“Ipoh Mali” on Slide
Lomography Xpro Slide 200ISO on Holga GCFN
I shot these during a short trip to Ipoh, the historical capital of Perak, one of Peninsular Malaysia’s northern states. Besides being famed for its local delicacies and coffee, one can also appreciate beautiful colonial architecture.
I chose to play with light and multiple exposures in this set and I think the results are quite pleasing to the eye. I’ve been shooting with many new cameras that I’ve forgotten the magic of the plastic fantastic Holga - the camera that made me fall in love with analogue photography.
-yovie eswark
Up, Up In The Air
Kodak T-Max 400 on Holgamod 120N
Just going through my old scans and found this set of pictures discarded in the ‘No Good’ pile. They are from a crazy trip across the globe on work last year where I was spending 40% of my time in transit or flying across a whole continent, and not enough time shooting on land. Most of the pictures shot on film from my window seat came out super blown-out, as the sun was just too strong up there. I was hoping to be able to capture something good, something better as the shots I randomly snapped on my iPhone turned out lovely. All 5 pictures above were taken in different parts of the world, in the air upon lift off from Kuala Lumpur, over Japan, over California, over Russia, and finally in Mexico. Pretty cool when I see it from that perspective ;)
Next time, I hope for more time on land! Yes, on land where the action really is!
-eleanorrigby236
What is Holga film??
Holga B&W 400 film on Nikon FG-20
Holga has film now too? Apparently yes. This 400ISO film works terribly well under low light, just as advertised. It produces creamy smooth grain that brings a sexiness only possible on film to your pictures!! The darks are super black and the highlights are not too overblown, adding a lot of mood to your final shot. For US$3, this is one film you’d definitely want to give a try. Some may cry a little when they find out it only has 24 exposures, but 24 is more than enough for me for a specific shoot in one location. 36 sometimes seem a drag to finish.
After shooting this film in both low light and in daylight, I have to say the best results come from images shot indoors or under a lot of brush with minimal light. The daylight shots still look good if you have a nice dark background. The more blacks you have on this film, the louder it gets, if that even makes any sense ;P
Official item description,
This is a roll of 24 exposure Holga 35mm Black and White Film from Foma. It’s a panchromatically sensitized black-and-white negative film designed for taking photographs under unfavorable lighting conditions or using short exposure times. This film will help you maximize your Holga experience. Under or overexpose it by 2-stops to achieve a wide variety of effects. 191424 Holga 135-24 Black and White Film Feature Highlights: Holga 135-24 Black and White Film, ISO 400, High Speed 35mm Format Film, General Purpose Indoor/Outdoor Film, Excellent Grain Structure, Pushable + or - 1 EV
-eleanorrigby236
Photos by Ikuru Kawajima
It is exactly a year now since March 11, 2011. In memory of what happened during the 2011 Tohoku earthquake, we thought we would like to share an old blog post of ours. We wanted Japan to know that we have not forgotten and that we send our prayers out to those who have lost loved ones and their homes, to those who are battling the after effects of the nuclear meltdown, and to all who are dedicated in their efforts of rebuilding the effected areas.
Holga 120
I found these photos via a link posted on my Twitter and was quickly drawn to them. I think images captured in the aftermath of disasters, let it be a lone doll or shoe, always contain so much emotion that the photos turn out beautiful, even if they depict nothing but pure and raw ugliness. The story of photojournalist Ikuru Kawajima is also an interesting read. He retells his tale of revisiting his home country after being estranged for over 8 years, of how he felt like an outsider at home. Some of the things he said may be hard to fathom, making him come across a little cold and unsympathetic. Regardless, anyone who dares venture into a place so full of sorrow and pain is brave and I applaud him for showing us what we would otherwise not see.
These photos featured here are part of his “Two Days in Tohoku and Afterwards” entry shot in Rikuzentakada and Oofunato which were hit by the tsunami when the first initial quake hit Tohoku in March. In his film collection we also see that he shot with a panoramic camera which I believe to be the Horizon as the photos turned out very sharp and crisp.
Make sure to check his blog out for more photos from Japan and his past published works. Also, if you would like to make a donation for relief efforts in the effected areas in Japan, visit the Google Crisis Response page to see how you can help.
-eleanorrigby236
The new Holga 120 PAN camera review
Fujichrome Tungsten 64T on Holga 120 PAN
Fujicolor Superia 100 on Holga 120 PAN
My first time ever writing an article about a camera. Ever! Well there is a first time for anything right? Although it is not my first time using a Holga. Been using it since 2004 as it is one of my first real “toy camera”.
The camera that I am writing about now is the new Holga 120PAN (PAN = PANorama). One of its first kind on a plastic toy camera (open for dispute). I got hold of this camera from my supplier in Hong Kong when it was first announced. It might also be one of the first to land here in Malaysia. It was exciting for as the closest to its “wideness” is the uber expensive Linholf Technorama. Try googling it and be in awe.
It has been in my possession for a while before I finally got the opportunity to run a few test rolls on it while I was back in my hometown of Johor Bahru. I was pleasantly surprised at the results. It still maintains the signature effects of a Holga, the vignetting and dreamy soft focus, but the centre focus is quite sharp. The distortions that are evident on most wide panorama toy cameras are also nowhere to be seen. I love that.
The Holga 120PAN takes two 120mm film frames per shot. So a 6x12 shot will give you six photos per roll of film. If you are the kind that prefer quantity over quality, get a Diana Mini and use the half frame mode. The camera comes equipped with a bubble level for shooting landscape straight. I find it useful when shooting my favourite scenes using my el cheapo tripod that does not have a bubble level.
The camera really shines when shooting wide landscape scenes as the resolution of the 120mm captures more details compared to 35mm films. To me, it is not the camera for you to bring along to parties or gigs as a panorama 35mm camera like the Horizon would suit those kind of scenes better.
The Holga 120N is at the top of my all-time favourite camera and this 120PAN is not far below.
-DemanG
Edit: Demang is our friend who owns the super stellar online camera shop ROFLCAM, and he specialises in Holgas & refurbished Russian rangefinders among others. Do check his shop out and just so you know, ROFLCAM ships internationally!
Exploring the Holga on TEDx
Some of you may know her for her book “Plastic Cameras: Toying with Creativity”, Michelle Bates is a well-known photographer who chooses the Holga as one of her main cameras. Check out her wonderful talk on TED here.
Ghosting in photos
Fuji Velvia 100 on Holgamod 120S
Knowing when to use the BULB mode on your Holga is crucial, because when the condition is right, you can get some amazing results like in that first picture up top. The shots I took from the balcony of the Grand Central Station in New York were a mere 5-second exposure, but it is enough to capture the movement taking place on the floor and not overexpose your shot. The second image of the alleyway, although void of any movement, turned out pretty cool for a 1-second exposure on bulb mode. It adds a little softness to the image, adding to the tunnel-effect of the image. I also like the final image from this set I shot in a ramen shop* (best ramen in NYC ever!!) showing a patron slurping his noodle at super-speed!!
I recently also came across some amazing pinhole shots of people at the dining table and the images look surreal. It is a very cool project which you can check out here at “A Pinhole Diary of Eating Out”.
-eleanorrigby236
*The ramen place is “Terakawa Ramen” which is just right across from the Gramercy Theater, for anyone interested.
Old film = Good film
Agfa RSX II 200 (expired) on HolgaMod 120S
delusiana and myself snagged 20 rolls of the Agfa RSX II 200 off a seller on eBay late last year knowing they all read in faded print ‘Process Before 1991.’ We were anxious about our purchase but not because we were afraid that the rolls might no longer be useable, but because we were excited to see what we would get post-exposure. I once had quite a wonderful surprise with a roll of Kodak Vericolor, also 20 years old, which got the two of us on a roll acquiring expired film at every opportunity.
The overexposed and double exposed shots came out very yellow as you can see above, while I think it may be a trait of this film, I am also doubting my scanner, or actually my ability to operate my scanner at this point. I will give it another shot and rescan the negs one of these days. For now though, I rather like the classic and retro colors of the first 3 pictures.
-eleanorrigby236
First infrared attempt!
Ilford SFX 200 on Holgamod 120N
(self-dev: Ilford Ilfotec DDX, 1:4, 10mins)
Behold, my first infrared attempt! I’ve had my Hoya R72 IR filter lying around for so long but for some reason I never managed to pick it up and stuff it onto my Holga. Heheh.
It was hot but seeing the overcast sky I thought I should expose the film longer than the recommended 4-8 seconds so I bracketed the shots at 10-12. You can see that they look a tad bit overexposed, and yes, this is Malaysia after all where the sun is almost always blazing hot!
Overall I’m quite pleased with the outcome and rest assured, CGSF will definitely be posting more IR shots this year!
-delusiana
Looking through my waist-level finder hurts my eye
Rollei RPX 400 on HolgaMod in New York, New York
(self-developed with Ilfotec DD-X 1+4, 10mins)
After spending some more time with my HolgaMod I realized that I don’t quite fancy the optics it comes with. It still provides the curving lens distortion but it is overall just too soft for my taste. I got this HolgaMod mainly for the waist level finder (as you can see in the image below) but I find it is actually fairly hard to compose using it. With the Holga I usually simply aim and shoot, using the mind’s eye ;) but as I always shoot from waist level I thought the finder would come in handy. Unfortunately for me, I must have really bad eyes, as I can’t seem to look through the finder and see my picture. Still the finder provides a rough outline of where I am aiming the lens at, so it ultimately helps.
I also like the fact that the lens screws off effortlessly, good for me to experiment with different types of optics. Overall, I love my HolgaMod as not only does it look uber cool in flat black, the Bulb Mode push rod helps a lot for those long exposures. No regrets in obtaining this Holga, but the GCFN still stands as my favorite.
-eleanorrigby236
My modified Holga that now comes with 2 apertures, closer focusing, interior flocking, Bulb-mode push rod, and the waist-level finder for stealth shooting.
Pinhole Monochrome Adventures: Holga-style!
Kodak T-Max 100 on Holga 120 WPC
When the opportunity to acquire a Holga 120WPC (wide pinhole camera) came my way, I couldn’t resist. I’ve been interested in pinhole photography for awhile, inspired by work I’ve seen on Flickr, and by the idea of getting closer to the basics of photography with a slower, more hands-on process. I’m also happy to add another Holga to my collection.
The WPC doesn’t have a viewfinder; images are sighted, composed, and leveled using three line/points on top of the camera, along with a built-in bubble level which is very handy.
There are two mask: a 6x9 for 8 images, and a 6x12 for 6 images. According to the specs, the WPC has a horizontal exposure angle reaching as far as 120 degrees. A standard tripod mount and threaded shutter release button accommodate the tripod and cable release necessary for long exposures, and on the back of the camera is an exposure guide. 120 film is loaded in the same fashion as a regular Holga, and in order to get the correct number of exposures, the film is wound by advancing to odd numbers; i.e., after 1, you wind to 3, then 5, and so on.
The pinhole itself is approximately 0.3mm, which translates to f/135. There’s a lot of information out there about correct exposure times but for now I’m going to follow the simple guide and experiment to find what works best for me. Also, I know there’s going to be a learning curve figuring out the subject framing and distance.
My WPC came pre-loaded with T-Max 100, compliments of the friend I got the camera from, and it was a great choice. I’m fairly new to T-Max, and have been pleased so far with the results in other cameras, and here, too. The 6x9 mask was in place.
For my first pinhole adventure, my daughter and I went to China Camp Beach, which is the site of a long-abandoned fishing village that thrived in the late 1800’s. Right on the bay, with a few abandoned buildings, old boats, and a pier, its a very atmospheric and interesting place to take photographs. These images were shot mid-day, but since its winter the sun was low, and the sky was fairly overcast. Following the exposure guide, I did approximately 10 second exposures, except for the double exposures in which I split the time.
I had very little idea what I was doing, so I’m pleased with this first attempt and encouraged to do more. I love the dreamy quality to pinhole photography. I also love the process of setting up to capture the image. I’m looking forward to many pinhole adventures, and am excited I can return to places I’ve already been and capture something completely different.
-Stephanie
Film Soup : Color Neg + Saltwater
Mitsubishi MX 100 on Holga 120N w/ 35mm back
The color shifts do not compare to what you get on slide film when soaked in detergent (like this!), but if you like mild and subtle effects, try soaking your film in some saltwater. Most of the shots on this roll were taken under very bright light but still they turned out a tad underexposed. Need to use Bulb mode next time.
Film Soup Recipe
- 300ml hot water
- 2 teaspoons salt
*film roll left in film soup for exactly 48 hours, dried, exposed, and developed.
-eleanorrigby236
Lion City
Shanghai B&W 100 on Holga 120 GCFN
Though I don’t give a shit about which layer of the cloud a skyscraper could reach or having to carve ‘I was here’ on the wall of the most expensive hotel in the world, I still feel the need to take a ‘proof’ picture of my recent visit to Singapore.
So there I was taking pictures of Marina Bay Sands hotel from the Merlion area, which I thought would be a cool story if the skypark actually rested on the hotel once upon a time when the water had finally dried up after what was dubbed the worst flood in history.
But it didn’t. *Sad*
Anyway, my first roll of Shanghai B&W was partially exposed just before sending it to the lab, and I’ve never had the chance to retry it. Now that I have, I know that I’ll always try a Shanghai to give me that misty/blurry effect. It did great in very mundane weather too. How I wish I’m in Christchurch now.
-yovie eswark
Not too close for comfort
Shanghai GP3 on Holgamod 120N w/ Macro Lens 30mm
Shanghai GP3 on Holgamod 120N w/ Close-Up Lens 120mm
(Ilfotec DD-X 1+4, 10mins)
I was contemplating to take a ruler out with me to measure the exact focal lengths between my lens and my subjects on this shoot but decided to just have fun with it. As you can see from the images above, you can produce really sharp images as long as you have the lens as close or as far away as required by the add-on lenses.
These were all shot without the use of a tripod, as you can tell from the blurry images, but with patience and lots of light, I am very sure super sharp images are possible.
I love the blurred edges, and the mystery the macro and close-up lenses bring to my shots above. They actually remind me of some pictures shot on the Lensbaby! We just posted this DIY Lensbaby tutorial on our FACEBOOK (yes, LIKE US!!!) but now you can get this same effect with even less of a hassle by just screwing on a macro or close-up lens to your Holga ;) You can easily find these lenses made specifically for the Holga sold online but with the correct step-down ring you could use any macro/close-up lens out there with your favorite toy camera.
-eleanorrigby236
