More Tips For Increasing Light Leaks

People love the Holga for its light leaks; The more you can get the better in most peoples opinion. I personally don't particularly enjoy the light leaks but nevertheless I still have some great tips for increasing them, just from my experience with using the Holga.

My experience can be seen from my example picture on the right!

1. Remove Your Mask

Remove the '12' mask that you may be using inside your Holga. This is one of the main parts of the Holga that greatly limits the amount of light flying around inside, so taking it out will definitely help to create more light leaks, and light related effects. Remember that when you shoot without a mask, you still need to point the advance window arrow to 12.

2. Don't Flock Your Holga

Many people flock the inside of their Holga to reduce light leaks. If you've not come across this before its spraying the inside of the Holga with a matte black paint to take the shine of the plastic. I definitely noticed a decrease in the amount of burns and leaks on my negatives when I completed this hack, so if you want light leaks DO NOT DO THIS!

3. Be Careless With Your Film

Many people let the film unwind a little before they apply the sealing tape. This will make the coil of film expand a little and let light in through the top and bottom of the film. Just generally try not to think about the film and act almost careless with it. Leave it in bright places before you take it to the lab, and don't do anything inside a dark bag.

4. Remove as Much Tape as Possible

If you want light leaks one of the best pieces of advice i can offer, is remove as much tape as you can. If you use tape cut down on it as much as the Holga will let you. Tape stops more that 3/4 of the light leaks that you would otherwise get on your film. Get minimal and see the burns!

That's all for now folks, I hope you found the tips useful. If you have any more please leave a comment below.

Labels: Light Leaks, Tape, Tips, Tricks