Photographing in the rain

Downtown Boston / Holga 120GN

Rainy days are a great opportunity for taking pictures; the wet streets, the reflections, the colorful umbrellas, the dramatic skies in the background, the mist and the raindrops add a moody sensation to any picture.
However, there’s nothing charming about getting caught in the rain while carrying around all that additional (and unnecessary) photo gear. In fact the only extra gear you might need during a rainstorm is your trendy raincoat where you will hide your camera in between shots and, if you’re lucky to have one, a good friend with a big umbrella.
A big friend with a good umbrella will do as well

Wall art series

Shabbat in Los Angeles / wall art series.
Original photos taken with a Holga 120GN camera

Here is another way to present your lovely photos. You can select pictures in a series or pictures that somehow relate to each other, or even photos that just look nice together.
Here is what you need:
Any size wood panels (you can get them in any arts and crafts store)
Photos printed with inkjet, laser printer or toner base photocopies
Mod Podge
Acrylic paint

1. If necessary sand and prepare the surface of the wood panel.
2. Using acrylic paints, paint the panel with the color of your choice. Alternatively you can replace the painting part with wood staining or even adhering designer paper to cover the surface.
3. Carefully measure and mark the area where you want your photo to go.
4. Brush a thin layer of Mod Podge on the wood surface, paste your photo and make sure to smooth out any air bubbles from underneath your photo. By the way, instead of pasting the photo onto the panel you can alternatively transfer your image onto the surface.
5. Brush a layer of Mod Podge over your photos to finish and protect them.
6. That’s it really. Now you can hang these wood panel beauties on your wall or display them on a shelf.

You can find lots more photo processes in my new book:
So Much More than Photography
eBook edition Price: $10
Kindle edition Price: $10
Print edition Price: $35 (Now on sale for $25.20)
Black & White print edition Price: $20

How to take panoramic photos with a Holga camera

Rodeo Drive, Beverly Hills / Holga 120 panorama

Unlike panoramas taken with other cameras, with a Holga there’s no need to stitch the images together on the PC; the whole “stitching” thing is done directly on the negative.
Holga panoramas are made simply by turning the advance knob only one turn after taking the first picture. By doing so the second picture will overlap the first image, the third will overlap the second and so on.
There are mainly two ways of making Holga panoramas; you can stand in one place and just shift your body between images or you can move sideways between images keeping your camera at the same level. One important thing to remember is to take the panorama images from left to right.
And also don’t forget it’s a Holga! In other words, the panorama doesn’t have to be perfect; actually it’s probably better that it isn’t.

You can find this process and many other photo processes in my new book:
So Much More than Photography
eBook edition Price: $10
Kindle edition Price: $10
Print edition Price: $35 (Now on sale for $25.20)
Black & White print edition Price: $20

Shooting 35mm film with a Holga

Funny thing happened to me yesterday when I picked up my film from the lab. They apologized and said that sadly two of my negatives were blank or just didn’t develop right and therefore they didn’t charge me for the two. Obviously I was disappointed but oh well, this is the risk of the trade, so I just took the negatives home. But before tossing the failed negatives away I placed them over a light table, you know, just to be certain, and sure enough the negatives looked quite weird with light leaks all over the place but I could definitely see a few faint images… So I scanned the negatives and was pleasantly surprised to discover these soft beautiful images of the east side of Hollywood.
The camera these “failed” negatives were taken with was a modified Holga that was adapted to accept 35mm film and make some cool pictures. The best thing about this Holga modification is that the original Holga’s medium format exposure area is larger than a 35mm which means that the entire negative is exposed including the sprockets. Also since the 35mm does not fit tightly the images often come out very soft with lots of light leaks.
Modifying your Holga to accept 35mm is actually quite a simple modification and there are plenty of easy tutorials on how to get it done available on youtube. Check it out.

Don’t buy expensive cheap cameras!

In the last few years toy cameras gained popularity among many photographers who enjoy their little imperfections and remarkable effects.
A few years back when I got interested in toy cameras, the Holga was definitely a cheap (i.e. inexpensive) plastic camera.
But shortly after, the Lomographic Society got involved and took over the concept and marketing of toy cameras and the prices went up, way up. Their prized possession is a plastic soviet camera called the Lomo LC-A which they have a monopoly over and currently sell at outrageous prices starting at $250 ($600 for the same camera gilded in 24-carat gold. Seriously!)
But don’t worry; they didn’t forget to price gouge the Holga as well. On their website you can get your Holga wrapped in some sort of a starter kit for a $100 and more.
And a word of caution here: For some unknown reason (called Profit) the Lomographic Society found it necessary to upgrade the original Lubitel 166 to something they call Lubitel 166+ and they sell for a low price of just $350. What a bargain!
Remember? We are still talking about PLASTIC cameras.
Smart people; no doubt, their profit margin calculator is working overtime.
But hey, why not? I mean, it’s a free market and if there are people who are willing to pay high prices for cheap cameras…then go for it.

Myself, I strongly believe photography should not be such an expensive trade/hobby and I constantly look for the most inexpensive solutions. I often buy my cameras at garage sales or second hand stores, I search for good deals on ebay or craigslist, I opt to modify the cameras myself, I look for expired or close-dated film (half priced!) etc.
And if I may, let me quickly recommend Freestyle Photographic Supplies where you can find toy cameras at great prices.

You can too, shop around, find out what’s out there and remember;
you don’t have to buy your cameras overstated and packaged with all sorts of unnecessary accessories.

Just something to think about before you decide to delve into the world of toy cameras.

PS. Feel free to share your suggestions for solutions and places to get toy cameras for bargain prices. (I’m going to include as many of them in my next book.)

You can find this article and many creative photo processes in my new book: So Much More than Photography.
The eBook edition is now on sale for $10. Get it here