Real Life Highlights with Lomographer Shannon Fong

Taiwanese-American Lomographer Shannon Fong shoots with various Lomography gear but chooses the Lomo'Instant Automat as her favorite. Despite owning various Lomography cameras, she confesses that she just became a true Lomographer in 2017.

Shannon works as a visual concept artist and her exploration of her artistic style tied in with her exploration of analog photography. She notes that she only got the hang of film photography when she started thinking outside of her comfort zone.

Shannon's realization about what being a Lomographer means to her has enabled her to explore analogue photography on a personal level.

"I used to think that a Lomographer was simply someone who used a Lomography camera and took dope pictures, but now I know it’s more than just that, its the way they create art with their photos, the way they express themselves through the photo, and the story their photo shares. That is what makes a Lomographer a Lomographer, you can’t just own the camera and automatically be a Lomographer! It took me a while to realize this, but I’m happy I did otherwise I wouldn’t have ever been able to be discovered by Lomography and here sharing my story with you! Now that I’ve found my style, I no longer try to get really generic shots, but instead, I get shots that try to mimic the way our eyes see the world rather than something so staged."

She further states that she takes the Lomo'Instant Automat on casual shoots, often with the intent to document her life on instant snaps.

"There are three types of scenarios where I make sure to bring my Lomo'Instant Automat; when I travel to document what I see, when I go somewhere with someone special because that way I can take two pictures of us and let them have one of them, whenever I feel lonely, I take it with me, because with a camera in hand, suddenly I feel like the world is mine."

Stressing on the effect of art and analogue photography to her mental health, Shannon expresses that the photography process of the Lomo'Instant Automat is somewhat therapeutic and allows her to access the deeper parts of her inner thoughts. This then allows her to get bad thoughts out of her system which is crucial to her sanity.

Shannon also shares with us her favorite photos taken with the Lomo'Instant Automat:

Singapore’s Garden By The Bay

Family Lunch at my favorite restaurant in Taiwan: 山海樓 Mountain & Sea House Restaurant.

Checking out the Kavalan Whiskey factory in Yilan with Marcus in one of their early dates.

Selfies with the Besties, Jamie and Marie! Something they always do when they get the rare occasion of being together in the same place. They grew up together but now live in three separate parts of the world.

Shannon also shares the heartwarming story of how life seemingly led her to reignite her interest with Lomography.

"I moved to Taiwan three years ago to be with my grandma because she was diagnosed with cancer and pushing 90 years of age! It was a really hard time of my life because I literally spoke broken Mandarin Chinese, was literally illiterate here, and I barely had any friends! As I mentioned, I used to not feel like I was a true Lomographer, and when I first moved here, I had forgotten all about my love for Lomography. One day, I happened across the Taipei Embassy Store on a lonely shopping adventure throughout my new city and it literally made me suddenly feel a sense of familiarity, a sense of belonging, a sense of home!"

These photos, in a way, is one art piece, since Shannon likes them displayed together. Each Re: Reply to IG DM photo is taken with her Lomo’Instant Automat, mostly by accident, but they all make her feel a certain way. She then uses her own words and penmanship to try and express her deep thoughts.

"Seeing the store and being reminded of something I loved and the fact that a photo needed no phonetics or words to express something, was inspiring. I literally had my collection shipped to Taiwan, and rediscovered my love for film photography after that! It's also where I purchased the Lomo’Instant Automat that literally transformed me into a Lomographer! Lomography! You literally helped me overcome my homesickness!!"

Lastly, Shannon wants the readers to know that "EVERYONE has a Lomographer inside them waiting to burst out into a creative phenomenon! Release that inner artist, believe in it, live it, breathe it, imagine it, share it, embrace it, capture it!"

For more of Shannon's work, visit her LomoHome @shannily.

written by crissyrobles on 2019-01-20 in