Multiple shutter speeds are for wusses.
February 13, 2003 2:07 AM Subscribe
Some would say that Holga never really died... Welcome to the surreal world of plastic photography. The run away champion site is DigitalSucks, though great galleries and daring feats of technical innovation are scattered across the net. I'm already looking to get my first Holga.
an acquaintance of mine (i never liked him, so he's not considered a friend) used to swear by his holga. he also used to swear by his lomo (both normal and action sampler). he was a sad character, really. i always got the impression he was in love with the mythology and the whole scene of having a holga, like he was everso smug about having one and never got round to realizing that his photos were actually CRAP.
i'm a firm believer that if you have The Eye you can take great pictures with anything that allows light into a previously dark area, whether it be a coolpix, a box brownie, a biscuit tin or disused grain silo. i fear that some may be trying to elevate crap pictures into the realm of the cool picture simply because they were taken with a rubbish (rubbish in a cliquey cool way) camera. this guy certainly was.
having said that, some of the galleries in your post, kaibutsu, are wonderful. many thanks for sharing them!
posted by nylon at 3:43 AM on February 13, 2003
i'm a firm believer that if you have The Eye you can take great pictures with anything that allows light into a previously dark area, whether it be a coolpix, a box brownie, a biscuit tin or disused grain silo. i fear that some may be trying to elevate crap pictures into the realm of the cool picture simply because they were taken with a rubbish (rubbish in a cliquey cool way) camera. this guy certainly was.
having said that, some of the galleries in your post, kaibutsu, are wonderful. many thanks for sharing them!
posted by nylon at 3:43 AM on February 13, 2003
When my partner was a teaching assitant at The Maine Photographic Workshops in the early 90's you would often see some of this countries best known photographers carrying their Hassleblads, Nikons and Canons alongside their trusty Holga's. The real action concerned the fine art of Holga modification - duct tape techniques, tripod add ons etc. Seeing Mary Ellen Mark or Keith Carter shooting with their trusty little Holga was always a real treat.
posted by dhacker at 3:45 AM on February 13, 2003
posted by dhacker at 3:45 AM on February 13, 2003
I agree with nylon. Lomography and related lo-fi photography has become as boring, dogmatic and brand obsesses as the traditional big willy style photography. I wouldn't waste my money on an overpriced russian camera just to be part of a trendy movement.
posted by arf at 4:26 AM on February 13, 2003
posted by arf at 4:26 AM on February 13, 2003
ARGH! YOU PEOPLE SICKEN ME.
posted by crunchland at 4:54 AM on February 13, 2003
posted by crunchland at 4:54 AM on February 13, 2003
I dunno, my friend's Lomo takes pretty nice pictures. Holga takes great pics too, if you are lucky (or know what you are doing maybe). My Holga pictures only come out about 1/3 of the time though.
Its only about 20$ though, so what is there to lose?
posted by ejoey at 7:05 AM on February 13, 2003
Its only about 20$ though, so what is there to lose?
posted by ejoey at 7:05 AM on February 13, 2003
nylon: while having the Eye certainly helps one take good photographs, I think that some types of cameras are more suitable for than others in particular situations, or produce distinct artifacts that are desirable to photographers.
I own a Lomo, as well as an older 35mm Nikon SLR and an Olympus digital camera. They all have their strengths and weaknesses, so I may choose to use one rather than another depending on the circumstances.
No doubt there are some poor souls who believe that owning a Lomo or a Holga makes them trendy, but the proof is in the results they obtain with it. My parents bought me a Holga when I was a kid. That camera, along with a Minox B, and my grandmother's old Brownie, really made me fall in love with photography.
posted by MrBaliHai at 7:51 AM on February 13, 2003
I own a Lomo, as well as an older 35mm Nikon SLR and an Olympus digital camera. They all have their strengths and weaknesses, so I may choose to use one rather than another depending on the circumstances.
No doubt there are some poor souls who believe that owning a Lomo or a Holga makes them trendy, but the proof is in the results they obtain with it. My parents bought me a Holga when I was a kid. That camera, along with a Minox B, and my grandmother's old Brownie, really made me fall in love with photography.
posted by MrBaliHai at 7:51 AM on February 13, 2003
You neglected to mention Holga Central as another Holga community.
posted by mathowie at 8:29 AM on February 13, 2003
posted by mathowie at 8:29 AM on February 13, 2003
I keep mine in my knitting bag, next to my Moleskine.
posted by MrMoonPie at 8:37 AM on February 13, 2003 [2 favorites]
posted by MrMoonPie at 8:37 AM on February 13, 2003 [2 favorites]
There is a fascination with ultra-cheap/ultra-limited tools for taking pictures, or video or sounds-sort of a "can i overcome this meager tool?" thing. Is your "eye" more important than your tools?.....i still regret not ever getting a fisher-price pixelvision video camera when they came out...
by the by, a certain member of this community is up for a photobloggie (this member takes great pictures with a cheapie pencam)
posted by amberglow at 10:35 AM on February 13, 2003
by the by, a certain member of this community is up for a photobloggie (this member takes great pictures with a cheapie pencam)
posted by amberglow at 10:35 AM on February 13, 2003
"i always got the impression he was in love with the mythology and the whole scene of having a holga, like he was everso smug about having one and never got round to realizing that his photos were actually CRAP."
"I wouldn't waste my money on an overpriced russian camera just to be part of a trendy movement."
What's up with the Holga-bashing? From what fount springs this faux anxiety of 1st-year art school hipness? They are TOY CAMERAS, people. They take FUN PICTURES, sometimes beautiful ones--it's arbitrary art. They cost $15 and they use medium-format film, something most of us can't afford to play around with otherwise. Go start a thread about how uncool Belle and Sebastian are.
posted by _sirmissalot_ at 10:51 AM on February 13, 2003
"I wouldn't waste my money on an overpriced russian camera just to be part of a trendy movement."
What's up with the Holga-bashing? From what fount springs this faux anxiety of 1st-year art school hipness? They are TOY CAMERAS, people. They take FUN PICTURES, sometimes beautiful ones--it's arbitrary art. They cost $15 and they use medium-format film, something most of us can't afford to play around with otherwise. Go start a thread about how uncool Belle and Sebastian are.
posted by _sirmissalot_ at 10:51 AM on February 13, 2003
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cheap and cool photos @webmonkey
posted by deboute at 2:52 AM on February 13, 2003