Any tips (or instructions) for the Holga camera?

Question

I've had my Holga for about a half a year now, but still haven't come up with anything great. Anything you've found in your experience about lighting, speeds, developing (I don't do it myself), loading- whatever you've got!

Answer 1

First off, Holga cameras are unique in and of the fact that they do not create "great" photos in the technical sense of the word. (I'm sure you know all this, but for the sake of others, allow me to explain.) Picutres will be grainy, out of focus, over-exposed as well as under-exposed. There will be lens vignetting and you will lose some of your film to light leaks and foiled loading/unloading attempts. However, it's all worth it once you get that perfect, surreal, shot that YOU (and maybe ONLY you) appreciate for its beauty and the journey you took to get it.

Emotional sensationalism aside, here are some practical tips I've learned:
~~ Don't trust the viewfinder.
~~ Put black (duct or electrical) tape on the seams of the camera to cut down on light leaks. Sometimes I prefer a leak, if it isn't too strong.
~~ Tape a black piece of cardstock over the exposure window on the back to cut down on the chance of masively overespoing your film.
~~ Practice loading and unloading on one roll of film until you can do it with your eyes closed. It'll be much easier in the field when your eyes are open.
~~ Use a film speed appropriate for your enviroment. (low numbers for light enviroments, high for dark.) I almost exclusively shoot on 400 speed, which will cover most of where I shoot, though keeping a roll of 800 or higher on hand wouldn't be a bad idea.
~~ Find a local film shop for developing, though shipping the film off isn't a bad idea either. I would invest in a cheap lightbox so you can look at your negs at home. Also, get a CD of your prints before you get prints, it'll help keep costs down.
~~ Experiment with your camera and find "its" sweet spot. I say "its" because what you're really for is the ideal combination of setting on your Holga that YOU like the look of in the final product.
~~ Never hesitate to be creative.

Have fun!

Answer 2

Here is something I ran across on the internet. It is a podcast called The Simple Photo Minute and was the 7/12/2006 episode. The is available free on iTunes. It is video and the guy in the podcast shows how to take out some of the inside parts to expose the whole frame for a better vignetting effect, show to seal the camera up for less light leaks, etc.

If you don't want to mess with iTunes you can get the podcast directly from the website at www.simplephotolife.com. From there click on the "blog" link and then search for "Holga". That will take you directly to the Holga episode and you can watch it there and then on your computer.

Good luck. The camera looks interesting. I've even been thinking of buying an old twin lens camera to try out some of that 120 film and just to do something other than digital.

Answer 3

Try www.photo.net. They have a forum called alternative cameras. I believe that's where the Holga fans hang out!

Answer 4

What instructions? You peel the tape that holds it together. Open the lid. Insert a new roll of film. Close the lid. Tape it back up. Press the "shutter release" button to take a photo.

Answer 5

By any chance was this your first SLR? Thats a lot of money to put into a camera... Anyways, I've learned this:
Lighting- Use faster shutter speeds in bright light or slow shutter speed in low light. And use a tripod in low light.
-Never point your camera at a reflective surface, the picture comes out glarey
-Use filters to add effects to your pictures
-Have the sun behind you as much as possible
-Use f/10+ for a deeper field of vision

Answer 6

get a new one