Below are two photos made after a fresh snowfall in Cochrane while Samantha and I were walking our dog, Brando. These were shot with “Einstein” our glass lens Holga (which is our ‘sharp’ Holga). To see just how sharp, click on the photos for larger views. Thanks for looking!
©Darwin Wiggett - The Bow River at sunset in Cochrane, Alberta
©Darwin Wiggett - Park bench in Cochrane at sunset
Here are three Holga shots from Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park near Cochrane, Alberta. IF you want to learn more about the park and all of its winter possibilities for photographers be sure to sign up for our Twoonie Talk (2 dollars to get in) on Jan 21, 2012 in Cochrane – for more information please see here.
©Darwin Wiggett - Kodak Portra 160
©Darwin Wiggett - Kodak Portra 160
©Darwin Wiggett - Kodak Portra 160
Alberta recently passed a distracted driving law where you not supposed to text, put on make-up, or sketch while driving. I looked carefully at the regulations and there was nothing there about using a Holga while driving (but electronic cameras are banned – yeah for film!). So last time I went into Banff National Park I pulled out the Holga at nearly 100 KMPH (check the speedometre in the photo) and snapped this shot of Cascade Mountain from the Trans Canada Highway (as you can see the road was empty so who was I distracting anyway?). Safety first though; I was wearing my hard hat and steel-toed boots while doing this dangerous exercise (and I did put my coffee down before snapping the shot)! 😉
©Darwin Wiggett - Holga GN120, Fuji NPH400 film
Below are three images I made with Einstein our glass lens Holga which is really sharp in the center of the frame but soft towards the edges. I think Holga’s are great for old abandoned things;the look of the images matches the feel of the subject. I used Fuji NPS 160 film. Click on each image to see a larger view.
©Darwin Wiggett
©Darwin Wiggett
©Darwin Wiggett
© Gaby Vicent Oliver
Holga image scanned with
Camera Canon EOS 450D 55 mm 1/100sec f/9.0 ISO 400
The photo was taken with a Holga 120 CFN, for which I paid $ 30 dollars on eBay. It was loaded with Kodak color film (Kodak Pro 160). I sent the film to develop but I do not own a scanner (and can’t afford one at the moment for scanning 120 film). The person who usually scans my film has been extremely busy, so I had the rolls for two months in the cupboard. A couple of days ago, I read about a method to scan without scanner. It consisted of taking macro photos of the negatives and inverting them later in Photoshop. The problem was I do not have a macro lens.
A month ago my father-in-law died, and my husband inherited a 70 year old lightbox from his grandmother. I tried to reproduce the method with that lightbox and the Canon 450 with EF-S 18-55mm IS lens (standard lens) handheld. It worked.
I invert the files in Photoshop and change a bit the curves. Turned them to black and white and voila. There is no processing in Photoshop as such, just a tiny touch in the curves. The photograph is a double exposure on film and then ridiculously scanned. ~ Gaby Vicent Oliver
Here is a strip of Ilford XP-2 black-n-white film shot in my Holga camera, Bop. This is the suspension bridge crossing the North Saskatchewan River at the Kootenay Plains along the Siffleur Falls trail. I coud not decide which image I like the best and so present the strip of three frames from the shoot. Click on the photo to see a larger version.
©Darwin Wiggett
Well, the votes are in for the winner of the Holga Hustle film photo contest. Although there were votes cast across the roster, we do have a clear winner. And the winner is…Georgette! Her two photos garnered equal acclaim from you all. Georgette receives the Holga newbie kit containing her Holga (named Casablanco), a DVD and 5 rolls of film — congratulations! And thank you to all photogs who came out and played with film for the day and then shared ideas and snacks afterward at Baker Creek Bistro. Our prints are still up in the Bistro for the next little while if you want to see how great film looks printed on vinyl.
Before you head out this weekend, make sure you stop over at Samantha’s blog as it is her turn to host the Fabulous Film Fridays project. Being a lawyer, she’s a very analytical type and is busy pondering the differences between film and digital. I think her film images evoke more mood than the digital comparisons in this case!
As you know Samantha and I have been having fun with our Holgas, Beep and Bop for our Fabulous Film Fridays project and we have just been interviewed by the very popular Holga Blog website. To read more about what we are doing with our Holgas just head on over and read the interview. And while you’re there check out how much fun you can have a Holga and some film by looking around the site which has news, reviews, tips and tutorials, a buyer’s guide and competitions. Holga Blog is a great resource for Holga-oligans! The Holga Blog is generously donating a special Holga prize for those of you coming to the Holga Hustle on May 7 (there is still lots of room if you are interested!). And come check out our cool Holga prints (on a funky print substrate) while you’re at the Holga Hustle. These prints have been made especially for us by our friends at the Holga Blog!
©Darwin Wiggett - shot with a Holga and Ilford XP-2 film
If you’ve been following our Fabulous Film Fridays project, you’ll know that Samantha and I have been having a lot of fun playing around with our Holga cameras, Beep and Bop. So much so that we want to share the fun and invite YOU and your Holga (or other toy film camera) to come along with us on May 7th to The Holga Hustle and Print Show. We’ll be in Lake Louise in Banff National Park with Beep and Bop, just walking around and taking pictures of whatever catches our fancy. There are lots of paths along the river and of course visitors coming to enjoy the wonderful scenery of the Canadian Rockies, so there will be plenty to shoot. If you need a Holga go to The Camera Store in Calgary to pick one up, the more colourful the better! If you don’t know how to use your Holga, don’t worry we’ll be there to help you and I can tell you personally all the mistakes you can possibly make!
We’ll be at the Holga Hustle from 2:00pm until 4:30pm on Saturday, May 7th after which we are heading over to nearby Baker Creek Bistro to launch our Print Show! The Bistro has generously provided space in their restaurant for us to show some of our prints, including some made with our Holgas. From 5:00pm until 7:00pm, Sam and I will be at the print show with both Holga prints and a sampling of digital files printed on aluminum from Image Wizards to demonstrate in glowing colour the beauty of the area. There will be free snacks on hand for munching (yum!), and if you need a glass of wine after the exertion of the afternoon walk, alcoholic drinks will be available for purchase. Plus we’ll be doing a draw for a toy camera out of the participants’ names!
While you’re at Baker Creek then, why not make a reservation for dinner to enjoy the excellent, locally-sourced food at the Bistro or make a weekend of it by staying at the Baker Creek Chalets. This is where we host our SNAP! Photography Seminars workshop October 27-30, 2011 so now is your chance to check out this world-class accommodation. The folks at Baker Creek are offering anyone coming for the Holga Hustle a 15% discount on a two-night stay. Just mention our names (Darwin and Samantha) and come hang out in the Rockies that weekend!
Convinced? Then come to The Holga Hustle and Print Show at the Bistro to see what you can do with a Holga image. Space is limited to only 20 people! If you would like to attend the Hustle and Print Show, please email us to reserve your spot.
©Darwin Wiggett - Lake Louise in Winter with a Holga
A week ago we had about six days of fog and frost and it was beautiful around Cochrane. So a couple of times Samantha and I went out in the fog to make images. This one is of a local property that we have access to. I love the muted colours that fog gives, this is basically an in-camera capture with the Rebel T2i but the image has an old-time sepia feel to it.
©Darwin Wiggett
I also had my Holga, Bop, with me and thought I would compose the same image with this medium-format ‘toy’ camera using Fujicolour Reala 100 film. Below is the result. What do you think? Is the digital capture more your cup of tea? Or does the look of the plastic lens Holga in square format with film look more appropriate for this scene?
©Darwin Wiggett
Photographer's Guide to the Canadian Rockies now available
Darwin Wiggett 