A Dream in Lomography Redscale by Mike Walrond

A magician of alternative film and psychedelic grain, Mike Walrond is no stranger to the Lomography Community. Previously working with the LomoChrome Metropolis he has now taken his magic viewfinder on an adventure with none other than the Lomography Redscale XR 50-200. "This series, 'While You Were Dreaming' visits ideas and moments where we are lost within a tranquil daydream," Mike explains. "A moment that is pure immersive euphoria." With a shallow depth of field and some secrets tips and tricks of his, he managed to create an enchanting and ethereal look.

Being confined didn't keep Mike from shooting. Via Zoom, still life, or portraits respecting a social distance, he found his way to keep being creative. As for inspiration, he doesn't need to travel across the world to find a shoot.

"It’s cliche, but I found inspiration everywhere: through my Instagram friends from all over the world and my artist friends and community, but also sitting down listening to music and getting lost in thoughts."

For this series shot with the Lomography Redscale, Mike wanted nature to take over his pictures, without invading them but enhancing and complementing the concepts he had in mind.

Rating the film at 200 ISO, Mike played around with an even and uniform light but also some vintage additions for this mystical effect. But beyond the standard ISO rating, Mike emphasized: "I think it’s a great film, I can’t wait to push the boundaries of it further." Playing with lights, chemicals, and developing is no secret to Mike who has a knack for manipulating his negatives, pre-shooting, during, and even while cross-processing the film!

Using a Nikon 1.4 AIS 50mm Lens that allows a great shallow depth of field and bokeh, Mike achieved that ensorcelling look. " I also used some vintage camera filters and secret tricks I’ve been developing over the past four years of film shooting."

Each picture tells a story on its own, but together, they have a common thread that captivates and bewitches the viewer.

"This image with the bokeh is my favorite, I believe it's so emotive and provoking."

With each of his new shoots, Mike finds a way to reinvent his style and add dynamic to his shots either by using different techniques or simply pushing his film beyond their usual spectrum.

To follow more of Mike's work, head over to his Instagram and his website.

written by tamarasaade on 2020-12-17 in #culture #news #people #redscale #mike-walrond