Life Through A Plastic Lens
by Paul Williamson
I was given my first camera for my 21st birthday. It was a compact digital point and shoot, which I was instantly besotted with. I took it everywhere with me and photographed anything that caught my eye. After a while I noticed I was spending more time in post-production than out shooting. What I didn't realise at the time was that I was trying to break down some of the sterility of my pictures. I desperately wanted my pictures to have a more organic and unpredictable nature. 9 months ago I discovered the Holga. I immediately felt that rush of excitement of something new and unpredictable. I bought as much 120 roll film as I could; shooting dozens of pictures before waiting anxiously for them to be developed.
So what was it that attracted me to the Holga? It may have been any number of things; the price, the dreamy ethereal images, the square format, or the wide angle lens that forces you to move closer to your subject. I was immediately struck by its simplicity - fixed shutter speed, one effective aperture, and basic focus. At first I found this simplicity restrictive, but I soon found it quite liberating. I began to wonder just how far I could push the camera, and this is where my true obsession began. I started to notice various modifications turn up - Pinholgas, Holgaroids, Macro modifications, 35mm modifications, and then it hit me just how flexible this cheap hunk of plastic is. I started to compulsively collect and collate information of these hacks, and before I knew it I was regularly performing surgery on my Holga. I now have a unique Holga that is as flexible as I need it, and something to be proud of. Each Holga starts out as unique as a fingerprint, and with a few simple mods it's easy to develop your own identity.
From talking to other fanatic Holgagraphers, it seems for the majority of us using a Holga takes us back to why we ventured into photography in the first place; sheer unadulterated fun. When I'm asked to describe how using my Holga makes me feel, I retort "it's just like being a kid again." For me, seeing everything through a plastic lens hides a lot of the negativity of adulthood. Leaving you with a world that is simpler, more colourful, and blissfully innocent.
