Time for something different this week in Travel Technology – we’re going Lo-fi. And I mean lo-fi. Most of you know that I shoot with Canon kit and autofoucusing lenses. All things that allow for photos to be done quickly and allow you to knock out quality pictures.
But sometimes, a Digital Camera is the poorest tool in the world to learn with.
Why?
A digital camera encourages you to take until you get it right. That’s a positive, but also gets you into the mindset of taking things multiple times until its right… rather taking the time to pause, think and prepare and shooting.
And in some photographic situations, taking the step back to pause and think about your shot can yield better results than shooting straight away.
So, we’re going to look at the Holga 120N. What’s one of those when it’s at home? One of these. It’s plastic fantastic, with only a few bits of metal in it.
The front of the Holga 120N (this is one of a few I own). Yes, there’s tape on it. For a good reason. The lens is a F8 lens (with an alleged f8/f11 controller… which does… actually nothing). The lens – like the majority of the camera – is plastic. You don’t get glass.
The Lens has a four-focusing zone. To quote Lok Cheung on the focusing system – Single family, You get your family, family tree and then you die and are buried at a mountain.
The back. Notice the camera has been set to 12 frames per 120 roll of film to give a six-by-six square frame. Hip before Instagram.
The top of the camera. Yes, there’s a flash shoe (Which means you can sync a flash or a radio trigger off it). There’s also a winder.
This is for all intents and purposes a plastic toy camera. It uses 120 roll film. Which looks a little like this:
Ilford XP2 film. Proper roll film!
So, this stuff loads up as needed in the camera. The tape you saw in the earlier photos serve as the way the back stays on the camera.
Because otherwise, it would fall off with a gentle breeze.
So, its pure plastic box, has nasty light leak habit, and the back falls off faster than you can say “Flash Gordon”. This is camera to throw in the bin and never use.
Or is it?
Whilst a plastic lens sounds like it should product crap images, I’ve used it both creatively and in the studio – with differing results.
This image was shot on a Chicago Architecture Foundation boat tour, from the river, with Ilford XP2 film @ ISO400. I love the vinigeretting in the corners, whilst there is softness and sharpness that makes the image interesting.
This was shot off a boat in Seattle. Using Fujifilm Veliva 100, there’s very little latitude for any control in slide film. However, the sun haloing in to the meniscus lens along with the soft edges give this image a very dreamy look. With an f8/f11 aperture (if it works), light is your friend.
Musan Statue Park, South Korea, Ilford XP2 – Somehow, the trick of a Holga is to make an image look dreamy. It worse here well…
Olympic Park Central Atlanta – as well as here – Atlanta, Fujifilm Provia 100
Long exposure is possible… providing you set the camera into bulb mode and don’t move it as you hold down the shutter button – Fujifilm Provia 100.
This was a direct scan of the film, with the markers on the film uncropped, taken on an A330 as the sun rises. I don’t think I got the exposure right, but the reds are lovely and strong – Fujifilm Astia 100
…and finally Cloud Gate in Chicago, covered in snow. Ilford XP2.
With the Holga, I tend to use a mixture of slide film (because the film is so unforgiving in terms of exposure – you have one chance to get things right!) and Ilford XP2 (because is the easiest Black and White film to get developed… by using a Colour Process!).
These days, I get them developed and then scanned (whilst not taking delivery of the prints). This gives a good middle balance of what I’m after.
This isn’t a camera for your wedding. It’s one for learning about photography and learning what your camera can do – despite the limitations.
With 12 to 16 frames a roll of film, it puts a bit of pressure to take the step back, and to think before you shoot. But also, knowing the results could be good to awful, it introduces a lack of “caring” that can be rather freeing when taking photos.
I’ve used one of these in commercial shoots (with the comedy they involve) for a few “joke” images, but I find myself coming back to the Holga every few years to experiment and refine my own photography.
Least of all, it helps in stopping me taking a thousand photos – hoping one to be right, and instead focus on getting it right the very first time.
Sans Photoshop.
Whilst production of Holga have ceased (although there are plans to bring it back), they’re easy enough to find on Amazon (US) and eBay US, UK.
And if you spend time doing photography – take the step backwards, and pick up one of these. It’ll help your photography.
Just make sure you have a lab that can develop 120 film….
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