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!