The Wonderful World of Holga

by In Wales Wed May 28th, 2008 at 03:27:51 PM EST

I mentioned in an OT how delighted I was to be the proud owner of a brand new Holga.

They are hideously cheap, poorly constructed film cameras that result in some awesome and funky effects, with characteristic darkened edges and streaks from leaked light and a slightly surreal result to the colours. Such as here

My friend said - "This isn't your usual standard..."

I can take 12 photos per film with it and it costs 10 quid to develop. So my logic led me to the intertron to buy my own kit to develop film. I have never done this before, and nor have I witnessed the development and processing of film. Colman has given me some very handy pointers and when all my kit turns up I have a film waiting for my enthusiastic attention to be devoted to it.

I am a chemist by training so I am hoping that I'll pick it up without too much error. It takes medium format 6cmx6cm film (bigger than 35mm strip film that most are familiar with). Although if you line it up right, you can use 35mm film and you get the funky effect of having the sprocket holes in the final photos.

The links to lomography.com show dozens of uber-cool Holga photos and that is what I aspire to. I've not achieved it with my first attempt yet given the fact that I wasn't even sure I would get any halfway in-focus or correctly exposed shots out of mine, I am pleased with the first batch.

I was going to wait until the weekend to put this diary together but Colman has been tormenting me with pictures of his latest invention which does somewhat trump my Holga. So here are some pictures.

What I like about the Holga is it's great simplicity - it really is rubbish, plastic and totally unsophisticated. You have to take a guess at whether it is focussed correctly leading to slightly soft images resulting.

My Holga has a flash (not quite so basic, hey) and this flash comes in 4 colours from white to yellow to red to blue. My friend took this photo of me. Notice the vignetting (darkening) around the edge.

One of the cool features of the Holga is that you can make multiple exposures, on purpose. The film must be wound on manually so multiple images or overlapped edges of images can be made.

See my tree in the sky.

Now see my Torchwood HQ superimposed on the alleyway around the corner.

And multiple exposures combined with colourful flash leaves no limit to the imagination. See me in the airing cupboard (well why not?) There's two of me! Can the world cope?

And there you go. I won't bore you with the rest. I am looking forward to unleashing my creativity and learning new skills of film development. I am sure it will only help me to be even more enthusiastic about pointing my camera/s all over the place and developing a better eye for the art of photography again.

The Wonderful World of Holga | 38 comments (38 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

Come on Colman (4.00 / 3)

Show us what yer made of.

by In Wales (inwales aaat eurotrib.com) on Wed May 28th, 2008 at 03:40:43 PM EST

Re: Come on Colman (4.00 / 4)

Well, if I must:

An old Polaroid 110A foiding camera, for which the film is no longer available: we inherited it from Sam's father, who we think inherited it from the guy who had the job before him. It's rangefinder, which means you focus using a little focusing window at the top.

It folds up pretty small for a 4x5 camera:

Cut the back into bits, do some horrible things with duct tape, and you can fit a 4x5 film holder onto it.

This is my prototype conversion: I'll do something a bit neater when I confirm that the focus is ok and so on.

This isn't an original idea - I was looking through one of the photography forums when I saw someone talking about doing it, though a much more elaborate one that isn't appropriate for this model of camera. Having build a view camera before, this wasn't a hard project ...

I did two test shots earlier today, but I haven't had a chance to develop them yet.

by Colman (colman at eurotrib.com) on Wed May 28th, 2008 at 04:17:40 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Come on Colman (none / 0)

It's very impressive!

by In Wales (inwales aaat eurotrib.com) on Wed May 28th, 2008 at 04:26:42 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Come on Colman (none / 1)

It's hand-holdable, portable, 4x5! Well, mostly portable.

I have to work out if, and for how much, I can get 4x5 slide developed and scanned. Though mostly I just want to make some 4x5 slides. Slides are pretty.

by Colman (colman at eurotrib.com) on Wed May 28th, 2008 at 04:29:23 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Come on Colman (none / 0)

It is exciting. I hope you can get the film developed.

I've seen polaroid backs for Holgas which is what I got confused over when you mentioned polaroid there. With the Holgaroid you can repace the back so that you can take polaroid photos using the holga. How neat would that be?

And looking more on the Holga website they suggest cross processing slide film as negative to get colour shifts. So that lies a little further down the line for me.

by In Wales (inwales aaat eurotrib.com) on Wed May 28th, 2008 at 04:37:15 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Come on Colman (none / 0)

Humph. Negatives didn't come out well, but I'm not sure if that's because the camera isn't quite light tight or because my darkroom isn't dark enough when the sun is up. The attic leaks more light than I thought, and one of the negs looked like it was fogged all the way to the edge, which shouldn't be possible as a result of a light leak.

Shall have to try again.

by Colman (colman at eurotrib.com) on Thu May 29th, 2008 at 03:59:10 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Come on Colman (none / 0)

Aw shame. better luck with the next run.

by In Wales (inwales aaat eurotrib.com) on Thu May 29th, 2008 at 04:17:47 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Come on Colman (none / 0)

You need a changing bag

You can't be me, I'm taken

by Sven Triloqvist on Thu May 29th, 2008 at 04:20:17 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Come on Colman (none / 1)

A regular jacket, zipped up and folded over at the collar and waist, with your arms inserted, makes a perfectly good changing bag.

by asdf on Thu May 29th, 2008 at 04:23:14 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Come on Colman (none / 0)

No, I need a proper daylight tank for 4x5 ...

by Colman (colman at eurotrib.com) on Thu May 29th, 2008 at 05:00:02 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Come on Colman (none / 0)

Seems like you should change you equipment investment strategies ;-)

You can't be me, I'm taken

by Sven Triloqvist on Thu May 29th, 2008 at 05:05:37 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Come on Colman (none / 0)

I haven't spent any money on 4x5 in a decade or so - the tank I have works ok in a completely dark room like the bathroom I had in the flat I was in at the time.

by Colman (colman at eurotrib.com) on Fri May 30th, 2008 at 03:57:06 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Come on Colman (none / 0)

Like this:
http://photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=00LrRd

by asdf on Thu May 29th, 2008 at 06:00:14 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Come on Colman (none / 0)

Very Clever!

"I said, 'Wait a minute, Chester, You know I'm a peaceful man...'" Robbie Robertson

by NearlyNormal on Thu May 29th, 2008 at 01:55:45 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: The Wonderful World of Holga (4.00 / 3)

I just love to see creativity in action.

To see people turned on by possiblities.

I spent the whole evening on the patio discussing a letter to the President of Finland, Tarja Halonen. We think it is time for a debate about Happiness.

We are not expecting answers - we think that part of the role of President is to open debate.

We will write this letter in the next 4 weeks and use our media contacts to ensure the question is aired.

Being creative is part of the answer ;-)

You can't be me, I'm taken

by Sven Triloqvist on Wed May 28th, 2008 at 03:54:59 PM EST

Re: The Wonderful World of Holga (none / 1)

I'm sure that there is a lot that governments can learn from a debate on happiness.

by In Wales (inwales aaat eurotrib.com) on Wed May 28th, 2008 at 03:59:10 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: The Wonderful World of Holga (4.00 / 2)

Happiness debate. (First the Danes build a hotel outta legos and now the Finns are going to debate happiness. I'm expecting the next President of the European Commission to be a Smurf at this point.)

So, will you be on the pro-Happiness or anti-Happiness side? What position is Halonen expected to take?

"Pretending that you already know the answer when you don't is not actually very helpful." ~Migeru.

by poemless on Wed May 28th, 2008 at 04:06:51 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: The Wonderful World of Holga (none / 0)

Surely it will be a debate on how to ensure happiness of the population or a discussion on what happiness is and how we can improve happiness levels. perhaps a Smurf president is one way of attaining this.

I'm sure I remember reading that one of the measures of success for Tibet is happiness of the people.

Anyway, do you like my photos?

by In Wales (inwales aaat eurotrib.com) on Wed May 28th, 2008 at 04:10:17 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: The Wonderful World of Holga (none / 1)

Yes

You can't be me, I'm taken

by Sven Triloqvist on Wed May 28th, 2008 at 04:11:26 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: The Wonderful World of Holga (4.00 / 2)

The unhappy thing about happiness economics
- from the "real world economics review".

by Colman (colman at eurotrib.com) on Wed May 28th, 2008 at 04:19:44 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: The Wonderful World of Holga (4.00 / 2)

A fair argument about the possible relativity of happinness, but what they are really measuring is dignity - which is objectively relative. ie it needs a society to be relative to.

Personal happiness is internally relative. It's about hormone activation, not about questionnaires.

You can't be me, I'm taken

by Sven Triloqvist on Wed May 28th, 2008 at 04:40:53 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: The Wonderful World of Holga (none / 1)

I would differentiate between happiness and dignity. And I've made it clear -I hope- where I come down on dignity.

But don't most governments make some mention of dignity in their Constitutions, etc? It's the actual legislation and its enforcement once the debates are over that impact people's lives - not the debates themselves.

"Pretending that you already know the answer when you don't is not actually very helpful." ~Migeru.

by poemless on Wed May 28th, 2008 at 04:49:14 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: The Wonderful World of Holga (none / 0)

Maybe in America. In Finland still, the public debate (where there is one) will define the legsislation. That is how it should be IMO.

You can't be me, I'm taken

by Sven Triloqvist on Wed May 28th, 2008 at 04:56:14 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: The Wonderful World of Holga (none / 0)

Whats a smurf?

by Fran on Wed May 28th, 2008 at 04:17:58 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: The Wonderful World of Holga (none / 1)

Here are the smurfs!

by In Wales (inwales aaat eurotrib.com) on Wed May 28th, 2008 at 04:25:23 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: The Wonderful World of Holga (4.00 / 3)

Oh, you mean the 'Schlümpfe'! :-) Okay, maybe one of them as President would do. Definitely better than a tony.

by Fran on Wed May 28th, 2008 at 04:27:46 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: The Wonderful World of Holga (none / 1)

I was being snarky, but to be honest, I'm both jealous and dumbfounded that this, of all topics, is deemed nec. for the gov't. to debate. In my country, and I suspect most parts of the world, there are so many matters of life and death piled up a million miles tall on the desks of The People In Charge, to debate happiness would feel like fiddling while Rome burns. It's either a precious luxury or just mad - I can't decide.

Also, I'm not sure where I come down on government intervention in existential matters like happiness. That's the America (libertarian) in me: I want the gov't. to respect my right to be utterly depressive.

Your photos: you look like you are having fun with your new gizmo. I'm not very interested in the technique of photography or in taking pictures. But some photography appeals to me. In fact, when I go to the museum, it is always the first room I visit. And I recently stumbled upon Velibor Bozovic, whose work I like very much.

I like the blue picture. I love things that are blue.

"Pretending that you already know the answer when you don't is not actually very helpful." ~Migeru.

by poemless on Wed May 28th, 2008 at 04:36:08 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: The Wonderful World of Holga (none / 1)

Thanks for the link, there are some excellent photos there.

by In Wales (inwales aaat eurotrib.com) on Wed May 28th, 2008 at 04:40:46 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: The Wonderful World of Holga (none / 0)

It is not for the government to debate, but for the President to inspire everybody tyo discuss. Why the fuck woud anyone care about the matters of global life and death otherwise?

You can't be me, I'm taken

by Sven Triloqvist on Wed May 28th, 2008 at 04:45:27 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: The Wonderful World of Holga (none / 0)

Like all of us here, I am pro-happiness. Halonen is too - but how does it play? Does a debate about what happiness is raise feeelings of inequality or optimism? Will Finns understand the root of unhappiness in others (worldwide), or will they still seek to adjust their blinkers?.

We decided it is worth putting time into. We are capable of writing a letter that we can ensure will come to the president's attention. What we don't know is the reaction.

But there is nothing to lose...

You can't be me, I'm taken

by Sven Triloqvist on Wed May 28th, 2008 at 04:23:55 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: The Wonderful World of Holga (none / 1)

Interesting pictures, In Wales. Looks like a fun toy you got there. :-)

by Fran on Wed May 28th, 2008 at 04:11:05 PM EST

Re: The Wonderful World of Holga (none / 1)

Thanks fran, I've had a lot of fun getting to know the camera and I am looking forward to the next stage.

by In Wales (inwales aaat eurotrib.com) on Wed May 28th, 2008 at 04:12:43 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Vision (4.00 / 3)

One of the traps with photography is getting too set in one's ways. Some have tried a Holga to break out of their rut and it does have the virtue of being cheap.

I've tried several things as well, including the use of a swinglens panoramic camera and using an ultra wide angle lens.

Here's a short tip of mine about panoramas:
http://robertdfeinman.com/tips/tip6.html

and here's another about super wide angles:
http://robertdfeinman.com/tips/tip23.html

I would say the best way to get to see differently is to change your point of view. This requires no new equipment, just get close to the ground or shoot from above, or tilt the camera or do anything else to break out of the eyelevel vantage point.

Another thing to try is changing your subject matter. If you are shy then try to approach people on the street, if you usually shoot family or friends then try architecture, etc.

In spite of what the photo press likes to say, there are no right ways to do things, only conventional. If it speaks to you, its right for you...

Policies not Politics
---- Daily Landscape

by rdf (robert.feinman@gmail.com) on Wed May 28th, 2008 at 05:02:41 PM EST

Re: Vision (none / 0)

I'd like to get my Practika MTL3 fixed at some point too. the shutter broke and it will cost more than the camera is worth to repair. It's the camera I started out with. The simplicity of that camera always made me focus on seeing and choosing the composition creatively rather than getting bogged down in the technical aspects of producing a photo.

But with the Holga I hope to remind myself of how it was to have a fresh eye to taking photos and bring that back into my digital shots.

Thanks for the links.

by In Wales (inwales aaat eurotrib.com) on Wed May 28th, 2008 at 05:10:39 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Vision (4.00 / 3)

Now that digital is all the rage film cameras can be had for a song. If you look at ebay you can probably find all sorts of items that would interest you. I wouldn't get the Praktica fixed, I had one way back when and they really weren't all that well built.

If you like medium format I would suggest looking at a used Yashicamat or Rollei. I see a Yashica on US ebay at the moment for $33. You get the nice negative, the ability to see what you are shooting and your choice of waist level or eye level shooting. You can even put on closeup lenses.

Using the Holga may be fun, but at some moment you actually might want the picture to come out properly. One can always blur a sharp picture or do other manipulation, especially if you scan the film and make edits digitally, but you are stuck going the other way.

In the mean time, just enjoy the camera...

Policies not Politics
---- Daily Landscape

by rdf (robert.feinman@gmail.com) on Wed May 28th, 2008 at 06:11:40 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Vision (none / 0)

Well, I am keeping an eye on e-bay now! The Yashica's seem to sell for a much higher price than the rollei's. although that said I have seen people trying to sell rollei's for 330-690 pounds. they don't appear to be vastly different from the ones selling for around 50-100. I've taken a look at reviews etc more widely. It does certainly look like the type of camera I'd like to move onto, I really enjoy the look of medium format.

by In Wales (inwales aaat eurotrib.com) on Thu May 29th, 2008 at 02:37:36 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Vision (none / 1)

You have to be careful with Rollei's. They are very well built, but tend to be quite old. My model 2.8E is now 50 years old. The current model is FX and sells for about $4400US. Between the current one and mine were the E2 and F, so you see they haven't changed models very frequently.

Here's a site which lists the ages of various models:
http://www.siufai.dds.nl/Rollei_History.htm

So cheap Rollei's may be old Rollei's. The Rolleiflex is a better camera than the Rolleicord, but only from an operational point of view. Stay away from the various automatic models, they didn't work well.

Yashica's are probably much younger. In addition you can keep your eye on Mamiyaflex which even has interchangeable lenses. It's a lot bulkier though.

There are even some current cameras in production; the Seagull from China is inexpensive even new. People who use larger formats tend to become passionate about this.

I see there are a number of web sites devoted to the subject, you might poke around and ask some questions.
Try this to start:
http://photo.net/bboard/forum?topic_id=35

Policies not Politics
---- Daily Landscape

by rdf (robert.feinman@gmail.com) on Thu May 29th, 2008 at 03:49:21 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Vision (none / 0)

I saw the seagull when I was looking up on Holgas. I've seen a lot of allegedly very good condition Rollei's advertised on e-bay, plus a few that you can tell by the patchy description are probably a little bit battered. Will keep poking around.

by In Wales (inwales aaat eurotrib.com) on Thu May 29th, 2008 at 04:07:53 PM EST
[ Parent ]

The Wonderful World of Holga | 38 comments (38 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

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