Learning with Lomography: Shanghai Academy of Fine Arts

From Bologna to Bandung, London to Shanghai – we have collaborated with universities and schools all over the world to give creative students the chance to enjoy their own Lomographic experiences. Through this series we see how the students brought their artistic visions to life with the help of a range of Lomography tools.

Today, we bring you a collaboration between Lomography and Shanghai Academy of Fine Arts, where students had the opportunity to experiment with various Lomography cameras. For many of them it was their first time using a film camera. Let’s take a look at some of the photos from the event and hear what the students had to say about their analogue adventure!

Gu Jiayu is a student pursuing an MFA in Environmental Design Art. She said, “The randomness of not knowing how the photos would turn out made me a bit anxious during the creative process. I didn’t know what the results would be like. But that sense of the unknown turned into a pleasant surprise when I received the developed photos.”

The theme of this shoot was “Wonderland”, capturing vibrant and hopeful scenes in locations such as amusement parks, and the campus during the winter. Gu Jiayu’s favorite photo was a double exposure of trees and the sunset, creating a layered and captivating image.

Wang Chenchen, who also tried film for the first time, used the Lomography ActionSampler for this project.

"It was lightweight, easy to shoot with, and reduced the barrier to entry for film photography. It enriched my life and captured the fleeting moments."

“The design and photography are interconnected. Art is universal. It involves understanding colors, composition, changes in light and shadow, and capturing the vitality of life.”

For this shoot, she chose to take a walk in a place with a strong local atmosphere. “What I find particularly interesting is that we usually associate mahjong with places like mahjong parlors or indoor settings. However, these people set up a table on the street or along the road and started engaging in this recreational activity.”

Liu Yuntong is a first-year graduate student in Fine Arts and she tried our fisheye camera this time, opening up a different perspective of the campus with the fisheye lens.
She wanted to capture some corners of the school that she usually overlooks. She told us her favorite shot is this one below, as it resembles an old man with a beard. We also love the unique effect of the fisheye lens of on photographs of trees.

Lu Xiaoyu is majoring in Environmental Art Design and has a strong interest in photography. When it comes to the relationship between her major and photography, she expressed that well-executed photography can effectively convey the essence of environmental art design.

For this project, she tried using the Diana F+ camera to capture a series of photos titled “The Last Moments of the Year.”

“As someone who participated in the postgraduate entrance examination in 2023, bringing along the LOMO camera allowed me to once again immerse myself in the exam scene and observe from a third-person perspective, providing a different experience. This photo captures the scene of fellow candidates locking their phones in the locker outside the exam hall on a winter day. Closing the locker door signifies the next step of entering the exam room, marking the end of six months of preparation. The moment the locker is locked, it symbolizes entrusting the exam to luck.”

The Diana F+ camera’s playful multiple exposures and portability left a profound impression on her.

“Film photography is a form of collecting memories and encapsulating time. Scenes worth capturing often won’t occur a second time. The grainy texture and warmth captured by film cameras help us document extraordinary moments in ordinary life and allow us to discover many special moments.”

Zhang Wang is an architecture student, and the photos he chose to shoot with the LomoApparat are indeed closely related to the subject.

"Architecture encompasses the rationality of engineering and is expressed through aesthetics. Under the umbrella of architecture lies the evolution of Western aesthetics and the inheritance of Chinese philosophy. It is embodied in architecture, murals, sculptures, and various fixed and memorable visuals. For me, photography is also an expression of rationality and aesthetics. Therefore, my images always revolve around the emotional humanity and architectural environment, filled with romance and small rituals, capturing the eternal in fleeting moments."

His theme of photography was campus life. In the background of his photos is the building of the School of Fine Arts, with horizontally extending architectural facades that exude a rough yet sensitive and detailed feel. In the foreground, contrasting with the static building, dynamic pedestrians are captured. Under the green trees, an essential figure in student life, a delivery person, swiftly passes by in late autumn. Amidst the hurriedness, there is an intentional extension, a tension bursting out of the frame. This also aims to convey the blend of simplicity and passion in life, to approach work with dedication amid mundanity, and to embrace life with a tender heart.

“The biggest impression I had from this experience is how film is filled with a sense of surprise. It’s also very small and convenient, allowing me to carry it in my pocket and take photos wherever I go,” said Xun Qianhui, a graduate student in Digital Interactive Design. "In my opinion, both design and photography require thinking about form and can be used as a form of expression."

In this project, she used the LomoApparat to take some photos related to the theme of “the sun”.

"It had been raining for several days before that day. While walking on the road in the morning, I saw a bright and tiny light spot reflecting on the eaves in the distance at the park. Unexpectedly, in the developed film, this light spot turned into a huge, dazzling bubble, like something you can only see after eating two kilograms of Yunnan mushrooms. Although it was a coincidence caused by light leaks, it truly surprised me about the film. Seeing things being reshaped by optical elements with the naked eye feels like they are expressing themselves powerfully in the photo with their own language. I love the subtle sense of distortion in this photo, perhaps it’s this machine’s reinterpretation of the real world."

Surprise was the feeling expressed by almost every student, and we're delighted that they all want to continue using film to capture their lives in their continued academic journeys.

Thanks to all the students of Shanghai Academy of Fine Arts who participated in this event. We can't wait to see your next adventures on film!

Check out more articles in our series Learning with Lomography.

written by ladyorange_zxc on 2024-02-13 #gear #culture #places #university #shanghai #actionsampler #fisheye #diana-f #lomoapparat #learning-with-lomography