New Photo.net film photography column series + a chance to win a Holga or film

[steve_mareno]

Great idea Josh. Film is far from dead, as anyone that shoots B&W knows. I have a suggestion for your short list of cameras to do write ups on. How about the lowly Moskva 5 camera? I bought a beater for $35. After bending the already bent lens struts a little to get the lens straight, sort of, and after repairing the bellows leaks I was rewarded w/ some very nice 6x9 photos. Just operating the thing is a hoot, as it seems to be a left handed camera in a right handed world. I'd post a pic from it but don't want to intrude on the Holga's 15 minutes of fame here. Never shot one, but now I am beginning to feel the urge.

[rose_duclos]

Josh, I think the film articles are a wonderful idea, and am looking forward to reading your holga piece. I don't know

how you find the time to do as much as you do. (but I'm glad you do it) :)

 

If you run out of cameras and want to borrow a few of mine - just let me know off-line, and I'll supply you a 'short

list', I'd love to add to the learning fount here (without having to work, to do so.) :D - I'm crazy lazy, and admit it.

[brianam]

plastic & toy cameras are just so much fun to use, they epitomize the sense of "let's see what comes back" about traditional film shooting. like the shot you posted, I've landed on using my Holga for B&W films about 90% of time -- the chromogenics (XP2, 400CN) work great and scan well. i've found color print films to be less interesting somehow (unfortunate since they're much cheaper in 120) but a cross-processed roll of slide is always fun here & there.

 

The Diana camera seems to have been recently reintroduced, at prices almost 2x of a Holga. anyone used one of those yet? any reason why a Holga shooter should get one of those as well? are they worse? :-) i.e. plagued with *more* vignetting, light leaks and warped lenses then the Holga? one can hope!

[Brian]

Josh, you did the right thing choosing the Holga first: you really stirred up some controversy. And thanks very very much for this initiative. There are a lot of us with a soft spot for film hanging around here still. And if people are still puzzled about the charms of the Holga, your image should set their minds at rest. It's marvellous.

[ihasphotos]

First of all, What a beautiful portrait!!!!

I just love the soft focus that Holgas can provide.

 

I must say my favorite thing about the holga is the lack of control, soft focus you get, the light leaks, and its just a really fun camera.

 

I know that people think Holgas, and with the support of Lomography, that it is just a fad, but so what...they are doing a huge part to help keep film around. Marketing gimmicks aside, they have interesting cameras and great film prices.

 

Great work Josh, and Great article! Those commenter have some amazing shots!!!

[bob_king2]

I'm rooting for you Josh! No, this is not a joke. I'm basically a digital shooter but am now going back to film (B&W) and start doing those things I never did when I was younger. I now have some decent MF and 35mm gear along with basic darkroom equipment. What digital did for me was to allow me to learn the basics of photography so that I now have the confidence to tackle B&W film in a fairly serious way.

 

So, any new column such as yours is welcome. Your Holga pics are tempting me to run some film through my old Box Brownie 620. I still have it after 50 years - it was my first camera.

 

Cheers, Bob

[astral]

Some people spend hours in the wet/desktop darkroom trying to create a special 'interestingness' in their

photographs (fuzziness, weird light & shade, optical effects, etc). The results vary from being very 'clever and

arty' to its flip side, 'dull and crappy'.

 

Holgas just shorten the process. However cruddy the cameras are, they

are still legitimate 'tools' in photographic terms - just as much as home-made pinhole cameras, Lens-Babies,

soft-focus filters, and the use of Photoshop. This doesn't mean that the results will be aesthetically good, any

more than using a Pentax K1000 or Leica M7 can guarantee 'good' photographs.

 

The oft repeated cliche is: "it ain't what you use that ultimately matters, it's how you use it". If there's any

truth in that, then must apply equally to 'Blads and Holgas, to pinhole cameras and even to camera-less

photograms. As such I support Josh's proposition: it's about using film - in the widest possible range of

cameras, for the widest possible range of subjects and with the widest possible range of techniques and processes

that can be applied during and after the image is captured.

 

There are plenty of threads about "which camera/lens should I buy" - much fewer about "what can I do with film

that makes it different, interesting and rewarding?"

[fixcinater]

I have been getting back into using film almost as much as my DSLR rig. I'm borrowing a Canonet QL17 III right now, and it's wonderful being able to wander around with 400CN in it, or even cheap drugstore film. It's light and compact, I don't have to even think about the battery (it's got one of the last mercury batteries I've seen around in it, which last seemingly forever), and the metering is super easy. There are too many great cameras around that should continue to be used, even if commercially, only digital is viable (for mags/weddings/client-based shoots) now.

[jay a. frew]

Hello:

 

I bought a Holga in early Oct. I've put a few rolls of Provia through it...not too bad really.

 

This is my first roll of BW 400CN...I'll have to try a few more before I decide whether I like or or not...I did not like the plastic spool. The hole/slot in the end of the spool, that fits over the post in the camera, seemed like it was too small. The fit was VERY tight, I was just starting to think I bought the wrong film when I finally managed to get the spool in.

 

Anyhow...here's a shot that I scanned on an Epson 4990 with Epson scan.

 

Cheers! Jay<div></div>