With dozens of 35mm cameras just like the Yamasheta, what would make it stand apart? Remember the Time Magazine camera? They all followed the same form. 50mm lens, f5.6 and a few variations on exposure. So they are neither wide or tele, just the absolute basic plastic camera. So what makes one better then the other? Maybe it was just the day or the location, but this little guy has charmed us quite a bit.
At only 20 years old, Lydia Beardmore has put together quite a selection of work. From Holga’s to Ultra Wides, X-pro to Redscale, she’s sent in quite a variety of techniques. Have a look at some of her work, and be sure to check out her blog as well.
There is something about black and white that can capture incredible emotion. Stripped of the vibrant hues that we see when looking through our viewfinder, black and white reduces the image to light and shadow, rich blacks and deep skies. Deon Reynolds has been producing some amazing images for a long time, and we were quite pleased to have a little chat with him about his process. So what does this have to do with a Toy Camera blog?
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It’s been a long time since I have shot with a Polaroid 600. The film was hard to find, you can’t really trust what you find on eBay, and my old 600 camera was pretty much gooped up on the rollers. So when I was in NYC, I stopped by the shop and picked up a selection of films- from the new 600 to some older stocks to play with. The other day we wandered over to a Ukrainian Festival, and I threw the 600 in my bag. We’ll have a proper test soon, but here are some quick snaps from the weekend.
It is so good to be home. After the last few months of traveling back and forth to the city, I think I know the stewards on Amtrak better then my own family. We have so many rail miles that I think we could probably take a train to Alaska for free. Not saying that I haven’t had fun roaming the streets of NYC on the weekends, but after a while it’s nice to spend a weekend at my own house, in my own bed and drive my own car.
Thank you for joining us for tea, what beverage are you actually enjoying during this interview?Thank you for joining us for tea, what beverage are you actually enjoying during this interview?
At this moment I’m drinking chocolate-mint tea from Kusmi Tea.
Hailing from the warm sun of the Southwest, Ernie Button submitted some beautiful Holga images. This collection, however, is from his travels to China. Above is a burial site near Qing Hai Lake. Here are a few words from Ernie:
“For over 30 years, Phoenix, Arizona has been my home. For much of my adult life, photography has provided me a forum to communicate my past & present, my humor & concerns, my observations & explorations. It has undeniably changed the way I see the world; how I look at individuals, places, or objects. Although my subject matter varies, my images tend to focus on the individual nature of objects (and occasionally people) and the unique qualities that each possesses. I like to use the Holga when I travel because the image reminds me of the memory of travel.”
Check out Mijonju’s latest tiny camera… needless to say we already have one in the office. We couldn’t help it… it’s a sickness.
Something tells me that the shutter on my well worn Holga 135 is slipping a bit. Judging by the motion blur and jittery edges, it looks like it is hanging open a tad too long. Time for a new one? No way. These negs were so blown out that they didn’t even charge me for the roll. They look almost cross processed, desaturated or melted in developer… either way, the scanner at the hour-lab fought it’s best to get some data out of the scan, and I just hope I can repeat the process! Happy Accident indeed.
Twin lens reflex cameras have always been a favorite of ours, as they tend to slow you down a bit and force you to concentrate on composition and focus. So what do you get when you cross the Holga 135, a camera that you tend to shoot quickly and care-free, with a second lens that you are now looking down through? Is this a gimmick camera to sell more Holgas, or is this a genuine attempt to recreate the TLR experience at a better price with a lo-fi feel to it? Probably a bit of both.
Judging these contests is almost impossible, there were hundreds of beautiful images. We’ve been going through the entries over and over, and everyone kept coming back to this set of ethereal black and white images. Something about the Holga’s view of the environments draws you in and makes you want to be standing in that very spot. Well done, Amber.
No big updates today, we’re busy getting the two contests sorted. A ton of great entires from both! We also shot a ton this weekend, so some new reviews and images will be coming soon. I think the hour-lab killed two rolls though, check out the image above… check back tomorrow for the two winners! Good luck to all!
Thomas Debiec from the Linkedin Holga Group is conducting a survey about all things Holga, if you have a minute or two, click here to answer the questions.
