eclecticbuzzard

Haley, You can find lots of useful advice about your Holga on the internet. Here's more about <a href=http://squarefrog.co.uk/holga/index.php?id=masks>the masks</a>. Some of the most useful advice I've found is about "flocking" the <a href=http://squarefrog.co.uk/holga/index.php?id=flocking>inside of the camera body</a> by spray painting the interior (and the masks) with flat black spray paint to eliminate any light reflections inside the body. That will help.

Haley, that's not a filter holder. That is a piece that goes iside your camera body to change the format of the negatives to 6X6cm. It is called the 6X6 mask. Apparently, you do not have the instruction manual with your camera. You can find the instruction manual <a href=http://www.freestylephoto.biz/pdf/HolgaManual.pdf>here</a>. If you do not already have a mask (like maybe a 6X4.5 mask) inserted into your Holga, your pictures will be all messed up. You need to have a mask inside the camera.

I meant to say, the filter holder attached without the filter.

Here is just the <a href=http://www.freestylephoto.biz/sc_prod.php?cat_id=&pid=1000000391>Filter Holder</a> with the filter attached.

Oh, so sorry, I just figured out that you must be speaking of the black filter holder that comes with the <a href=http://shop.lomography.com/shop/>Holga Filter Set</a>. If so, you just slide the filter holder over the entire lens barrel. Piece of cake!

<a href =http://shop.lomography.com/shop/main.php?cat=&pro=uhm>Holga Universal Filter Mount</a> will enable you to attach any 55mm screw thread filter.

I filled out an online request for the catalog, and I've been receiving it for the past two years without making any purchases. The local camera shop that I hang out in gets it too.

If I were you, I'd choose one of the publications I'd be interested in publishing in, shoot some work like they have in their publication, and then contact them. You might want to ask them if they ever pay freelancers for just one shot.

 

Or, shoot some work in your local area and contact your local newspaper. They're usually eager to pay a few bucks for a good freelance shot.

 

Another idea is <a href="http://jpgmag.com">JPG Magazine</a>. It's a photographic art magazine that publishes photos by submission only.

Hi Dario, I like your website. You may be new to Photo.net, but you're quite skilled in your photography. You should be able to make valuable contributions to this online community.

Thanks for all suggestions.

Can anyone recommend some good online processing companies here in the U.S. that

I can send out some Efke 25 and 100 for development and contact sheets?

Sorry you didn't understand the question, Art (or Socrates, or whatever). The others seemed to understand it, and I like their answers. Rather than reword my question, I think I'll just ignore you.

I have a lot of favorites from the latter part of the 20th Century, Meatyard, Frank, Leibovitz, a fellow Floridian of today named Clyde Butcher, just to name a few. All of which are practically household names.

No particular genre. I just meant "giants of the industry," like Ansel Adams, Andre Kertesz, Robert Frank, Henri Cartier-Bresson, etc. You know, photographers whose work most of us have seen in books. Many books. I could probably think of a list of at least fifty names of internationally renowned photography greats from the 20th century, but if I had to list digital greats of today, I'd draw a complete blank.

Now that the digital age of photography is in full force, and there are so many

millions of photographers around the world producing such phenomenal work, the

likes of which we see everyday on PN, will there be new world renowned iconic

superstars of photographic art come along like we had in the 20th century? Or

has digital photography (and post-shoot digital software - e.g. Photoshop) made

it too easy for anyone and everyone to create virtual masterpieces?

 

I used to really admire the work of the great Jerry Uelsmann, but now anyone

could do photomontage using software, and it's so commonplace that pieces of

photomontage art just don't seem as admirable.

 

At the moment, I can't think of any recent superstars on the scene who might

have a book out of their digital artwork.

 

Are there any new superstars, and will there be many more to come?

Wow, thanks for all the great answers, and yes, they were all insightful. I've had many friends, and even a couple of family members over the years that have thought of themselves as professional photographers, but none of them were really earning much of a living. That's why I asked.

 

I would think that most of us, even if we are jobbing professionals, will have, and/or have had peaks and valleys in our careers, and in most cases, a career in photography cannot be thought of as smooth sailing.

 

Thanks to all for commenting.

Do very many photographers really make a good living taking pictures?

What is the return policy at the place you bought it from? They might very well let you exchange it for one that is working properly.

BTW, after repeated calls of only getting someone's voicemail, a live human finally answered the phone and they made good on the incorrect and missing parts by sending me replacements.

I'd take it to a pro shop, ask them not to cut it, and no prints, just negatives. My camera shop sends their stuff to a lab that will do that. Then, you'd do best to scan it on a film scanner, if you have (or have access to) one.

I've bought lots of stuff from them. The softboxes (with halogen lamps) are good, and the softboxes can be added to Paul C. Buff strobes (with Buff speedrings). The super heavy duty booms are very good. The 42" 5-way reflector is very good. The muslin backdrops I've gotten have been a very good value, except the 4" sleeve at the top does not accommidate the Amvona rods, so you have to attach the muslin with clamps. The 3-way backdrop stand that I got from them did not come with all the correct rods. I'm hoping they'll make good on the replacement parts. The tiny little camera bag I got from them on ebay for $12 (plus $9 sh&h) was a near-useless piece of crap.

 

They're still turning a profit. Almost all of this stuff is very inexpensively built in China. Then there's the aforementioned shipping. And for the tiny profit they earn on Ebay, they make up for it with the prices on the Amvona.com website.

 

All in all, I've been very pleased with Amvona. There's only about 15 people that run the whole show up there in Massachusetts. There's one guy named Sam in customer support who told me they've sold more than 60,000 items on ebay. They're busy people. Overworked and understaffed. Sam acts like it. Say something he doesn't like, he'll let you know. First thing he said to me was "item number?" I told him I didn't have the Amvona item number, but I have the item number to the Ebay auction. He barked at me saying, "that's the number I need! I don't need anything else!" Then he proceeded to screw up the whole order. I called back and some lady got it straightened out. I've read elsewhere on the internet this is a common problem with them. They have always been willing to fix any little problems I have though.

Gary,

I love that rooftop shot. Was it done with your Holga?

You crack me up. :~)

I believe <a href="http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/egocentrism">egocentrism</a> is often <a href="http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/shameful">shameful.</a>

I'm pretty sure <a href="http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/shameless">shameless</a> would mean "without shame," Larry.