Holga Blog

The first thought I had about the reasons to own an instant camera was to do it as a list. Then I though that the only reasons I could come up with were “well, why not?” “You’d be silly not to get some” and “cause I said”.   So another idea popped into my head. Why not take at least 2 instant cameras out for a few hours and see what it was that I just couldn’t live without.  So while it still might be in list form, it will be, hopefully, a little more insightful than my original thoughts on the subject.

1.) Same scene, different results

I took with me the following: 1 homemade holgaroid, Fuji instax 210, and an unmodified holga (I know, I said instant, but how can I leave my Holga behind, It would be sad.)  I usually like to have a look what I am shooting, but I really didn’t feel like thinking, so I just shot…..alot.  As I was pulling the film from the homemade holgaroid, I realized just how much I love the smell of the instant chemistry….and how sad that really is. Anyway, after a few shots, I went back to the same few spots and shot it again on the Fuji 210.  I was pleasantly surprised how the same style of camera could yield such different results.  With one loaded with black and white, the other with colour, the appeal between the two cameras in the same scene was a lot of fun. Fluctuations between colour, contrast and even composition was and is fun to watch as each camera was used.

2.) You get to see your work instantly

OK, it sounds an awful lot like the original digital ads, doesn’t it? But it’s true.  You take your shot, and with the 210, you get to hear the click and the whirrrrrrrrrr of the shot being ejected from the camera.  With the holgaroid, (did I mention that it is homemade?) it is the idea of shooting from the hip, or not knowing what it is you will get on the image. I know that the instant film isn’t exactly cheap, but it is a ton of fun.  There is something to be said about watching the picture, especially on the Fuji, appearing on the paper in front of you.  No histograms, no RGB, just an instant image. Right there, just the way Edwin Land intended it.

3.) There is way more control than you think!

On a properly modified holgaroid, the bulb mode should still be intact. With this option, you can do long exposures. Seems simple, but it is oh so much fun! I have a habit of gluing adapter rings to the front of my toys and using neutral density and polarizers to change and control the end result. The instant cameras are no exception. Using a polarizer in overcast still has an effect on the picture, using a ND filter slows the shutter down and allows the exposure to be longer than normal.  On the 210 there is, much like their Polaroid predecessors, have a lighten and darken option on them so you can control the contrast in the image.  No matter what the rules say, instant is just as, if not more than, satisfying than digital. You can take 10 shots of the exact same thing, and each one will look different.

4.) The feel…….and the excitement

It seems really simple, but it is true. The feel of the image, whether it is the plastic texture of the instax or the spidery tendrils of expired Polaroid chemistry on the smooth surface of the peel-a-part, the feel of the instant image is unique.  I still feel like there is nothing like watching an image appearing in front of you or peeling apart the film to see how the picture has turned out. Even if the image on the peel-a-part hasn’t quite worked, there is still the fact that you can use it for an emulsion lift later on or as part of another piece of art, and hey, isn’t that what this is all about? Creating art and interrupting the world around us?

5.) And the Most IMPORTANT reason of all:

IT IS FUN!

Oh and I said to, OK?

PS: don’t stop at two. Currently, there are 2 homemade holgaroids, 2 SX70’s, a kind of working Polaroid 360, Diana mini instax and a Fuji 210 Instax Wide in the bag. They all yield different images, looks and results. While instant is an older form of photographic technology, it is the way of future.

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