this is a first attempt at creating a FAQ for Alternative Photography. as time goes on, more FAQs will be added/amended. 
Qn1: What is Alternative Photography (AP) all about?
Ans: Simply put, it's where people have fun taking pictures (digital or otherwise). We dun care what you use to shoot with. What we do care is you having fun while taking pictures with a quirky view of life around you.
Qn2: How do I go about taking pictures for AP?
Ans: Cameras... or the lack of it. You can use SLRs/DSLRs/Disposables/Lomo cameras/etc to take pictures. For the adventurous ones, you can make your own camera! Colour or BnW, doesn't matter to us. More importantly, for pictures (in general) to be considered AP, try doing something funky with your pictures! See here for starters. For the folks using film, try cross-processing it, or use expired film. Bottom line - experiment and have fun!
Qn3: I want to start trying AP! But where do I get my camera?
Ans: Well... you can try making ur own... or, if you are not good with your hands, you can try getting cameras from cash converters (those old 35mm PnS fixed focus cams), or get lomo cameras like Holgas from CSers like perly or jcryan55 (PM him) in Buy/Sell. Places like Objectifs (www.objectifs.com.sg) and Kino sell Lomo cameras. Your DSLRs can be used for AP. See Qn2 abt cross-processing.
Qn4: I got stacks of negatives... but how do I share with everyone in AP?
Ans: Well, you can bring them to the any neighbourhood photo shops to get them scanned onto a CD. Prices vary fm place to place. For archival purposes, IMO, a low-res 8bit scanning will do (ie. your scanned pics is A4 size). After that, you can upload to CS Gallery or any of the free photo hosting sites like photobucket. To display the pic, just link it using
, where the (...) is the url of your pic. E.g. (img]http://www.photobucket.com/myPic.jpg[/img) Replace the () brackets with [].
Qn5: Oh yeah... what is cross-processing of negatives?
Ans: Basically it means taking your normal colour negatives and asking the shops to process them as slide film, or vice versa. Colour negatives like ur Kodak Gold film uses C41 chemical processing. Slide film like Fuji Sensia uses E6 chemical processing. Cross-processing means that the shops will use E6 chemical processing to develop your C41 film, or vice versa. What this will do to your negatives/slides is to totally give your weird colour shifts and changes. It will cost a bit more than your normal processing. But the effects are worth it.
Qn6: Where do I go to process my film/slides?
Ans: For normal colour negatives, any neighbourhood shop will do, generally. However, for colour slides, you have to take them to shops ard town - like Konota (@ peninsular plaza), Foto Hub (Beach Road, Suntec or Bukit Timah), Colour Lab (Adelphi) and Kim Tian (at Hong Lim Complex, Chinatown). Prices vary from shop to shop. Best is to ask them. For BnW, you can bring them to Ruby Photo (@ Peninsula Hotel, ground floor, next to Spinelli's Cafe), or Riceball Books (@ Funan Centre, next to Subway).
Qn7: Oh yeah... I always hear this term lomo/lomography.. what is it?
Ans: Lomography (lomo for short) is the short form for Leningradskoye Optiko-Mechanichesckoye Obyedinenie (Leningrad Optical Mechanical Union). They are a Russian company which manufactured optical products for the commerical and military purposes. Their most famous product which kicked start the whole lomography craze was the LC-A Kompakt. Basically, we in AP feel that lomography is another form of alternative photography (even tho we started off calling this sub-forum Lomography). You can read more about lomography here. Remember - alternative photography is not exclusively lomography.
-oOo-
Qn1: What is Alternative Photography (AP) all about?
Ans: Simply put, it's where people have fun taking pictures (digital or otherwise). We dun care what you use to shoot with. What we do care is you having fun while taking pictures with a quirky view of life around you.
Qn2: How do I go about taking pictures for AP?
Ans: Cameras... or the lack of it. You can use SLRs/DSLRs/Disposables/Lomo cameras/etc to take pictures. For the adventurous ones, you can make your own camera! Colour or BnW, doesn't matter to us. More importantly, for pictures (in general) to be considered AP, try doing something funky with your pictures! See here for starters. For the folks using film, try cross-processing it, or use expired film. Bottom line - experiment and have fun!
Qn3: I want to start trying AP! But where do I get my camera?
Ans: Well... you can try making ur own... or, if you are not good with your hands, you can try getting cameras from cash converters (those old 35mm PnS fixed focus cams), or get lomo cameras like Holgas from CSers like perly or jcryan55 (PM him) in Buy/Sell. Places like Objectifs (www.objectifs.com.sg) and Kino sell Lomo cameras. Your DSLRs can be used for AP. See Qn2 abt cross-processing.
Qn4: I got stacks of negatives... but how do I share with everyone in AP?
Ans: Well, you can bring them to the any neighbourhood photo shops to get them scanned onto a CD. Prices vary fm place to place. For archival purposes, IMO, a low-res 8bit scanning will do (ie. your scanned pics is A4 size). After that, you can upload to CS Gallery or any of the free photo hosting sites like photobucket. To display the pic, just link it using
Qn5: Oh yeah... what is cross-processing of negatives?
Ans: Basically it means taking your normal colour negatives and asking the shops to process them as slide film, or vice versa. Colour negatives like ur Kodak Gold film uses C41 chemical processing. Slide film like Fuji Sensia uses E6 chemical processing. Cross-processing means that the shops will use E6 chemical processing to develop your C41 film, or vice versa. What this will do to your negatives/slides is to totally give your weird colour shifts and changes. It will cost a bit more than your normal processing. But the effects are worth it.
Qn6: Where do I go to process my film/slides?
Ans: For normal colour negatives, any neighbourhood shop will do, generally. However, for colour slides, you have to take them to shops ard town - like Konota (@ peninsular plaza), Foto Hub (Beach Road, Suntec or Bukit Timah), Colour Lab (Adelphi) and Kim Tian (at Hong Lim Complex, Chinatown). Prices vary from shop to shop. Best is to ask them. For BnW, you can bring them to Ruby Photo (@ Peninsula Hotel, ground floor, next to Spinelli's Cafe), or Riceball Books (@ Funan Centre, next to Subway).
Qn7: Oh yeah... I always hear this term lomo/lomography.. what is it?
Ans: Lomography (lomo for short) is the short form for Leningradskoye Optiko-Mechanichesckoye Obyedinenie (Leningrad Optical Mechanical Union). They are a Russian company which manufactured optical products for the commerical and military purposes. Their most famous product which kicked start the whole lomography craze was the LC-A Kompakt. Basically, we in AP feel that lomography is another form of alternative photography (even tho we started off calling this sub-forum Lomography). You can read more about lomography here. Remember - alternative photography is not exclusively lomography.
Most important point of AP - HAVE FUN!!
