How To Create Lomo Look-Alike Photographs Using GIMP

by Jaxon S on October 11, 2009

in Tips and Tricks

To a certain degree, DSLRs with digital filters or art filters, like the Pentax K-7, can mimic the effect of photographs taken with lomo cameras.

One can also imitate lomography by editing digital images using Photoshop — here is tutorial on how to create lomo effect using Photoshop — or if you don’t have a Photoshop, you can use GIMP, a free image editor you can download on the Internet.

First, download GIMP version 2.6.7 here, and install it on your computer. Then download the lomo plugin for GIMP, filenamed “elsamuko-lomo.scm here [A big thank you to the person who wrote the script]. It’s a single file which you need to copy and paste into the GIMP’s scripts directory.

After you have downloaded the plugin file, locate your .gimp-2-6/scripts folder and copy the file into it.

If you can’t find the script folder, no worries, here is a an easy way to find it — launch GIMP, the go to the Edit menu, find the Preferences near the bottom of the drop down menu. After clicking on the Preferences, small window will appear like the one below.

Preference

Click on the Folders option, and another menu will appear. Select Scripts, and there it is — the location of the Scripts folders where you need to copy the plugin file. Locate the file now and copy and paste the plugin file into the script folder.

Keep the GIMP programme open or if you have closed it, you need to relaunch it. After you have done this, locate the Filters menu, go right to the bottom of the drop down menu and find Script-Fu. Click on it and you’ll see the Refresh Scripts option. Click on it to refresh the GIMP. Congratulations! You have installed the lomo plugin.

Now for the lomolising part, which is the fun part. First, open an image you want to lomolise in GIMP, then find the Filters tab and got to the Light and Shadow option, from which several options will appear in a drop-down menu. Go right to the bottom where you can find Lomo.

Click on it, and a window will appear where you can configure how you want the picture lomolised. There will be sliders, boxes to click and so on, and after you have finished with applying the lomo effect, click OK and you will see the image transforming magically into a lomo pictures before your very eyes.

If you don’t like the effect, simply undo by clicking Ctrl + Z and start all over again until you are satisfied the result. Good luck.

Here some the results of my early attempts at lomolising with GIMP.

Sabah Foundation Building Lomo Photograph

Sprocket Lomo

Plougher Lomo

Dead Tree Lomo

Cactus Lomo

  • http://macro-photography-blog.com/ Jaxon S

    One more thing, the .gimp-2.6 file folder is NOT located under the GIMP directory. It’s a separate folder. Not sure how your computer is partitioned but in my computer, the file is located in the same location where the folders called Downloads, Documents, Music, Favorites, Pictures, Music and so on are located

    Cheers!

    [Reply]

  • http://macro-photography-blog.com/ Jaxon S

    Hi Precious, nice pictures you have on your site. I’ve been trying to figure out the easiest way — as easy as ABC as they say — to install the script. Here’s what probably it is:

    Step A:
    1. Download the script and save it to your desktop

    Step B:
    1. Find the the GIMP file folder on your computer. I’m using GIMP 2.6, so my GIMP file folder’s name is .gimp-2.6
    2. Open the folder, find another folder called “Scripts” and click it open
    (most probably it is empty) and paste the lomo script there

    Step C:
    1. Launch GIMP. At the top navigation menu after the File, Edit, Select, View and so on, there is a Filters drop down menu.
    2. Click “Filters” and go right to the bottom and find Script-Fu.
    3. Click the Script-Fu and you’ll see the Refresh Scripts option.
    3. Click the Refresh Scripts option.
    4. Congratulations! You have installed the lomo plugin.

    Step D:
    1. To create a lomo, open an image using GIMP, then go to Filters, click on it, you’ll see Light and Shadow, showing various options including Lomo.

    Have fun :)

    JS

    [Reply]

  • http://xpreciousx.tumblr.com Precious

    Hey, I’m having trouble installing the lomo plugin.
    HELP?

    [Reply]

  • http://macro-photography-blog.com/ Jaxon S

    hi jenine, have you installed the lomo script?

    [Reply]

  • jenine

    There is no LOMO options in Light and shadow :(

    [Reply]

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