Make a Splash with Alexandra Bennett – Seeing the World Through the Fisheye No.2

Seasoned Lomographer Alexandra Bennett has been featured in our magazine multiple times previously with her her totally tubular Fisheye photos. Now she's back again to update us on her recent endeavors with her favorite Lomography camera – the Fisheye No.2.

Welcome back, Alexandra! Can you fill us in on what you’ve been up to since your last magazine feature?

I was recently accepted into a physicians assistant program. I love science and medicine very much. But before school I took a break and went back to Hawaii. One month turned into four, and I was able to capture some colorful photographs along the way. Currently I am back in New Jersey and just starting out the PA program.

You’ve been shooting with the Fisheye No.2 for a few years now – what makes you come back to it?

With the Fisheye No.2 camera you can create your own reality. I love taking pictures that are impossible for us to see with our normal vision. The ultra wide-angle lens leads to a visual distortion that I find very intriguing. In addition, the camera’s capacity for double exposures adds to the playfulness of a photograph. If I want to see the world upright and upside down at the same time, I can do that with this camera. That ability is amazing, I never get bored.

What draws you to shoot analogue over digital?

Analogue has heart (and grain.) Analogue has a timeless quality to it. It also becomes more about quality over quantity, which seems like a declining concept these days.

Have you noticed a difference in the way you shot with it when you first got the camera versus now?

When I first got the Fisheye No.2 I was really drawn to photographing at night using the Lomography Ringflash with the different color filters. Now I photograph mostly during the day, near the ocean. The Fisheye No.2 submarine underwater case has been my new favorite photography tool.

What’s your favorite photo that you’ve recently taken with your Fisheye No.2 camera? Is there a story behind it?

Looking at this photo brings me a lot of peace. The girls almost look like mermaids and the sun is really showing off. The story behind this photo is we had jumped off a boat into fairly deep water. I dove deep then pointed the camera up towards the water's surface. I love the water bubbles that perfectly outline the girl’s bodies, creating a silver lining illuminated by the sun. To me, this photo almost looks like a painting that I could get lost in.

What’s your favorite subject to shoot with the Fisheye No.2 camera?

People swimming or surfing in the ocean. It combines two of my favorite hobbies, analogue photography and water sports.

If you could take the Fisheye No.2 anywhere in the world, where would you go?

Easter Island, Easter Island, Easter Island. I am totally enamored with the place. I want to go and pay my respects to the moai, the giant stone heads, which are an incredible act of creativity, physical strength, and spirit. In addition there appears to be some great waves for surfing. I’m already dreaming of the Fisheye No.2 photos I could take there. Please send any travel tips!

Do you have any new tips or tricks to share with those interested in picking up a Fisheye No.2 camera?

My first tip would be to get close to the subject you’re photographing. This camera has a great capacity for filling the frame. My second tip would be to play around with the built in double exposure setting. I went into detail about how to do this in a previous interview, but I can’t recommend this technique enough. Using double exposures has the ability to make old settings new again.

Anything else you’d like to share with us about the Fisheye No.2?

Using this camera ignites a childlike creativity in me that I always come back to. My mindset has been consistent while shooting with the Fisheye No.2 – have fun!

To keep up to date with Alexandra's adventures make sure to check out her Instagram and website.

written by eloffreno on 2022-09-06 #gear #people #surfing #experimental #vacation #ocean #hawaii #fisheye #fisheye-no-2 #alexandra-bennett