Holga Tips

Holga has quite a few cameras in their line. Just the basic Holga 120 has 4 different models. Add to that the various 35mm and wide angle Holgas and you've got quite a selection. The best thing to do is keep it simple and go with the Holga 120N. The 120N is more versatile than the other Holga cameras because it uses a separate flash unit and it can shoot either 120 film or 35mm with an adapter. It's also the cheapest Holga camera available so if you're just starting out in Lomography and you want to invest as little as possible at first, the 120N is your camera.

Your Holga 120 comes with two film frames: 1 for 6 x 6 and 1 for 6 x 4.5 negatives (or slides). When you're first learning how to take great pictures with your Holga you should use the 6 x 4.5 frame. Why? To save money. The 6 x 4.5 frame gives you 16 pictures per roll while the 6 x 6 frame only gives you 12. Since film and processing cost the same regardless of whether you have 12 or 16 pictures on the roll, shooting at 6 x 4.5 gives you 25% more pictures (and practice) for your money.

Because of the way the film is oriented in your Holga camera, holding the camera horizontally (i.e. the 'normal' way) results in vertically oriented (portrait) pictures. To get 'normal' landscape style pictures, you'll need to hold your Holga vertically.

(Photo Credit: SMercury98 via Flickr under the Creative Commons license)

The best way to miss a great photo is to not have your camera with you. You never know when the chance for a great picture will present itself - so make sure you take your Holga with you all the time. I took the picture below one morning from the parking lot at work. I was looking at the sunrise, thinking about how beautiful it was, and wishing I had a camera with me to record it. Luckily I remembered that my cell phone has a built in camera so I was able to take the shot. I decided to post it here as a reminder that you never know when you'll wish you had your camera with you... Take your Holga with you and never worry about missing a great picture again.

Taking lots of pictures with your Holga helps you learn faster - not just what works but what doesn't. I buy my film in packs of 5 from Amazon and send it to The Darkroom for processing. For convenience I wait until I have several rolls ready before I get it developed. Since it might be a month or two, I'm careful to take notes so I remember how each picture was shot. Here are some Holga pictures to inspire you (and me)...

If you've only shot with a digital or SLR camera you might not realize how easy it is to remove the lens cap before taking pictures with your Holga. If you remember right after taking the shot, no problem - just remove the lens cap before winding the film for the next shot. If you don't remember, you'll end up with a few pictures (or a whole roll) like the Flickr photo stream below...

One of the coolest things about the Holga is the shutter is not connected or dependent on the film advance. This makes it very easy to experiment with double exposures, something that is hard to do or impossible with other cameras. OTOH, one of the frustrating things about the Holga is the shutter is not connected or dependent on the film advance. This makes it easy to accidentally shoot double (or triple, or quadruple, or...) exposures, something that is hard to do or impossible with other cameras. Actually, it's not that hard to remember, it's just something to be aware of. One ogf the nice things about the Holga is that it forces you to think:) A related issue is over-winding - winding the film more than one frame between shots because you couldn't remember if you wound the film after your previous shot. Of course doing this will have the same result as leaving the lens cap on. Don't ask me how I know...

Even though the Holga is a point and shoot camera, it has to be focused for best results. The Holga has 4 focusing zones:

The Single Person Icon on your Holga is for focusing at 1 meter (about 3-1/4 feet). This is as close as the Holga can focus without a closeup lens filter.

The Family Icon sets the focus to 2 meters (about 6-1/2 feet).

The Group Icon sets the focus to 6 meters (about 20 feet).

The Mountain Icon sets the focus to 10 meters (about 30 feet) and beyond.

Your Holga has a fixed aperture that's fairly small and a fixed shutter speed of 1/100 second, so the only way to control exposure is by selecting different film speeds. Because the aperture is fairly small and the shutter is fairly fast, the Holga is best with ASA 200 or 400 film in most daylight situations without flash. ASA 800 film is available for lower light situations, and a very interesting film for the Holga is Lomography Redscale 50-200 ISO 120mm Film. Just remember: experiment to see what works, take notes, and pick the film that works best with your Holga photography style...

I'm kind of forgetful, so I take lots of notes about the pictures I take with my Holga - not because I'm organizationally obsessed, but because I want to avoid wasting money on film. Taking notes about the pictures I take with my Holga helps me keep track of what works and what doesn't. Information I record are the date, subject, lighting conditions, and anything special about the shot - filters, lens, multiple exposure, etc. Don't Think, Just Shoot might work OK once you've mastered your Holga, but when you're learning taking notes can help a lot.

The Holga 120 lens has a focal length of 60mm (equivalent to a 30mm lens on a 35mm camera) and can only focus as close as about 3 feet. That doesn't mean you're limited to what the stock lens offers though. You can get closer with a Holga Closeup lens or shoot distant subjects with a Holga telephoto adapter lens. If you want to experiment on the creative side, you can try the Holga Fisheye lens or the split image filter set. You can even get a Holga wide angle lens if 30mm isn't wide enough for you. In other words, if you like to experiment with different lenses there is plenty of fun to be had with your Holga. Best of all, the Holga lenses cost a fraction of what SLR lenses go for...

You might be lucky and have a local photo shop that can process 120 film. If not, or if their prices are high, you'll need to find on online film processor. I do have a local shop that will process 120 film, but they charge about $4 per roll to develop it plus $1 per frame to scan it to CD. Shooting at 6x4.5 costs almost $20 per roll to have it developed and scanned. I did some looking and found an online shop that develops and scans my pictures for only $12 per roll. It works pretty slick. I go to thedarkroom.com, print out a pre-paid mailing label, and pay online. Then I send in my film and a couple days later I get an email letting me know my pictures are available for download. A few days after that my negatives and a CD with my photos on them come in the mail. Very cool. I haven't ordered prints from them yet but their print prices are also cheaper than the local lab. You should check them out.