GeekSugar

Geek Tip: Lomo-fy Your Digital Photos

GeekSugar — Fri, 20 May 2011 01:11:19 PDT

After all the fun I had making my photos look like tiny models with the Tilt-Shift effect, I had to look for something new to add to my effects arsenal. I love my Lomo camera and the effect it produces, but to be honest, I don't always have the cash to throw down for film or development. It can get pretty darn expensive! Given the fact that the latest Lomo camera, the Lomo LC-Wide goes for a whopping $389, I figure we could all use a bit of a break from temptation.

We can save some cash together by playing around with our digital photos in Photoshop with the Lomo Effect. It makes your pics look like they were expertly shot and developed using the plastic cameras with just a few simple steps. Check out the great tutorial here, and afterwards share with us your Lomo-fied pics by uploading them to our Cool Capture group!

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Happy 25th Birthday Lomo: 6 Ways to Commemorate

GeekSugar — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 07:27:38 PDT

Twenty-five years ago, a phenomenon was born - who would have thought that a little plastic camera would have such an effect on our photographic lives? I love my Lomo and use it as much as I can, so this weekend I'll be celebrating the occasion by packing my Holga wherever I go and snapping away. Check out a few other ways you can celebrate and commemorate the anniversary of the Lomo camera.

Lomo Notebook: For All Your Deep Photography Thoughts

GeekSugar — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 02:01:17 PDT

The vintage-loving souls who are into Lomo cameras (myself included) will dig this Lomo Notebook ($20), which asks you to get back to pen and paper for note-taking, not some fancy cell phone app.

Not only does the Lomo Notebook give you space to make notes about shots and locations, but it comes packed with Lomo info for you: lomography products, stores, "Lomo doctors" and a calendar.

Plus, you get to say "lomo" a lot, which is just fun.

Buzz Gift Guide: Gifts for an Audiophile

BuzzSugar — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 15:33:11 PST

Today's holiday gift guide is for your audiophile friend - the one who never hears the phone ring because she's got her headphones on and plans her social schedule around her favorite bands' tour dates.

Your audiophile friend might already own all seven pre-In Rainbows Radiohead albums - but just in case, check out this bizarrely cute USB stick that contains the band's complete recordings from 1993 to 2003, including bonus content. Too techie? There's a normal boxed set, too.

Does your friend have years and years of mixtapes languishing on a shelf now that cassette players have gone out of style? Pick up a Griffin iMic, which converts cassette and vinyl recordings to mp3. I've got one, and it's helped me get my favorite music from junior high and high school back in the regular rotation.

Rolling Stone and Spin not your friend's style? A subscription to Mojo might be a good alternative. The British music bible will cost you a bit if you need to ship it to the US, but helping your friend be a well-informed music fanatic might be worth it.

And OK, this one's not so much "audio" as just "phile," but the Meg and Jack White Lomo cameras are pretty craveworthy. Maybe your friend could use them to keep a record of her encounters with her favorite rock stars.

The LOMO Colorsplash Camera

GeekSugar — Mon, 13 Aug 2007 09:00:57 PDT

Most of you loved the Lomolitos Colored Cameras, so I figured I'd share this updated version with not one, but a whopping thirteen colored filters! Featured on GeekAlerts, the Lomography Colorsplash 35MM Camera uses tinted flash filters and long exposure settings to create dreamy-streaked retro style images that are rich in color! For $50 you will get the camera, a battery, film, poster, extra color filters, and a skin camera bag. Although the possibilities are endless with digital cameras, I truly appreciate the simplicity of point-and-click cameras-especially when they are as fun as this one. Want to see some more unique cams by Lomo? Check out the Eight Lens and the Fisheye Lens Camera.

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Totally Geeky or Geek Chic? Red Oktomat Camera

GeekSugar — Fri, 20 Jul 2007 16:00:37 PDT

The fun functionality of the Oktomat Camera by Lomo cannot be ignored: It has eight small lenses that "fire and turn" in 2.5 seconds, creating a multi-frame mini photo vignette. And while it's only $35, one has to wonder if the camera is a little too chunky in this era of super slim cameras. Does the camera's shape and noisy design overshadow its purpose, or do you think it's appropriate that it's a little bulky? After all, it is taking eight photos at once!

Source: Unica Home

Do You Ever Experiment With Funky Fun Cameras?

GeekSugar — Mon, 28 May 2007 15:07:13 PDT

Lately I've been seeing quite the array of unique manual cameras. Remember the colored Lomolitos cameras and the hilarious fisheye lens camera? And check out this one below - the Lomo Oktomat 35mm camera with eight built-in lenses. By taking one shot, this camera will produce eight sequential images on a single 35mm negative. Usually I just take pictures with my digital cam and play around with photoshop for cool effects, but I'm curious to know if you ever use any artsy cameras like these ones? Leave your comments below!

Love It Or Leave It: Lomolitos Colored Cameras

GeekSugar — Sun, 18 Feb 2007 06:01:19 PST

I see blue, I see red, I see green, I see yellow. Now all your pictures can be color-coded with the artsy Lomography Lomolitos Single Use Camera. Each camera comes pre-loaded with 24-exposure film and a single colored filter that can be switched on or off. For $11, you can give it a try and pitch it if you don't like the results. Let me know if you love it or if you'd rather stick with Photoshop for adding color.

11 Fun and Useful Photoshop Tips and Effects to Try

GeekSugar — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 05:01:38 PST

Now that you've polished up your photography skills, it's time to take your photos to the next level by having some fun with Photoshop. Editing and tweaking your pics isn't considered cheating - it helps bring out the beauty in your images, and keeps things interesting. Here, I'll cover ten fun and useful Photoshop tips and effects that you can use every day, or when you want to add some pizzaz to your pics.

Get Photoshop for free - Don't have Photoshop? No prob! Get Photoshop Express for free!
Take in some free tutorials - Get the low down on Photoshop basics free of charge.
Get rid of blemishes - Who doesn't want clear skin? Make it a reality with this tip that ditches the zits.

See the rest of the tips, and learn about some sweet and simple effects you can add to your images after the break.

Trade the Ikea Prints For Instagram Wall Art

Kelly Schwarze — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 14:21:34 PST

Blame it on the dozens of downloaded photo apps and high-quality cameras in smartphones for our obsessive photographing and documentation of everyday life. Since there are tons of ways to print Instagram photos, I wanted to see how the square lo-res images translate to wall-worthy prints. Using CanvasPop, I turned an Instagram print from a memorable weekend into gallery-style canvas art as seen here.

Available in two sizes: a 12-inch stretched canvas square ($30 for a limited time) and a 20-inch stretched canvas square ($60 for a limited time), each canvas comes outfitted with a sawtooth hook for easy at-home hanging. The entire CanvasPop ordering process was as simple as taking an Instagram itself. Select a canvas size, a white or black canvas edge (which is not seen from a head-on view of the print), then the image itself by signing into your Instgram account on the site. If a retro border is what you want, be sure to select a photo from your Instagram library created with a filter that has a built-in border like Lomo-fi or Earlybird.

My 12-inch print was ordered during the hectic holiday season, but even with national holidays accounted for, it only took about two weeks for the finished canvas print to arrive nestled in a very secure cardboard box. I'm eager to make a few more prints for a pretty wall vignette while the introductory price deal is still on, since it's hard to rationalize $80 per print, despite the expert craftsmanship. The photo and filter colors on the canvas were nearly spot-on to the original image, just slightly more saturated, which actually seems appropriate considering I usually only see Instagrams in their tiny phone-sized resolution.

Whether it's a college dorm room or your first "grown-up" apartment, the CanvasPop Instagram print is a high-quality and affordable way to decorate with favorite memories.