Plastic Symbiosis
Some people may say while admiring the result of a Holga:
- But all you do is press on that button...
Then you wait while totally relying on the vulnerability of the plastic box to do the work for you, and deliver the “art” such as you would like to call it.
You're totally dependent.
- Symbiosis.
- Pardon?
- I think it is more a symbiotic relationship, rather than total dependence.
Sure the machine deserves a lot of credit for delivering the final representation, but you also have to be there, and you have to know what you’re doing.
You have to kind of imagine and anticipate the final outcome of the photograph, in order for it to be as close to perfection as you would like it to be. If you leave it to the camera, the result would be totally random... after all it is plastic.
In order to master it, you really have to foresee it. A lot of trial and error will train you to see and read the future photograph or the photograph to be, and then mentally relay the information to your system so that the camera can "capture" your desires. Because I mean in order for you to get a satisfactory result you have to be there; you have to really be there at the right moment and at the right time, at the right angle and at the right light… and then you click!
You have to pose yourself instantaneously all the right questions:
Do you hold or do you release quickly? Do you focus or do you move?
Do you crank and shoot, or do you go for a double exposure?
These are some of the questions you have to pose and answer yourself almost immediately. And then you can “rely” on the plastic lens to execute them while adding a bit of its mysterious quirkiness, and theatrical subjectivity.
Symbiosis is the art of interaction and partnership, which to me, better describes the relationship of photographers with their Holga.
Labels: everyday life, holga, photography
Life Throught a Plastic Lens [The Holga Experience].
“ A Holga is a study in imperfection, and to use it is an exercise in breaking free from dependence on technology, precision, and über-sharpness. The slight softness of images, uncontrollable vignetting, and peculiar light leaks create a partnership between you and the Holga. The “flaws” accompanied by your creative choices result in a quasi-serendipitous art.” – Michelle Bates.How could I have said no to such an invitation? How could I refuse this innovative playful experience, and turn away from this trip into a new, vast, and untamed world of artistic challenges and uncontrolled visual perceptions?I got my first Holga two days ago as an early birthday gift, from a good friend of mine. Another amateur of photography: sensei. (He got himself the Fisheye II).
For a couple of weeks now, I have been preparing mentally for the new and “improved” version of the Diana (as they say): The Holga 120CFN.I have been going through websites, articles and video clips, that teach how to tape the camera, how to load films, as well as creative features and modifications.Because the Holga is a camera in its primary state, you have to actually “modify” it, in order to have it work properly. The actual starter kit comes with a roll of black tape. How insane is that?(watch here a youtube clip, showing explainig how to tape and modify your Holga)The lens is made of plastic, it has a built-in psychedelic multi-colored flash, and it produces vignetted medium format prints.The only condition for using a Holga, is that “you have to let go of the controls”. And I think this is the main reason of attraction between a control freak like me, and this unpredictable, compulsive, hidden artist in a box.I fell in love with its simplicity, but was intrigued by its personality; it possesses the power to make its own decisions. You have to learn how to remain flexible, and “roll with the punches”.So much character, and so much fussiness coming from a clumsy-looking plastic toy, but who ever said that real beauty and unforgettable art have to be attached to so much pretense and perfection.
Every Holga is unique; there is nothing generic, or industrial about it. “Some produce brighter images, some more colorful ones. Some leak light through the back, some through the side, and some don’t leak at all”. Like human beings, each box carries a special signature of its own, and it leaves it up to you to discover its inner quirkiness, figure out what makes you tick, and experiment while manually modifying the camera.The 5 fundamentals for a good partnership with the Holga are:1. Free yourself from rules.2. Embrace random results.3. Disarm your subjects.4. Engage individuality.5. Get Your Hands Dirty.The first rule for using the Holga:1. There are no rules.“The Holga summons up Dadaist traditions of chance, surprise and willingness to see what can happen.” – Robert Hirsch.And tonight, I load my first film.Ref:
www.lomography.com
http://www.freestylephoto.biz/
Labels: everyday life, holga, photography
