When I saw that Holga Blog was looking for contributers I had to respond. I’ve been lurking on the blog and after a while you start to reconize the other Holganista’s (that’s my phrase, back the fxxk off LSI) and it was something I really wanted to be involved with. I have to admit, when my Holga showed up I was a little underwhelmed. I had been shooting with box camera’s from the golden age of American Design. There was nothing really pretty or ergonomic about the Holga. It has grown on me since then. I love the results I get with it when the conditions are right. I’m kicking myself in the ass for not doing the aperature mod though. Speaking of modded Holga’s, Holga Mods is up and running again. I’m thinking about picking up one of his hot rodded Holga’s soon. I will do my best to keep my articles interesting and not preach to the choir. If you’re new to Holga’s or Toy Camera’s I urge you to go out and shoot. You’ll never know if a certain camera is better for you then a [insert whatever camera you're considering here] unless you gain some experience first. Find something that appeals to you and go burn some film. Anyway, I wrote a little about myself, a bio or introduction you could say.
My first camera was a Konica Autoreflex SLR that my dad found in the trash while I was in high school back in the early 90’s. The battery was dead but it still fired, it just didn’t have a light meter. I used the sunny 16 rule or a hand held meter my girlfriend had until I got around to buying a battery months later. Without that camera I probably wouldn’t have signed up for photography class in high school and my life would have taken a very different path. I’ll elaborate more on that some other time.
Fast forward about 15 years. My wife had an old Brownie Hawkeye Flash that she had gotten at a thrift store or yard sale in L.A. sometime in the early 90’s. It was packed away in a box in storage. She came across it while looking for something else and pulled it out for me. I never heard of 620 film but after some research on Google I found out that all I had to do was roll some 120 film on my 620 spool and I was in business. From there is was all downhill. I had been collecting darkroom equipment for the eventual day that I would set up my own lab. I started looking at photos taken with BHF’s on Flickr and that’s what got me interested in Holga’s and Diana’s.
So that’s a little about me. Now here comes the disclaimer. I am passionate about a lot of things in life. I love a good debate. I don’t get my feelings hurt or take things personal. I have opinions on many things, and I love to share them and I also love to debate them. I try to keep an open mind, but I have been around a while and have based most of my opinions on my own experience rather then something I read over at some flickr groups message board. I also tend to rant. If I am ranting I will say so in the title in case you don’t want to read my rants against the world.
That’s a picture of my wife’s dog. They should have named him Marley.
Comments
Hello Derek,
Nice to see you around holgablog.com and read your introduction… I have to admit you’re on the very right path and I would be happy to hear more stories and see some of your photos. I am also new writer for this blog and I will get my introduction done very soon. Keep burning film, as you said.
Yours,
Arne
hi derek, great intro. For some reason I’m SO looking forward to hearing some good ‘ol ranting!
ah a fellow shellback. yarr!
By order of the deep.
[...] Capt’n Derek emailed me last night from somewhere in the middle of the Atlantic, with details of a new challenge on Flickr: The back story is that a thread on Holga started by someone asking if people ever shot a whole roll to tell or story, or that had a theme rather then 12 pictures that didn’t tie in or relate to each other. I thought it would make a neat Holga group, so we started one. We’re going a monthly competition type thing and to kick it off I offered up a pro-pack of expired Portra 400UC film. This month’s theme is landscapes, but that’s pretty much open for people to integrate anyway they want to, I don’t plan on disqualifying anyone and it’s going to be judged by members of the group. [...]