Holga Cable Release

This is just a quick post on some basic (maybe common) knowledge about the Holga Cable Release. I had an issue with mine, and have heard of a few others having this same problem so I thought I'd just do a quick recap.

How it works is pretty straight forward, but it seems to have an 'auto lock' feature to it so that when you depress the button, it will stick there.

The issue I had with mine, first of all was that the little round portion on the top fell off.  I didn't realize it at the time, so when I went to use it, this is what it looked like.  It was very uncomfortable on my finger! And I also was a bit confused to what was going on, and thought it was broken or not working correctly.

After some examination, I realized maybe I was missing a part.  Later on, luckily I found it on the stairs!

Great! So I put it back together.  I still do not like the auto lock feature though (maybe it doesn't do that on all of them, but I've heard of at least a few that auto lock).  In order to release the cable, you need to press the circular metal piece that is in the middle.

(please excuse my dry Canadian winterized skin and nails)

It releases a bit harsly for my taste, almost like a jolt.  I thought I'd try using a different cable release that I used to use on an old Minolta film camera, which was smoother and didn't stick.  Only after I got back my film with a bunch of blank photos did I realize that they are not the same length.

Lesson - if you decide to use a different cable release, make sure the end that you push in and out is the same length as the one specifically made for the Holga.

Here is a comparison, the Holga Cable Release is the one on top:

The rest of it is pretty easy to use.  You place the square plastic mount over the lens of the camera, and screw in the cable release.  Set your Holga to "B" and you're ready to go.

Now, I'm wondering for all of you out there who have one of these - does yours do the 'auto lock' thing?  If so, does it bother you?  Has it given any sort of camera shake when it releases?

Please share with me your experiences, thoughts, additional tips, or if you have any questions please post them in the comments!

And don't forget to vote in the poll at the top of the page! Thank you to everyone so far who has voted!!

Wanted: Your Opinion and Suggestions for The Holga Darkroom!

Things have been a little quiet around this neck of the woods. I think the winter dreariness is finally getting to me. I don't want to let it win - but I need your help. Over the past few months I've been posting different topics and categories and trying to broaden my blog into something a bit more useful than just me sharing my recent photos.

I would like you to please vote on what you'd like to see more of on this blog. Or perhaps you have a suggestion that I haven't listed. If so, please leave a comment here and let me know what you think! The poll is right at the top of the page!

Voting will be open for a week, until Friday, March 5, 2010 at noon, EST.

Some of the options are self explanatory, as I've already posted some of them.

I was thinking today about maybe trying my hand at some short how-to videos - which would basically just be me showing you how I use my Holga. Perhaps how I tape it up, how I load and unload film, how I set up some of my shoots, or taking the video on the road with me & my Holga. I don't know if this is a good idea or not - what do you think?? The bigger question being - am I brave enough to do it? If I get enough support from you all I promise I will give it a shot :)

Thanks in advance and I really look forward to hearing from you all.

Go check out my post on HolgaBlog today - Flickr Friday! I am really having fun looking through all of your photos and posting this weekly feature!

Blurfect - new photo book by Tread

In case you haven't heard, the well known toy camera photographer and blogger Tread has just released an artist's photo book.  "Blurfect" is a limited edition photo book, so hurry and get yours before they are gone!

Blurfect, booklet, soft cover 36 pages+cover, 36 images+words. Printed on 100lb. Accent Opaque--a small collection of black and white images captured using old toy cameras and film. Images are loosely narrated with thoughts, brief and quite possibly--irrelevant. Visit www.blurfect.com for details and for a glimpse watch the book trailer at www.blurfect.com/aarchive.html

Win a Free Holga Print!

Rhianne over at For the Easily Distracted is celebrating her blog's one year anniversary, and I am happy to help her celebrate by doing a give a way of one of my prints.

For a chance to win a free 6x6 print of "Fallen Glory" - visit her blog and follow the instructions!

Holga Happenings - Macro, 35mm, and a hike!

Many of you have heard by now about the new Holga Macro and Close up lenses.  They were among the new products released by Holga Ltd. last year.  I have both in my possession - there are two macro lens attachments, and three close up ones.  When I first got the macro lenses, I did a few test shots but I have been procrastinating (one of my biggest strengths!) in testing out the rest.  I hope to get this done today!  Maybe by posting that here I will feel more accountable to you all :)

My first macro test, I inadvertently left my focus on the wrong setting - I believe you are supposed to set it to the 'infinity' setting (the mountains icon).  So because of that the photo is probably a little bit more blurry than it would normally be.  I still think it turned out pretty cool though.  This is a long exposure on some expired Ilford HP5.




35mm in a Holga

I get asked this question quite frequently - "how do you adapt your Holga to use 35mm?"  A fellow blogger and perhaps a new Holga addict himself, Dave Wolanski did a post recently on his experience using 35mm film in his Holga.  He has a great step by step post as well as photos to go along with it.

Check out Dave's post here.


Holga Hike

Randy from HolgaMods sent out an email notice yesterday about this new event.  It is scheduled for March 20 and you can read more about it here on the Holga Hike website.  You can register to find a 'buddy' in your area, and there are prizes to be won!


(From a "hike" I took back in December)

That's all I've got for today! Hope you all have a great Monday.

Feature Photographer - Steph Parke

 Today, it's my pleasure to introduce you to Steph Parke - a plastic camera lover and amazing photographer.  She is also the editor of a very popular magazine dedicated to toy camera photography - Light Leaks.

Willard Wetlands

How did you get introduced to your first Holga and how long have you been shooting with it?

I was in college in my Intermediate Photo class, and toward the end of the semester in 2002, we were given an assignment to shoot with a Holga.  I checked one out from the lab that day and shot one lonely roll of film.  The next day I went to the darkroom and absolutely HATED what I saw on my negatives.  They were blurry and not anything I had pictured.  I thought they sucked.  I finished the rest of my college classes without ever picking up a Holga again.  Fast forward to a few months after graduation in '04, and somehow I ended up Googling "Holga", clicked on toycamera.com, ordered a Holga and a small cache of 120 film within the hour, and the rest is history.

Sprague Lake, Colorado

False Summit

What is it about toy cameras / plastic lenses that draws you to shoot with them?

I love the soft focus, the vignette, the distortion, the happy accidents, and I love being a very small part of the toy camera community.  I think they'd kick me out if I stopped using toys.  

Desert Door

Bull Trout Lake, Idaho (Banner Image - Diana Clone)

What other cameras do you have in your arsenal?

Besides Holgas, I have a few Dianas and clones, including a very loved Banner.  Of the non-toy persuasion, I use my Polaroid SLR 680 and Pentax K1000 the most.  I forget how much I love my Lubitel 166B and Kodak Duaflex, and have just started using my tiny Brownie Chiquita.

Hug Point, Oregon (Duaflex)

Buckboard Crossing, Wyoming (Banner Image - Diana Clone)
 
Favorite film(s)?

Last fall I shot Kodak Portra 400NC for the first time and when I saw the prints from that first roll, I think I swore off any other kind of color film.  It is gorgeous.  I stocked up on it at B&H when I visited NYC shortly after.  It's also no surprise how much I love Polaroid film.

Greens Lake, Utah (Polaroid)

Leaves | Chair (Polaroid)

Goodbye Pacific Grove, San Francisco (Polaroid)

Your favourite Holga photo that you've taken? 

"Wholesale Grocer" is one of my favorites because it gave me the idea to start my Local Color project.  In college, everything was so structured.  Assignments were given, photos were made, grades were doled out.  After I graduated, I really struggled with assignments, per se.  I felt like I should be shooting for a body of work but I just couldn't come up with anything, but the day we drove past this old factory, a light bulb turned on.  I had my husband turn the car around and I waited for traffic to pass then ran into the middle of the road and shot two frames.  Four years, 24 Holga photos, and four exhibits of the project later, I retired the show at Gallery at the Station in the Ogden Union Station across the street from where "Wholesale Grocer" was shot in 2005.  Coincidentally, my grandma's funeral was held on the final day of the exhibit, and afterward, we had a family gathering at the gallery.  We wanted her to be able to "see" my work one last time.  All the photos in Local Color were made in Ogden, the town my grandma was born and grew up in and lived her life in, and she loved Ogden so much.  Local Color ended up taking on a whole new meaning that last day.  It became a tribute my grandma, who I love and miss so much.

You shoot a lot of beautiful dreamy landscapes.  Where do you travel to find these wonderful spots?

Thank you!  I'm fortunate to live in a very photogenic place.  I live in Northern Utah and am minutes from the mountains, and only a few hours drive from Arches, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, Bryce Canyon, and Zion National Parks in Utah, and Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks in Wyoming.  Also, this past summer, I worked for the US Forest Service, photographing campgrounds in national forests throughout Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, and Nevada, and I can honestly say I've never shot so much.  I took thousands of digital photos of picnic tables, fire rings, RV pads, tent sites, and the pine trees around them, but I also shot hundreds of images with my film cameras.

Untitled, Utah (Duaflex)

Pinyon, Sunset Point, Bryce Canyon NP (Duaflex)


You are the editor of Light Leaks right? If you don't mind speaking a little bit about your work there, I'm sure my readers would love to know what it's like and how the magazine has evolved over the years. 

I am in fact the editor of Light Leaks, and it's a job I adore.  I work closely with Mike Barnes to arrange content, which includes a whole lot of Googling/researching, reading, answering queries, and looking at photography.  The magazine has come a long way in the 4.5 years it's been in print.  I was minimally involved in the first issue as the calendar editor, a very short-lived feature, but between the first and second issues, I became the Supervising Editor.  I was scared beyond belief when I took the reins but quickly learned how much fun it would be.  We've made a lot of changes since that first issue, including two very obvious changes - the size and design.  We've changed up gallery editors, proofreaders, contributors... pretty much anything you can change, we have, all in the name of keeping things fresh and interesting for our readers.

Port, Garibaldi, Oregon (Banner Image - Diana Clone)

What's your favorite part of being the editor of LL?

I get to learn about and meet so many wonderfully talented photographers and writers over the course of creating each issue, and that's the part I love the most.  I'm also freakishly organized, and I believe I told Mike that when I volunteered for this job, so I just love laying out all the pieces of each issue and watching them come together in the end.

Redfish Lake, Idaho (Banner Image - Diana Clone)

What does the future hold for LL?Starting with what I kept calling (say it like a circus announcer) "The Polaroid Spectacular!", we decided to do one special issue per year that's dedicated completely to a specific medium/theme.  Most recently was our Pinhole Special, and up next will be our DIY Special.  Look for it toward the end of 2010.  We're also planning a Polaroid redux, since it was such a big hit the first time.  It was our first issue to sell out!

That Tree, San Francisco (Banner Image - Diana Clone)

Crooked Tree

Thank you Steph for taking the time to answer my questions and show off your beautiful photos!  Steph also wanted me to let you all know that she just recently celebrated her 5 year blog anniversary, and has opened up a new shop - to celebrate, everything is on sale for the whole month of February!  Go check it out!

Steph's Website - www.stephparke.com
Steph's Blog - http://sparkephoto.blogspot.com
Steph's Flickr - http://www.flickr.com/photos/stephparke/
Steph's Shop - http://stephparke.bigcartel.com/ (For the whole month of February, everything is on sale!)

Holga on Etsy - Third Edition!

I've been browsing around Etsy again, and yet again I've come across some super cute and awesome Holga related merchandise, as well as some beautiful Holga Prints.

This one was just so cute I couldn't resist:

Mogu with Holga ORIGINAL by papersparrow

Unique idea, and lovely photos:

Ultra Mini - O'Brien Tower by msmithlewis

What photo gal doesn't want one of these? :)

Oh Snap Clutch by robotjules

Lovely design and presentation: 


Set of Four (4) Greeting Cards - Smile for the Holga and Bokeh by EarthImpressions


Cute magnets, I love the writing on the frame:

Photo Slide Magnets by ampm

Unique pin for anyone needing some Holga representation:

holga for everyone by lolabot

Nice cards to send to a fellow photography lover:

Holga card by ktolve

Beautiful necklace with a witty twist:

Hand Stamped Sterling Silver Photographers Camera Charm Necklace by carjillo


Holga Camera Book by joscelynnicole


Prints


At the old house 1 by ottok

Holga Polaroid Print 8x8 (Holgaroid) by futurowoman

 

Seeking Grace 15, Reflection by KSatzmanPhotography



vulpes volpes (fox), 8x10 archival print photograph of girl in animal mask and vintage 1960s beaded gold dress by pamelaklaffke

 

Holga - Antique Piano - Fine Art Photo by theeye

Don't forget to click on the links to check out their shops!  If you like what you see, leave a comment here to let them know!

Hidden Gems

Untitled

Holga Self Portrait

October 2009

I just found this hidden gem in my files... I'm not sure why I skipped over it, I think maybe I wasn't paying close enough attention to the details, or maybe I didn't like it at the time - but it may have just become one of my favourites. If anything, a pleasant surprise! A good lesson - take time to go through your old photos/negatives once in a while - you just never know!

I'll be posting my third edition of Holga on Etsy tomorrow, lots of great finds! Keep an eye out for that tomorrow if you're in a shopping mood ;)