One of my favorite classes in college was my Medium Format class I took my sophomore year. There was only one assignment: take photos of whatever you want with a Holga camera. This was the class where I really got into the groove of developing my own film and learning darkroom techniques.
You really have to use your imagination when shooting on a $20 camera made of plastic. Light leaks, natural blur, and color shifts occur. And since everything is manual, it’s also easy to make double exposures either by choice or accident.
I sold my Holga when I graduated. Although I was still in love with this toy camera and it’s ability to take perfectly imperfect images, I really had no clue when I would be in a darkroom again. And the cost of processing 120 film is extraordinarily expensive, so I felt like it would be put to better use in someone else’s hands.
Fast forward to 2012, when I had really decided to fully pursue photography. I started craving a Holga again. I found one on Amazon for $18 (don’t buy a $60 one from Urban Outfitters– it’s a rip off). I ordered some film along with and and decided to start shooting with it as a supplement to my focus on digital photography.
I finished several rolls of film over the course of the past year. I took my Holga with me when the situation was special, but taking my 5d along wouldn’t have been the best choice. I developed all the film in one go this week, and I was pleasantly surprised with the outcome. Here are some of my favorites– a trip to Six Flags, camping, a horseback ride in Hawaii, and a dear friend’s wedding. And the best part was, everything was scanned and digitized so I never had to step foot in a dark room!
Casey Brodley, Photographer | Los Angeles Documentary Wedding Photographer | Wedding Photojournalist Southern California | Destination Wedding Photography | Santa Barbara Wedding Photographer | Los Angeles Lifestyle Family and Wedding Photographer
Los Angeles Documentary Wedding Photography
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This is somewhat embarrassing, isn’t it?
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