Today we’d like to introduce you to Omar Lemus Ramirez.
Omar, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
At around the age of nineteen, I was cleaning out my closet because my room was messy. And while I was cleaning, I stumbled upon a bunch of photobooks from my childhood. Pictures my mom had taken during my early ages of life. And that’s when the idea came to me. I decided that since I’m turning twenty soon, I will start documenting the next decade of my life through film photography like my mom did when I was little. Next month will be my one year anniversary of doing film photography. For the past year, I have captured moments in my life, photoshoots, and what my eyes saw with a film camera. I think what I love most about it is the nostalgic feeling of seeing a picture that looks dated but is very much in the present. As of right now, my plan is still going. I’m still taking pictures while I’m living in my twenties. I hope to venture out aside from my main goal and also grow with my film photography. Do more photoshoots, concerts, car shows, events, etc. But for right now, I’m in the moment. As it should be.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It was rough at the beginning. Not in the sense of any struggle with taking my pictures. But growing the love for it. From the beginning, after I dropped off my very first roll. I was starting to overthink whether I used my camera right if the film was damaged, how will the pictures come out, do I even want to do this, etc. But I maintained patience and I kept taking pictures and I slowly started to grow that love by each roll I completed. I was outdoing myself per roll and I was loving every picture. One issue I faced early on was finding the right camera too. I had bought a Canon SureShot from a guy off DePop for $80. And when I got the camera, It wasn’t working at times. Luckily I got my refund and sent the camera back. But now, I had to find a film camera again. A couple of weeks passed by and I went to a pawnshop and I not only did I find the same exact Canon SureShot but, I found an Olympus Stylus 140 Zoom as well. And I was able to buy both for $20. And they worked in perfect condition. I personally use the Olympus more because the zoom is insane on that camera, I can capture anything with it.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am a Film Photographer, I shoot pictures in film rather than digital. And that’s mainly what I’m known for. I’m known for my pictures and that nostalgic feeling of taking old school photos in the digital age. I’m most proud of every picture I take. The thing with film is that every roll contains a max of at least 36 pictures. So with each picture, I take my time to truly capture the beauty of what I see. Every picture counts, and I make sure of it.
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
A lot of credit goes to my friends Richard and Isaiah. They are the ones I reached out to when it came to starting my love for Film Photography. They were like mentors to me, and I still to this day go to them about anything I want to learn in regards to Film. They have their own pages as well and go along the same goal of “In the moment”. Another group of people that deserve credit are the people at Holland Photo Imaging and LagoVista Film Lab. They are the true champions. They are the reason I’m able to showcase the images I take. I go to both of them for purchasing film and also getting my Film scanned & developed. They are amazing. Without them, I wouldn’t be able to do what I do.
Contact Info:
- Email: 512mmfilm@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/512mm_/?hl=en
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/OmarJmoose
Image Credits
@512mm_ on Instagram
