Saturday, February 03, 2007

Old School Is Still Way Cool !!!

His photographic methodology defies the norm, twist the rules when there aren't any rules in his text book to begin with, finds satisfaction in things that we find odd and surreal. He experiments with chemicals and uses cheap, flawed old cameras to create his masterpieces.

Hmn... sounds like a character from an old Hollywood horror movie?? not really, he's a LOMOHEAD!

Our FPC Featured Photographer is no other than Jimmy Hilario (a.k.a. Stitch).

Expired films, Cross-process, Light leaks, Saturation and Double Exposures are just few of his favorite terminologies.

He has 70+ photos in Flickr's Explore/Interestingness section. With that figure, it is probably safe to assume that he is up there with flickr's finest members and probably one Flickr's most popular local members.

1. Please tell us your full name and then your flickr screen name.
Jimmy Hilario “Stitch”

2. Where do you live at the moment?
Mandaluyong

3. What is your current occupation?
Art director, graphic designer

4. What is your current gear? (camera body/bodies, lenses and flash guns only)
mainly lomography cameras:
LC-A, Holga 120CFN, Kiev35, Smena 8M, Olympus XA2

5. What’s your favorite photographic subject or subjects?
nature and ordinary things you see (e.g., street scenes, buildings, architecture)

6. Any favorite photographer in particular?
Emil Davocol, Jun Miranda

7. Tell us about your dream gear.
Horizon Kompakt, LC-A+, a DSLR (with zoom and wide angle lens) <-- last item is really a dream.


8. What’s your photographic ambition?
Be part or organize photo exhibits, teach lomography to newbies, put up a photo shop that crossprocesses <-- last item also an impossible dream


9. Congratulations on the ongoing exhibit, Ikalawang Banat:Flickristas@The Jewellery, that you organized with jolengs! How was this experience for you? Do you have plans of holding another one in the near future?
Organizing an exhibit is enjoyable. it's nice to bring people together with different photographic styles/equipment and backgrounds. It was fun to have riotous planning get-togethers with the group and just talking about anything under the sun before getting down to business. We will definitely do this again, perhaps on a regular basis.

About the CRAFT

10. We noticed that most of your creations are images taken from the streets whether it be a typical city street or a high-way. since these are a part of your daily life, how were you able to create each images so unique even if its an image of (if not exactly) almost the same subject?
I want to show the beauty of ordinary things because it's there. You just have to capture the moment and with a little help from expired film and crossprocessing, the photos come out differently ;) You'll have to invest in rolls of film though from which you will find (hopefully) some jems.

11. Is there any particular mood that inspires you to take some pictures?
The mood is out there, you just have to spot and capture it. As for my own mindset, I just have to be ready because these moments can happen anytime but you have to get out of your way to find it. Hope I'm not to abstract ;)

12. You've used different photography media (i.e. gears) and processing styles. What is the most challenging and the most rewarding for you?
Film photography is challenging because you don't know what you shot until you develop it. Digital photography is just as challenging because everybody has a digicam nowadays. The challenge is how can you make your shot any different? Since you guys are the DSLR users, I think you know the answer to the latter ;) That said, i think digital photography is a lot easier than film. Even Pat's 3(?)-yr-old daugher is alreadying shooting nice shots ;)

13. Those who had the privilege of meeting you in person seem to agree that you have a mild-mannered personality. Why 'Stitch' as a screen name? That name (and character) is synonymous with mischief and notorious deeds.
Well Stitch is an alien. It's that aspect of Stitch that I picked-up. I'm just moving behind the scenes like a specter ;)

14. Weve heard that LOMO is currently having a steady following here in the Philippines, what makes LOMO Cameras so special that everyone is spending extra time just to buy film, develop, cross process and scan them? for as to its digital counterpart which in every way is much more easier to use?
About the LOMO following in the Philippines, you can check lomomanila.ph (sorry for the plug) and you can see for yourself what kind of people are into this lomo thingy—you will find out that they are the same as digital photographers. Both have a passion for photography. It's just a difference of style and approach to photography. For me, photography is a creative art. It's just a matter of medium—how will you capture the beauty in things?

15. While digital and conventional photography seem to pursue "perfection" and technical excellence, lomography, on the other hand, seem to celebrate gear flaws and technical imperfections. Is lomo "anti-digital" or what can be considered as "alternative photogrphy"?
LOMO is not anti-digital. Perhaps you can say it is alternative photography. And it's true, we look forward to the vignettes, color saturations, scratches and lightleaks; all which are natural defects (or effects) of film cameras which ironically some digital photographers/artists try to simulate—nothing wrong with that. I do it myself with my digital photos.

16. Do you subscribe to the 10 rules of Lomography? (1. Take your LOMO everywhere you go & whenever you go.; 2. Use it anytime — day or night; 3. Lomography is not an interference in your life, but a part of it; 4. Shoot from the hip; 5. Approach the objects of your lomographic desire as close as possible; 6. Don't think; 7. Be fast.; 8.You don't have to know beforehand what you've captured on film. 9. You don't have to know afterwards, either; 10.Don't worry about the rules.
Yep, I live by the lomo rules. Oddly enough, I was already following most of those rules when I started shooting with my Canon G2 in 2002. So when I found out about those rules, I just said “well, what do you know, I have been following some rules without know it.”

17. How extensive is the following of Lomography in the Philippines? And generally what kind of people are attracted to it?
The lomomanila.ph has about 250 members and the yahoo group list has about 300. There seems to be newbies nearly everyday asking about lomography and how they can get started. I cannnot say if it is here to stay even if I want to because it is a question of how long the film supply will last. For some reason, the younger generation seems to be attracted to Lomography. Maybe it's a desire to be different. I'm not sure.

18. It is alluded somewhere that LOMO is for the eccentric, or the "uncommon"? What is your response to this?
LOMO-users are normal people it may appear eccentric and uncommon because fewer people shoot with film. You go to a typical photo shop and ask them about crossprocessing and 120 film and they'll stare at you and ask “What is that?” But I think some photo shops are happy to have a regular clientele who still shoot with film.

19. And lastly, is it boxers or briefs??
Briefs.


===========================================================================

Please Check Out
STITCH's TOP 5 PERSONAL FAVORITES





edsa redux




No comments: