Community Spotlight: Matthew Poburyny (@matthewpoburyny) and Richard Hall (@richardhall)

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Being one of the largest analogue photography communities on the web, we are proud of the creativity and diversity of our members. For this month's Community Spotlight, we are pleased to introduce to you Lomographers Matthew Poburyny (@matthewpoburyny) and Richard Hall (@richardhall) and their unique way of seeing the world.

Credits: matthewpoburyny & richardhall

Name: Matthew Poburyny
LomoHome: @matthewpoburyny
Location: Montreal, Quebec

Hi, Matthew! What do you do and what got you started with photography?

Hey there! I am a manual laborer and I got my start in photography this summer. After spending almost a decade in the music industry a new creative outlet was badly needed. A spontaneous invite to a film photography workshop coupled with an equally impromptu purchase of a Pentax P3N that day awoke a dormant passion in me.

How did you discover Lomography and what made you join our analogue Community? Who are your favorite photographers here?

My discovery of Lomography came from googling different types of films on my quest to find the right products to help me create the atmospheres I wanted in my images. It was only recently that I joined the Lomo-community after using it as a search engine to find sample images from different point & shoot cameras I was purchasing. From there it became a place to enjoy the beauty of photography in what is (to me) its purest form, raw images free to be as they are for the world to see. Due to my juvenile state amongst my fellow Lomo people, I haven’t had the chance to discover even a fraction of its commonwealth's amazing talents but I have had the pleasure of enjoying work from @lry12, @linkon, @nonnograppa, @bravopires.

Credits: matthewpoburyny

What is your favorite subject to photograph? What do you usually look for in a scene before you hit the shutter?

Subject matter differs for me on a day to day basis depending on what I am feeling inspired by at that particular moment. I photograph contemporary dancers/performance artists, using them as animators in a collaborative process to create moving, life-like images that mimic theatre. On the other hand, I look to find no life at all in my street photography, seeking out empty streets or pointing the lens upwards and away from the commotion to create the feeling of desolation amongst the cityscape. So in many ways, I am looking for dramatic scenes before I hit the shutter release, something that speaks lyrically to my emotions.

In this day and age, why choose film?

There are many reasons to choose to film in this day and age but I think mine is a rather simple one; I am looking for mood, texture, unpredictable outcomes and a limited number of available shots to really force me to concentrate on composition and the subject I am photographing. With instant image-making abilities in our pockets, there is an arousing excitement in having a medium that takes its time to show you what it has seen.

What does a perfect day look like for you?

A perfect looking day to me is one where the grey overcast skies have kept the city cuddled up on the couch sipping coffee while I wander its vacant premises with one of my 35mm point & shoot cameras.

Credits: matthewpoburyny

Name: Richard Hall
LomoHome: @richardhall
Location: Shrewsbury, UK

Hi, Richard! What do you do and what got you started with photography?

I'm a minister in the Methodist Church of Great Britain. I'm the 'Superintendent Minister' of a 'Circuit' of about 70 churches around Shropshire and the Welsh Borders. It's a large rural area so I spend quite a lot of time in my car.

I got started with photography in the 1980s, first with a little Minolta compact (which I still have) and then a Pentax P50 SLR. I still have that, too — but it's as dead as a doornail! But when I went into ministerial training I didn't have the funds to pursue photography in the way that I wanted to. Then children came along, and funds became more scarce. For most of the 2000s, I used a Yashica APS camera. Yes, that's still in the collection somewhere!

One of my churches bought me a nice digital SLR in 2008 and it takes a lovely picture but somehow I never grew to love it and my photography more or less disappeared.

How did you discover Lomography and what made you join our analogue Community? Who are your favorite photographers here?

In 2016 I went on a short break with my family to Prague and discovered the Lomography store there. I came away with a Fisheye No 2 and joined the Lomography community as soon as I got home. The community at Lomography has been really important in keeping me motivated: a really helpful and encouraging bunch of people!

There are a lot of really great photographers here and picking just a few isn't easy. If you pressed me, @charliedontsurf, @lomodesbro, @brine, @oleman, and @chromagnon come to mind but there are loads of others. Browsing the feed is always a joy. Except when the spammers have been active. Lomography needs to allow community participation in fighting spam. The 'report' button isn't enough.

Credits: richardhall

What makes you stay with film photography in this day and age? What's your favorite subject to shoot?

Partly it's about the process of film photography. I keep getting a kick out of using cameras that were obsolete long before I was born, and an even bigger kick from cameras like the Nikon F4 which I could only have dreamed of owning back in the day. Then there's the community, not just at Lomography but elsewhere. I've got a great camera shop in Shrewsbury full of film temptation and there's always a chat to be had there. And my car journeys are often accompanied by one of the great podcasts that have appeared in the last few years. Sunny 16, Negative Positives and All Through a Lens are my favorites, but there are plenty of choices.

I don't know that I have a favorite subject. I try to have a camera with me most of the time and I'll point my camera at more or less anything that catches my eye. But I do like trains and canals!

For you, what's the best part about being a Lomographer?

I've learned that there's more to a 'good' picture than technical perfection — you don't have to discard an image because the focus was a bit off or it was a bit less than perfectly exposed. The only question that matters is 'Does this image please me?' There's real freedom in that.

What is your favorite Lomography camera and film and why?

I like my Diana F+ and the original Lomo LC-A. But my favorite has to be the Fisheye No 2 that got me into Lomography in the first place. Maybe it isn't an everyday camera, but it gives a unique look that's very attractive. I've got a feeling that the LC-A 120 could easily become a favorite if I tried one, but I haven't yet been able to find the funds. My favorite film would be Color Negative 400 in 120 format. It gets the job done! But there are lots I haven't tried yet, so picking a favorite seems unfair.

Credits: richardhall

Stay tuned for our monthly Community Spotlight to discover the work of some of the most talented Lomographers!

Scritto da cheeo il 2020-02-02 in #persone #community-spotlight #matthewpoburyny

4 Commenti

  1. bravopires
    bravopires ·

    Thank you! @matthewpoburyny Highly appreciated!

  2. matthewpoburyny
    matthewpoburyny ·

    @bravopires my pleasure!

  3. brine
    brine ·

    Thanks for the mention @richardhall !!!

  4. richardhall
    richardhall ·

    @brine You're very welcome

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