Lomography, the worldwide photography art movement, has finally hit the Westside of Los Angeles. It’s interactive gallery has finally made it’s way to Santa Monica, and I couldn’t be more excited.

Headquartered in Vienna, Austria, Lomography originally began as a quiet art movement. Currently, the Lomographic Society International has gallery stores in Beijing, Shanghai, Paris, Hong Kong, New York, Madrid, and countless other major cities in the world. We’re lucky to have finally gotten one in Santa Monica. Just off 4th and Santa Monica, the store boasts a talented team of Lomographers who can help you understand the concept and purchase your first camera or supply you with any Lomography equipment you could possibly need.

Lomography isn’t just about taking pictures, however. It’s more of a lifestyle. There are ten basic rules Lomographer’s follow:

1. Take your camera everywhere you go.
2. Use it anytime – day and night.
3. Lomography is not an interference in your life, but part of it.
4. Try the shot from the hip.
5. Approach the objects of your Lomographic desire as close as possible.
6. Don’t think. (William Firebrace)
7. Be fast.
8. You don’t have to know beforehand what you captured on film.
9. Afterwords either.
10. Don’t worry about any rules.

These rules can all be wrapped up in Lomography’s very own motto; “Don’t Think, Just Shoot”.  Check out a video I made at a special opening at the Lomography Gallery in Santa Monica!

What do you like about Lomography? Is it something you’d be interested in? Tell me all about it in a comment below!

Photo courtesy of Anne Varak’s Flickr (using Lomography camera) and Jogarithm’s Flickr (using Lomography camera)