you, and put out that fire in your heart!