More Holga Fun

I've become quite fond of my Holga 120N camera over the past year.  I've ran a number of different film styles through it and I've shot it in various lighting conditions and settings.  I've had great results; I've had good results and I've had bad results.  It's all part of the fun with film and the Holga.  My latest Holga experiment came on my recent trip to San Francisco and Sonoma.  I shot a roll of Lomography 100 Color Negative film and a roll of Kodak Tri-X 400 (which was shot with a Holga red filter).  The color negative was shot on Alcatraz and around Fisherman's Wharf.  The Tri-X was shot in Sonoma and the rest of the roll was finished up in Ohio at the Hobart Nature Preserve.  I was pleased with the results; I hope you enjoy them as well.

Camera:  Holga 120N
Film:  Lomography 100 Color Negative

Camera:  Holga 120N with Holga Red Filter
Film:  Kodak Tri-X 400

Camera:  Holga 120N
Film:  Lomography 100 Color Negative

Camera:  Holga 120N with Holga Red Filter
Film:  Kodak Tri-X 400

Camera:  Holga 120N
Film:  Lomography 100 Color Negative

Camera:  Holga 120N with Holga Red Filter
Film:  Kodak Tri-X 400

Camera:  Holga 120N
Film:  Lomography 100 Color Negative

Camera:  Holga 120N with Holga Red Filter
Film:  Kodak Tri-X 400

Camera:  Holga 120N
Film:  Lomography 100 Color Negative

Camera:  Holga 120N with Holga Red Filter
Film:  Kodak Tri-X 400

Camera:  Holga 120N
Film:  Lomography 100 Color Negative

Camera:  Holga 120N
Film:  Lomography 100 Color Negative

Holga Roll #2

I wanted to practice using the Holga a bit more before I went to Mansfield.  So, I shot a roll of Lomography 800 speed color negative film around Troy.  I was pretty happy with the results and I'm enjoying the unpredictability of the Holga.  You never know what you're going to get and that's the beauty of it.  It has an artistic appeal and that's what I love; Once I get the hang of it, I feel as if the possibilities of what I can create using it are endless.  Stay tuned and as always, feel free to leave comments and feedback.  Enjoy!

Lomography Fisheye

I received a Lomography Fisheye No. 2 camera for Christmas.  I'm just starting to experiment with lomography cameras and I'm very excited about the results and creativity that they can yield.  I also have a Holga and a Diana F+ in my camera arsenal; however, this was my first roll of film for one of my lomography cameras.  I didn't have amazing results, but I did enjoy shooting with it.  The Fisheye No. 2 is a very finicky camera.  It requires a lot of light and usually doesn't produce results on anything lower than 400 film.  I used Fuji Superia 400 for my first roll and I received mixed results.  Only 12 out of the 24 prints came back and a few of them were not good.  I did manage to get a few decent shots.  Obviously, as I'm very new to shooting with film, it's a learning experience.  The Fisheye, regardless of the fact that you don't have to worry about settings, is also a learning experience.  I need to be careful of my lighting situations; I need to experiment with the film and I need to adjust how I shoot from the viewfinder.  However, that's the fun with lomography, film cameras and photography in general.  It's a learning experience.  The more you understand how your camera works, the types of lighting and how it effects your shots, etc. the better results you will achieve.  So, enjoy my first Fisheye shots and stay tuned to see my second roll.  Also, be on the lookout for my first Holga and Diana F+ rolls too!

Skate Park Blues

 

During one of our strolls through the Thames River Festival, we can across a skate park.  There were so many young skaters and BMX riders that I couldn't pass up the opportunity to photography them in their element.  See, before we went to London, I had been wanting to shoot some skate parks.  They're gritty, they have graffiti, the skaters and bikers are interesting subjects, and some amazing stunts go down.  These elements all make for some intriguing images.  However, the small skate park in Troy, OH isn't that interesting and the individuals performing the tricks are on a beginner skill level (for the most part).  So, stumbling upon this was a dream come true.  My action photography needs some work, but I was very happy with some of the shots I got and I can't wait to try again with some other skaters. The feet are essential to biking and skating; a lot of tricks require some serious footwork.  Because of this, I tried to focus specifically on the feet and the bike/skateboard in my images.  I think it is a refreshing perspective and I look forward to using it again.

Troy, Ohio

So, as you all know from my last post, I used my new camera for the first time at "Historic" Loveland Castle. That experience was not what I hoped for, so I wanted to go on another shoot to get better acquainted with the Canon EOS 50D. For me, the easiest thing to do is to go on a "walk-about" of downtown Troy, OH. On a Sunday morning, I got up early and went downtown and took about 50 to 60 images.

I didn't get any "show-stopping" images, but I worked with aperature, got to know my camera a little better, and generally had a good experience. Troy is a quaint little town and there are some interesting things to photograph. It was a good second experience with my camera and there's something comforting about walking around your neighborhood; for me, the goal is to always find something unexpected in something that's so familiar.

I've posted some images below with a few descriptions. You can see more from the shoot via my Flickr account.

The BREW 1831

I've recently begun experimenting with the deconstructing of a whole as the focus of my image, especially with signage. Let's take this shot for example. I actually hate the Brewery, but the historic and vintage nature of the sign is perfect for an image. So, instead of photographing the whole sign, I split it in two sections. I also added a sepia tone to give it a truly vintage feel. I have a B&W version over at Flickr as well.

ERY 1831

This is the second part of the Brewery sign. Again, I used a sepia tone to give it a vintage look. When I view these, I seem to think of Cheers. I did not shoot these as one image and crop them; they are two entirely separate images.

Aged Paint

If anyone is familiar with Troy, there is a brightly painted wall on one side of the small Mayflower Theatre. The paint has begun to peel, so I chose to highlight the paint peeling from below. This is my view looking up; I used aperature priority to get a shallower depth of field.

Is That a Cone?

I found this configuration on a side street. I liked the colors and the fact that the "?" was "pointing" towards the cone.

In Bloom

I'm not sure what type of tree this was, but I loved the texture of the blooms and the greens of the leaves, the pink blooms and the blue sky. Again, I used aperature priority for this shot. There is another version on Flickr.

Active Lifestyle

I saw this image on a porch as I was getting ready to get back into my car and drive home. I couldn't resist taking this shot and it was one of my favorites of the day. I posted a cropped version on Flickr, so head over and tell me what you think.