Homeless Holga: Formerly "Anyone fancy trying something daft ???"

TheBigYin

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Okay - it might be the boredom of sitting here injured after yet another "off the bike" moment, it may be the ensuing medication, or it may just be that I fancy doing something to mark the passage of over 5000 posts on TP (mostly within F&C!) but I've had an Idea...

Inspired by the Travelling Lubitel threads, I thought we may try another one. But as I'm devoid of any Crappy Russian Bakelite Amateur TLR's I thought I'd take another tack. The Camera I considered for this mission is... My Crappy Chinese Plastic Holga! It's cheap, light (good for postage), relatively idiot proof (when gaffa-taped along all the seams), and suitably different to shoot with than most conventional weaponry. It was also cheap enough that if the post office loses it, I'll only grieve over the film in it! I'll even throw in a couple of rolls of 120 and the developing/scanning into the pot!

So - anyone up for it - we can work on the details depending on the number of nutters who fancy a go...


Edit:

Potential Signup List...

Me (just to get the first couple of frames on the go...)
Jim (menthel)
John (JohnMc)
Alan (Alan Clogwyn)
Scott (walsh)
Graeme (dubnut71)
ped
Bill (puggie)
Sean (Thmaga)
Andy (Andysnap)
Nick (RaglanSurf)
Sarah (SarahLee)
Pete (big soft moose)
Michael (MisterE)
Rob (robhooley)
rhody
Superewza (if he can afford the postage costs :LOL:)
 
that's the general idea Jim - just a little light hearted snapping with a plastic box and a blob of semi-transparent glass.

Just had a look and it'll probably be FP4+/Hp5+/Ektacolor Pro film - Ive got some spares short dated/OOD stuff that'll be fine for the Holga.
 
Sounds good to me. dependant on the numbers we could do some interesting things, perhaps even 2 user double exposures.
 
I was considering 3 shots per person.

First shooter
Frame 1 - - a "normal" picture and winds to
Frame 2 - first shot of a double exposure and posts camera to

Second Shooter
Frame 2 again - second of double exposure winds to
frame 3 - normal picture and winds to
frame 4 - first shot of a double exposure and posts camera to

Third Shooter
Frame 4 again - second of double exposure winds to
frame 5 - normal picture and winds to
frame 6 - first shot of a double exposure and posts camera to

Fourth Shooter
Frame 6 again - second of double exposure winds to
frame 7 - normal picture and winds to
frame 8 - first shot of a double exposure and posts camera ... etc?

Too complex? Too many Meds for me?

Also - If I bung a couple of rolls of C41 in there - we can do one straight and the other cross-processed in E6. Wierdsville... :LOL:
 
This seems like a *inserts swear word* awesome idea! So effectively, the camera and Film Travels the country?

I think i'd love to be part of this.
 
that's the idea John... don't know if you found the original Travelling Lubitel thread, but I'd hope the Vagrant Holga works a little more smoothly... Especially if we're swapping films mid-journey - as I'd like to know that whoever loads the film will get it right, and not lose half a dozen peoples shots. It's not rocket science - but 120 film is a bit different for people who may only have shot 35mm - or indeed might only be dijikal Konverts.
 
I might be up for it, got nothing else to do... of course, on the flipside i have very little money to do it with but i think i could manage this :p
 
I was considering 3 shots per person.

First shooter
Frame 1 - - a "normal" picture and winds to
Frame 2 - first shot of a double exposure and posts camera to

Second Shooter
Frame 2 again - second of double exposure winds to
frame 3 - normal picture and winds to
frame 4 - first shot of a double exposure and posts camera to

Third Shooter
Frame 4 again - second of double exposure winds to
frame 5 - normal picture and winds to
frame 6 - first shot of a double exposure and posts camera to

Fourth Shooter
Frame 6 again - second of double exposure winds to
frame 7 - normal picture and winds to
frame 8 - first shot of a double exposure and posts camera ... etc?

Too complex? Too many Meds for me?

Also - If I bung a couple of rolls of C41 in there - we can do one straight and the other cross-processed in E6. Wierdsville... :LOL:

That was the kind of thing I had in mind too.

that's the idea John... don't know if you found the original Travelling Lubitel thread, but I'd hope the Vagrant Holga works a little more smoothly... Especially if we're swapping films mid-journey - as I'd like to know that whoever loads the film will get it right, and not lose half a dozen peoples shots. It's not rocket science - but 120 film is a bit different for people who may only have shot 35mm - or indeed might only be dijikal Konverts.

Also a good plan. I have not 'done' 120 before so a pair of safe hands would be an idea.
 
I might be up for it, got nothing else to do... of course, on the flipside i have very little money to do it with but i think i could manage this :p

It shouldn't be particularly expensive to post the camera to the next person. To make it as cheap as possible, we could post the completed films back to me as soon as they're shot/removed from the camera. So if you're skint - sign up for one of the last slots, and the postage will be cheaper. Camera weighs naff all - 4 rolls of film may double the overall weight of the package. :LOL:
 
Count me in, I'll have to figure out film loasing though, never used 120!
 
By my reckoning it'll only need someone who's 120 loading/unloading savvy every 7 people, so there's plenty of slots for people to just press, wind, press,wind, press, post to next person :LOL:

Unless of course people keep taking shots with the lens cap on like I usually do :bonk:

Edit: Actually - depending on the numbers signing up, we may end up with more frames each as I would like to get one grainey B&W, one smoooth, a C41 colour and a X-Processed one... :shrug:
 
I'm in! depending on when it gets to me I should have 120 loading experience, I have just bought a Blad!!
 
We're on a roll lads... (y)

You do all know it's this one


Holga - with filter mount. by The Big Yin, on Flickr

and not the widescreen one that needs a tripod and an ability to count elephants ?

(Though the other may get an outing too, if the 120GN makes it back home in one piece!)
 
I'm in! depending on when it gets to me I should have 120 loading experience, I have just bought a Blad!!

PMSL - it's very different to the 'blad... couldn't be much more different if i'm honest. In just about every way, from IQ and build quality to controllability and handling. Only thing it shares is dirty great big 6.6cm neg's and a tendency to run out of film just as you're getting into shooting with it.
 
I'll have a bash...

fit me in mid way (i.e. at a roll end) and I'll donate a roll of expired (but frozen) portra 400NC to the cause.
 
I'll have a bash...

fit me in mid way (i.e. at a roll end) and I'll donate a roll of expired (but frozen) portra 400NC to the cause.

That might well be the candidate for cross-processing in E6...:thinking:
 
its dates 2005 but has been frozen from purchase, running a roll through my Zeiss Ikon at the moment :)
 
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It's a holga - expiry dates mean beggar all :LOL: - I was actually thinking that being 400iso, if it's shot on normal rather than sunny setting, it'll be a bit over-exposed, and should X-P quite nicely.
 
Im up for it, sounds great!! I have some 120 HP5 to throw in if needed.
 
Arrrh sounds like a grand idea, sign up me up for the good ship Holga Odyssey as a deckhand.

Andy

Sorry, don't know why I turned into a pirate then.
 
Cheers Sean - we'll see how many people we get sign up, and then decide how many frames etc. per person, and if we need additional fillums. I don't mind processing a few films TBH, as the chemicals are likely to go off by old-age before I've depleted them through number of films processed, due to my lack of time spent shooting at the moment.

edit: woo-hooo we're in double figures/onto the second roll allready!
 
Please count me in - I can help with various 120 film donations as required - OOD but so what........
 
Have you got any frames left for me too?
 
I'l have a crack at this - I sort of know how to load as ive got a mamiya 645 , though i hardly ever use it (hence the sort of) - I think I've got an (OOD) 120 roll of Velvia in the fridge which I could donate to the greater good
 
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I've tried. Honestly, I've really tried. But I'm unable to come up with a valid reason not to participate in this. So I guess I'll have to. I promise though - no body parts.
 
I can't see the built in exposure meter anywhere on the Holga shot posted....... and can I take both shots using the auto exposure bracketing setting please?

Or would this not be in the spirit of things? :)
 
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Well, im savvy with loading/unloading etc. If you have people in the same area would you want it to go to the next person, or mailed to another person in a different area? I think the later would make things more interesting as there wont be a chance of the same thing being captured
 
Arrrh sounds like a grand idea, sign up me up for the good ship Holga Odyssey as a deckhand.

Andy

Sorry, don't know why I turned into a pirate then.

No Worries - you scurvy daaaagg! ;)



Please count me in - I can help with various 120 film donations as required - OOD but so what........

As I said - lets see how many signups we get... at the moment there's 16 people - 3 frames each covers the first 4 films...

Have you got any frames left for me too?

Of course Nick, of course

If you're willing to let film virgins loose on it, I'd be up for a try. I fancy having a go at shooting film and this sounds like a great idea.

(Not promising any decent results though . . . and be prepared for the idiot questions :LOL:)

There's really nothing to question - it's got 4 controls -

A light setting - bright or overcast - ascertained by looking at the floor, and if you can see your shadow, set bright on the control.

A focus ring - The finder window isn't coupled to the lens - in fact it doesn't really show anything more than an approximation of what you'll get in the picture - it's just to show you've pointed the camera in roughly the right direction. Frame your shots loosely, or risk losing parts of 'em off-frame. Focusing is by guestimate. 3 guide symbols help - a Picture of a head - for close ups (1m), a picture of 3 people side by side for typical seaside type happy snaps (3m), or a picture of a mountain, for longer focus (6m+)

A shutter release - press it and release - don't hold it down, it sometimes jams the shutter open! Once it releases, it's self cocked for another release. There is NO interlock preventing double exposures. So - if you don't want a double-ey (very spinal tapp!) Release the shutter, put the lens cap on, and wind on. DON'T FORGET TO REMOVE THE LENS CAP BEFORE SHOOTING THE NEXT IMAGE! I usually do at least one frame like this per roll :bonk:

A Film Winder - turn the knob, and watch the red window on the back of the camera. Stop winding when the next number comes into view.

I'l have a crack at this - I sort of know how to load as ive got a mamiya 645 , though i hardly ever use it (hence the sort of) - I think I've got an (OOD) 120 roll of Velvia in the fridge which I could donate to the greater good

I've posted videos for loading and unloading - anyone that's au-fait with roll film should be fine. As far as the film goes, again, lets see who signs up and how many rolls we eventually need.

I've tried. Honestly, I've really tried. But I'm unable to come up with a valid reason not to participate in this. So I guess I'll have to. I promise though - no body parts.

Sometime's it's good just to try something because there's no good reason for it!
 
Well, im savvy with loading/unloading etc. If you have people in the same area would you want it to go to the next person, or mailed to another person in a different area? I think the later would make things more interesting as there wont be a chance of the same thing being captured

That's a good point John... When I came up with this prescription painkiller-fuelled idea this morning, I half expected to get half a dozen people, which would have made it highly unlikely that everyone would be in a little clump in one area of the country. Already we've hit 16 prospective candidates, which if we all only run 3 frames, goes through 4 films (or more likely we'll be on the 5th - as some people are bound to either wind past the number, take an extra frame or otherwise noodle things up. And that's kind of the joy of it!
 
I'm up for it - never used 120 but its something new to learn!
 
I'm up for it - never used 120 but its something new to learn!

Cool. Looks like we're into the 5th reel of film then!

I had a quick rummage through the "big box of frozen film" and i've the following stray rolls

1 roll Hp5+ (grainy B&W)
1 roll FP4+ (smoother B&W)
2 rolls Ektacolor Pro (c41 colour) - one to be natural other cross-processed

Anyone got a preference as to what they'd like their shots on? Don't all rush at once for the C41 in E6 chemicals, as that'll probably be the last of the films processed - I'd like to get a couple more rolls of straight E6 out of the chemicals before potentially contaminating them :)
 
I've got 1 or 2 rolls in the freezer too, so I don't think we'll run out:LOL:
 
Nick - if it comes to it, i've around 40-odd rolls of short dates in various flavours, but I'm more cncerned about the chemicals for processing. Plenty of B&W soup, but iirc, I've about 3 rolls of C41 before it's depleted, and the E6 kit has maybe another 4 - but I've a couple of rolls of E100VS earmarked for a project as soon as I can get back out and walk again, so call it 2 rolls of E6 tops.

It's bad enough asking people to pay postage on the camera, for the "privelege" of shooting a couple of frames with a toy camera, but if we're stumping up for processing as well, it's a bit of a non-starter.

Ooohh - that was awfully sensible - I think i'm due some more painkillers :LOL:
 
i'm up for this, sounds like fun :D
 
Fine by me Rob, I'll add you to the list.

Which currently stands as...

Signup List...


  1. Me (just to get the first couple of frames on the go...)
  2. Jim (menthel)
  3. John (JohnMc)
  4. Alan (Alan Clogwyn)
  5. Scott (walsh)
  6. Graeme (dubnut71)
  7. ped
  8. Bill (puggie)
  9. Sean (Thmaga)
  10. Andy (Andysnap)
  11. Nick (RaglanSurf)
  12. Sarah (SarahLee)
  13. Pete (big soft moose)
  14. Michael (MisterE)
  15. Rob (robhooley)
  16. rhody
  17. Superewza (if he can afford the postage costs :LOL:)
  18. Samuel (s162216)
  19. Richard (medwaygreen)

Any more, for any more ?? if we get to 18, and all shoot 4 frames, thats a nice even 6 rolls of film I reckon! I'll even shoot the first 2 frames on roll 1 and the last 2 on roll 6, to give a bit of slack in case someone overwinds ;)
 
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