The image below was taken with Bop, my plastic-lens Holga. In direct back light Bop suffers a lot from lens flare but in this case I really liked the crazy rainbow-coloured flare from the sun. This image was taken in the town of Lac La Biche on an early morning dog walk. The film was Fujicolor NPS 160 print film.
©Darwin Wiggett
Samantha and I led a keen group of toy camera enthusiasts to the Holga Hustle in Lake Louise two weeks ago. We gathered with our plastic cameras, in all colours and shapes and went out to catch the dirty snow and grungy parking lots on a bright and mushy spring day. After we hustled with our cameras we headed to Baker Creek Bistro to look at the Vinyl and Aluminum prints that Sam and I have on display there (they’re still there in case anyone is interested). Below are a few group shots photographed by the Holga Hustlers and a couple of shots that Sam and I took at the event (she used her Keystone point-n-shoot, I used Gail my Fuji GA645 camera). Below the group images are the participant images and we want you the viewer to judge one of these film shots as your favorite. Leave a comment and tell us which one you like best! The winning shot gets a Holga Newbie kit (a Holga, an instructional DVD, and 5 rolls of film) and the respect of the LLTL blog!
The Hustlers in Action
The group - Photo by Andrew
Don't believe that guy! - Photo by John
Those are cool cameras! - Photo by John
Mini Hustlers - Photo by Sherri
Leading them astray - Photo by Samantha
a Keystone camera snap - By Samantha
The Keystone does verticals too! - Photo by Samantha
I stop for signs - Photo by Darwin
Spring melt - Photo by Darwin
Andrew - Photo 1
Andrew - Photo 2
Catherine - Photo 1
Catherine - Photo 2
Georgette - Photo 1
Georgette - Photo 2
Hendrik - Photo 1
Hiro - Photo 1
John - Photo 1
John - Photo 2
Kate - Photo 1
Kate - Photo 2
Sherri - Photo 1
Sherri - Photo 2
Tom - Photo 1
Tom - Photo 2
Below is a small selection of recent photos from Bop (the Holga). All the images were shot on colour negative film (Fuji Reala 100). I scanned the film into digital form using my Imacon film scanner. The gas pump was a straight scan of the colour negative. The other images I scanned as gray scale images and applied a slight toning effect in the scanner. I felt the quality of the Holga captures (soft dreamy edges, vignetting, old fashioned feel) was enhanced by removing the colour information — the results match better the way the world looked to me when viewed through Bop’s crappy plastic viewfinder.
©Darwin Wiggett - Gas pump, Johnston Canyon, Banff National Park
©Darwin Wiggett - Photographers at the Columbia Icefields
©Darwin Wiggett - The Icefields Parkway, Jasper National Park
©Darwin Wiggett - Aspen trees, Banff National Park
©Darwin Wiggett - Frosted Trees, Cochrane, Alberta
This week Samantha is hosting Fabulous Film Fridays. Check out her easy light leaks work around with her Holga, Beep. Sometimes the easiest solution isn’t so obvious and then when you discover it, you think, ‘wow that was easy!”
Head on over to Sam’s blog for the final results of the Battle of Beep and Bop. Sam is still all smug about my small mistake with my Holga camera. I do not call it a mistake, I call it a ‘decision’ for art’s sake. We’ve decided to let you vote for the winner — and the best vote explanation receives one of our Visual Wilderness eBooks! So make sure you drop by and explain why either Beep (Sam) or Bop (me) should win the battle. And be kind to me, I am sensitive!
Samantha demonstrating proper Holga shooting technique
Photographer's Guide to the Canadian Rockies now available
Darwin Wiggett 