I thought a good way to get the spirit of the community back up and running again, we could have a post where we all put one top tip for Holga newbies. Not only does this mean we can get the community bouncing again, but it also means that newbies will be able to get a good idea of Holga photography before they burn their first film.
Please leave a comment containing one top tip for Holga Newbies.
Mine:
Get into the habit of advancing the film straight after you have taken a photograph to stop unwanted double exposures.
Looking forward to hearing yours!
Labels: Advice, Holga, Newbies, Tips
Durkin is a keen blogger and toy camera enthusiast from the UK that has been shooting for around four years. His main subject interests include Architecture, automation and nature.
Comments
18 comments to "One Top Tip For Holga Newbies"
21 October 2009 at 15:18
I would say to make sure to run through a checklist every time you shoot...
* Focus Set?
* Film Advanced?
* Bulb Mode On or Off?
* Aperture Set Properly?
It's easy to miss one of these things. A friend of mine shot a complete roll in sunlight in bulb mode last week. And I used to constantly forget to focus.
21 October 2009 at 15:45
Thanks for leaving a comment! A good tip for all newbies there.
Accidentally selecting the bulb mode is probably one of the most common mistakes around Holga users.
21 October 2009 at 16:33
Learn to develop your own film(color & B/w). It is SUPER easy, and Adds to the experience. I compare it to the artists that make their own paint. it is truly a huge part of the photographic process. And a lot easier than it sounds.
21 October 2009 at 18:20
Hey Larry, I can completely vouch for your comment because i've just learned how to do it myself. The hardest part is probably getting hold of the chemicals.
You did miss one really important point though...it saves a lot of money!
22 October 2009 at 00:47
It does save a lot of money. Especially on the black and white because the Chemicals Last a lot longer. B&H won't Ship liquid developer. But if your in the U.S. www.freestylephoto.biz will ship ground. I get the the Three bath press kits from there to do all my color developing. anything else I just go to B&H and carry out.
It is WELL worth the effort though.
22 October 2009 at 15:54
yeah definitely and its not actually that hard like you said. It just take a few hours to do the reading then its develop like crazy!
How do you find doing colour negatives? Isn't it difficult getting the temperatures correct?
22 October 2009 at 23:44
not at all... I basically heat the bottles in a sink of hot water .. and pull them out around 105 f this way during the pre soak they are about 102 f . the Tental 3 bath press kits make color simple!
23 October 2009 at 12:51
That's pretty cool. I thought it was pretty difficult to do colour because I heard it was less forgiving in regards to temperatures.
I'm guessing there are more chemical processes that need to be done than black and white or is it just develop > stop > fix?
27 October 2009 at 04:02
good day!1
im a newbie in lomography and i have a holga 120cfn.. it seems im not satisfy enough with my pictures.. its just normal..
or maybe im not just used to it..
27 October 2009 at 12:29
Just keep trying. You'll usually only start getting the results you want on the second or third film. Its just a learning curve that you have to climb at the start of holga photography!
Good Luck
18 November 2009 at 07:40
so, i am looking into buying a holga 120N and i am finding that black and white medium format film is much cheaper than color? is this the case?
18 November 2009 at 07:59
soooo, i think i take back that last comment. sadly, i was looking at packs of 5 rolls of color film and thought it was the price for one. thank you for all of your helpful information though! i'm hoping to recieve a holga for christmas. :)
18 November 2009 at 13:00
Black and white does tend to be cheaper.
16 December 2009 at 01:22
Try shooting from the hip!
But only if you can afford the almost certain failures the first few times. After you get the feel, it's a cool new perspective to everything!
GoHolga!
29 December 2009 at 00:38
While B&W film is cheaper to purchase...where I send my film color is cheaper to develop. So that is certainly a factor to look into as well. For newbies, make sure you have an idea where to send your film if you cannot develop it yourself! I am in the process of convincing my parents to let me make a section of the basement into a darkroom :). Until then Dwanye's photo lab it is!
12 February 2010 at 04:33
for me, buying B&W film is only a few dollars cheaper than color negative when buying in bulk...
but the lab i take my film to charges $1.50 to develop my color film for 12 pics, and $9.75 for my B&W... for 12 pics....
so i tend to stick with color negative
4 March 2010 at 03:42
this is for anonymous that posted on dec 29. are u referring to dwaynes photolab in munster indiana. if so i stay in calumet city. do u know if there are any lomographers around this way
11 April 2010 at 01:18
I am a complete newbie, not only to Holga/lomography, but to photography in general. I just wanted to say this blog has helped me out immensely. I've read over all the posts for beginners and hopefully my first film won't be...too terrible. Although I have no idea what to do with my film after I finish with it. xD I guess I'll just keep reading more Thanks for all the help!
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