LomoGuru of the Week: mapix

This week’s LomoGuru is perhaps one of the most active members of our Community. Aside from regularly updating his LomoHome with wonderful photographs, he also sets aside time to meet and share insights with his fellow lomographers by attending various lomowalks and lomo-exhibitions. Let’s cheer for our latest LomoGuru from Germany, Christoph Maas, also known in the Community as mapix!

Name: Christoph Maas
LomoHome: mapix
Location: Herford, Western Germany
Number of years as a Lomographer: About 10 years
Number of years in the Community: About 5 years

Tell us about yourself.

Land bicycling and photography are two things I like doing the most. Both also make an ideal combination! With a bicycle, you can stop whenever and wherever you want. It’s not too quick so you can really see what is happening around you and it is cheap as well! As some of you may already know, I work as an art teacher.

It is nice to see that photography, in general, is getting more attention in the last years!

Tell us something about your LomoHome’s name. Why did you decide to have that username?

“mapix” is made up of my surname and the abbreviation of pictures but given the chance, I would like to change it to “127only”, inspired by the Baby Rollei I got from my uncle some years ago. I didn’t see any advantage of using this film size until finally trying it out a few months ago. It is really amazing! It transfixed me so much that I now cut my own 127 film. Here’s the tipster I wrote about it! I hope LSI would roll out this film again!

Share with us your most memorable experience in the Lomographic Community.

Don’t have to think hard about this! It would be those several lomowalks and lomo-exhibitions that happened in my region. It’s great to share and talk about a common subject in the “real” world and work together on it. It is quite a different experience showing your pictures through an analogue presentation.

Have you actually met people in the Community that you now consider as close friends? If yes, name at least one of them.

Yes, I made a lot of friends through all those lomowalks and lomo exhbitions. First, there’s frauspatzi who is full of passion for the community and analogue photography! Then, brommi and earlybird.

It was a great experience meeting goonies, giovannidecarlo, and zorzyo last autumn in Naples!

Now, I’m anxious to get to Kassel by the end of this month and meet a new batch of people. There will be a LomoWeekend which promises lot of great attractions. This will be a great fun for sure!

Do you think you’ll still be taking Lomographs in the next 5 years? Why?

No doubt about it! Lomography is really essential in my life, I won’t ever stop it!

What is your favorite Lomo camera and why? Do you have any memorable experiences using this camera?

It is not an easy question but the the Lomo LC-A is the unchallenged queen forever. I love her but an extra wide angle is a very nice thing, too! So, the LC-W and Horizon camras are big competitors for this spot. I think the LC-W is the best camera Lomography has ever created in the last years!

Please share with us your favorite Lomographic shot and explain why you love that particular image.

This is taken in an underground station in Naples. This is the work of Mario Merz, one of the famous Italian modern artists. He often incorporates the magical Fibonacci sequence in his work, as evident in this underground light installation. I like how the double exposure of the neon tubes blends with the architecture around. I took it during the last day of my nice trip to Naples last autumn!

Please share a Lomograph you wish you had taken and explain why.

I admire his HQME research series. Stephan (mephisto19) is sort of radical and open minded in experimenting with a new subject. He doesn’t stop until he gets optimal results! For me, becoming aware of something unexpected by searching for new paths is a central point of a Lomographic attitude.

If there’s one song or movie that best describes your Lomo life, which one is it and why?

This Ain't California a movie from 2012 about living in the German Democratic Republic during the 1980s.

It is full of analogue film sequences which “document” they way of growing up under this regime and the youth’s struggle for individuality.

Is there any advice you can give to new analogue shooters?

Lomography is a door to get into new spaces. Open that door!

written by icequeenubia on 2014-06-15 #videos #lifestyle #lomoguru #lomoguru-of-the-week