The LOMO effect is a creative photographic effect which makes the resultant captured image substantially different from the original subject. It is named after a plastic camera called the LOMO LC-A Compact Automat camera, which was originally made by the Russian state’s LOMO optical company. The camera was made of plastic and the body was prone to light leakage, hence photos taken with the LOMO LC-A have a distinctive look that came to be known as lomography.

Characteristics of LOMO Effect
The characteristics of the LOMO effect include:

  • Vignetting or darkening around the picture edges which helps frame the shot
  • High contrast between the light and dark portions of the photo
  • High colour saturation or intensity, with unrealistic or distorted colours

Digital photographers can mimic the characteristics of LOMO effect using photo editing tools such as Adobe Photoshop, Corel Paint Shop Pro and free editors like Paint.NET and GIMP. This requires post processing of the image including adding a vignette, adjusting the contrast and distorting the colours to mimic the original LOMO effect. For user of iPhones and other smart devices equiped with a camera, there are apps available which can produce the effect in the camera, so you can review the result before moving on to the next shot.

To find out more about the subject of the LOMO effect, and to see samples, check out the following links:

For smartphone users there are LOMO effect apps available:

The LOMO effect makes interesting and unique pictures from ordinary subjects. You can achieve the effect using an original LOMO camera, or with a smartphone plugin, or in post production using your favourite editor. Which ever way, try the LOMO effect and see what you can produce.