Working the Holga

Red Rock Canyon from the eye of a Holga

The photo here was shot with a fine little Holga!
I purchased the Holga about 6 months ago and let the thing set on the shelf for a while. Finally, on the urging of a friend I purchased some 120 Kodak  Portra VC160 film. All I can really say is that I have fallen in love with this combination! The Portra renders some of the most vivid colors I could imagine. The Holga, with all of its little quirks is just an absolute fun little camera! It is well known for its odd vignetting, light leaks, strange focus and Depth Of  Field among other things.

 I have now started taking it on my hikes and the 6 year old is trying to take it away from me. It does make a great kids camera, by the way. Just don't forget to take the damn lens cap off!

For those of you unfamilliar with the Holga, there is a a wonderful website at Square Frog. These guys have all the details on the Holga line. The simple little camera started its fame in Hong Kong in the very early 80's. It is a simple plastic "toy" with no real control other than minimal focusing and a bright/dim aperture control that really serves no purpose. The Holga has reached a cult like status among photographers from every genre. Even Steve Diet Goedde shoots with one occasionally! It has certainly earned a permanent spot among the other tools in my camera bag.

$35 and you can be shooting one this week. Have a look on Amazon and eBay.

Until next time!