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  • Writer's pictureKristin Johnson

HOLGA and Medium Format Film

Remember Film?

It's that really cool photographic technique where you take photos and then you can't immediately see them without first having to do a lot of work and waiting patently for the results. It's real photography.

"Mechanically the Holga is simplicity itself. The nature of the Holga places emphasis on seeing, thinking, and interacting with the environment at hand." - Joe Ostraff, Professor, BYU
The Holga Camera originated in China in the 1980's. It was introduced as an inexpensive medium format camera, made entirely out of plastic. Shortly after, 35mm film and smaller format cameras overran the Hoga's popularity. But word of an all-plastic camera spread west and thousands of cameras began to sell in twenty different countries.
The Holga camera remains popular today. "In a world where technology continues to advance, Holga's vintage lo-fi appeal continues to grow and intrigue people."

The idea and the results of the images created with a simple plastic toy camera, is vintage and unique and artsy. "Holga is for those who want to create truly unique images - for those who appreciate light leaks, enjoy slight soft focus and welcome retro vignetting."

The Holga is a great intro to shooting film, a professional format to create new and different images, and a fun unexpected experience with medium format. You never know how your images will turn it. Embracing that unknown is part of the experience, and something most modern day photographers are not used to.
"Teachers have employed Holga as a tool to educate students in the fundamentals of photography while exploring unpredictable and unexpected photos created by this camera. Professionals carry Holga for their fine-art appeal. Holga gives all photographers the ability to dip their toes into the otherwise very expensive world of medium format photography."
The images that result from these cameras are fun, colorful, unique, unexpected, and traditional. So next time you are ready to try something new, or take the dive into the unknown world of film, try picking up a Holga and just having some fun.

#holga, #photography, #film, #mediumformat, #doubleexposure, #fun




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