Holga - The world through a cheap plastic lens

[Atomic Glee]

Recently, I've discovered the Holga, a little $20 toy camera from China that, at face value, should be in the garbage. Made almost entirely of plastic (including the lens), the Holga features vague focusing, severe light fall-off, chromatic distortions, light leaks aplenty, and many other flaws. So, why would anybody use it? It uses 120 film, and takes square 6x6 photos. The photos all have a weird look to them, with oddball coloring and focus, and different vignetting effects. It should be trash, but I love the photos it takes. As my girlfriend says, "they all look like somebody's last known photo." Many of them look like photos rescued from somebody's old shoebox from the '60s.

A good site for learning about the Holga can be found here.

I've got several of the first pics from my Holga, with more coming. As I get them developed, I'd like to share some with y'all.

First up, this photo of the Electric Building (I live here - I have a loft on the 4th floor. The window on 4 at the fire escape and the three to the right of it are mine) in downtown Fort Worth, taken from the edge of Burnett Park:



You can see a bigger version on Flickr.

More to come as I upload them. Enjoy the weirdness! If anybody else has Holga pics, feel free to share as well.

[Beeble]

Have you tried to fit a pinhole aperture to one? That could give some really awesome photos.

[Atomic Glee]

Originally Posted by Beeble

Have you tried to fit a pinhole aperture to one? That could give some really awesome photos.

Nope, I haven't tried that yet. If I do, I'll probably order another Holga for it, and keep the one I have now unmodified.

[Atomic Glee]

Next up, this shot of Burnett Park, the downtown park that my loft overlooks:



As always, bigger versions are available at Flickr.

[Atomic Glee]

The third pic from my new Holga. This shows the view from Burnett Park looking down the 7th Street Canyon in downtown Fort Worth. The two most promiment buildings in the front are the Electric Building on the left (old 1929 skyscraper, where my loft is) and the Neil P. Anderson Building (old 1921 Cotton Exchange building now converting to high-end condos).



Bigger at Flickr.

[Atomic Glee]

Fourth pic from my Holga. This is the Neil P. Anderson Building, across the street from my loft at the Electric Building. The Neil P. was built in 1921 and served as the headquarters of the Cotton Exchange for many years. Now, it's being restored and converted to high-end condos. Because the street grid shifts at this intersection, the building makes a gentle, sweeping curve to follow both 7th and Lamar.



Bigger at Flickr.

[Oyveychris]

Check out the Lomo, another photographic oddity. Some people have coined picture taking with lomos as "Lomography".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lomo

[PhoenixRising]

That makes me think of this old camera I once had, that got stuck in a certain focus, that made every picture odd. I might have to dig those photos out and scan them...

Neat thread.

[callisto9]

i like it! the photos look retro-fabulous! keep posting! me likey!

[Atomic Glee]

Some others (haven't put these on Flickr yet, not until tomorrow - giving y'all a sneak peek). The entrance to the primate exhibit at the Fort Worth Zoo:

[Atomic Glee]

The Ghia:

[Atomic Glee]

My favorite so far. Looking up at the Neil P. Anderson Building here in downtown Fort Worth:

[jdesigns]

Kinda funny that you posted this. My ex-photography instructor, and my wife's current photo instructor lent us her Holga last week. The wife has been interested in it, but I'm not as it's film based, and we don't have access to a darkroom to process it.

Nice work with the photo's! You have a good eye!

Keep your eye out for a thread about my LensBaby. It gives interesting effects kinda like the Holga, only 7 times the price, but I can use it on my DSLR. I'll try to find a bit of time to get a few shots using the LensBaby.

[jdesigns]

Here is a link to the Wikipedia page about the Holga Camera. (In case you missed the link in Kevin's first post)

[yellowherbie]

Cool camera, and cool pics!! I love the history behind all the great old buildings!

[Atomic Glee]

Some newer Holga pics. First up, the Reata here in downtown Fort Worth:



The Reata in Sundance Square. Love the copper awning. The Reata is a restaurant that, along with the Etta's Place bed & breakfast, Marble Slab Creamery, and the Four Day Weekend improv theatre, occupies two buildings in downtown built in 1884 and 1887. The buildings were restored in 1983.

[Atomic Glee]

Next, the Bass Performance Hall in downtown:



Called "the last great performance hall of the 20th century," the Nancy Lee & Perry R. Bass Performance Hall opened in downtown in 1998. Designed by David Schwarz, the building's most striking features are the 48 foot tall limestone angels on its north facade. The Bass Hall was named one of the top 10 opera houses in the entire world by Travel & Leisure Magazine.

[PhoenixRising]

I just bought one of these (actually, I got a deal on two; one with a built in flash), plus a set of wicked lens..

Holga 120CFN Medium Format Fixed Focus Camera with Lens and Built-in Flash with Color Filter Wheel

Holga 120N Medium Format Camera

Holga Split Image Multi-Image Filter Set.



Should be coming via the magic of UPS later this week.

[jdesigns]

So when are you opening your own Camera Store TJ?


Looking forward to pics from the Split Image Multi-Image Filter.

[PhoenixRising]

Originally Posted by jdesigns

So when are you opening your own Camera Store TJ?


Looking forward to pics from the Split Image Multi-Image Filter.

Hey, I'll open the store, you put a studio in it, we'll be set.

I just tooks some shots today, with my Rollie, and man...what a freak show that camera is.

You should see this one shot I got...maybe I'll post it in the Rollie thread...You should get one. I bet you would love it.