Category: Holga

Kirsti close-up 2

I haven’t felt much like updating my photo blog lately because I’ve been pondering what exactly I want to do with this thing. It’s in need of a proper design, featuring a portfolio and contact section. I should also add a link to my new etsy store. (Now I can proudly say that I sell my work.)

There is a small show of Holga photos on display at the Pendulum Gallery. The work is by local Vancouver photographer Trevor Brady, and will be on display until April 21st. I liked seeing Holga photos printed very large and bold. It gave me a few ideas for things to do with my own work.

Magnolia

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Magnolia

I’ve been wanting to try out a few of the modifications that are possible with a holga. There are many out there, but the three I am most intrigued by are panoramas, macros, and shooting with 35mm. Last week through a contact of mine on flickr I discovered a simple variation on the “macro mod”, where I can use my close-up filters to get closer to my subject than the one meter minimum a holga normally allows. If you don’t have close-up filters, there is an article on Toycamera.com with three variations for macro modifications.

I’m really happy with the results from my first roll. Even though I chose flowers as my subject for the test I can see potential in using this technique for shooting portraits. It’s always frustrated me to keep my distance when photographing people with the holga, and now I can get much closer.

I have a gallery of the night shots taken this past winter up at Toycamera.com. Please check it out.

Sun summoning sunflower

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A bit of colour to brighten the day

I have chosen the above sunflower photo as my avatar to summon up a bit of sunny weather. Here’s hoping it works.

Last Saturday I went for the loveliest walk in the rain. The air was fresh with the perfumed scent of spring, the temperature was warm, the plants and moss glowed a vibrant green, and everywhere the trees were blossoming. A week later it’s still raining, and my walks outside seem less lovely and more…soggy. We are at the point of springtime when every Vancouverites thoughts turn to ark-building.

Crows in conversation

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Crows in conversation

Thank you to everyone who came out to Exposure Gallery over the weekend to visit with me and see my photo in the show. I was able to get a bit of reading done during my gallery sitting shift, and discovered the work of two photographers new to me.

The current issue of Light Leaks magazine features an interview with pinhole photographer Martha Casanave, and a stunning selection of photos from her series Explorations along an Imaginary Coastline. A nice compliment to her work is that of Robin Bartholick and his digitally constructed black and white images. (See series 1 and series 2.) It’s interesting to me that their work is so similar, with gentlemen dressed in turn of the century garb and imaginary landscapes, but they achieve their results at opposite ends of the technological scale.

The posing crow

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The crow who posed

If this picture is any indication, I must be getting better at stalking crows. He (or she) was preening when I snuck up to take its picture, and though it was startled it didn’t fly away. Usually crows get very nervous about having their picture taken, but this one seems to be posing for me.

Vancouver has a huge crow population, and every morning and evening they can be seen crossing the city’s skies to and from their nesting site in Burnaby. It’s an impressive sight to see, and one I never seem to tire of.

Signs of spring

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Signs of spring

I rarely take self portraits with my holga because my arms don’t seem to be long enough to meet the minimum requirements for getting myself in focus. But I wanted to take a spring-themed photo with the cherry blossoms, in focus or not, and finish the roll in my camera. I’m glad I took a chance with this shot because I’m very happy with how it has turned out. I managed to get the composition I wanted, even with my eyes closed… 😉

Putting my show together is not going as smoothly as I’d hoped. It makes me very glad I still have plenty of time left to prepare, and also that the original date I am slated for may be pushed back. I think in the meantime I need to look for other, less involved opportunities to submit my work for exhibition. For my own sense of satisfaction I need more than just this one show – even though it’s a solo – to have on my plate this year. Maybe I am crazy to think so…

Mandy has red stockings

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Mandy has red stockings

Creativity has really taken a backseat to other, more pressing things this week. If only the weather would improve and provide better outdoor lighting conditions then I could get out and finish rolls of film I have loaded into three different cameras. I can hear them calling my name, making me feel guilty…

It seems a bit wrong to be posting snowy photos on my blog when Vancouver is showing those lovely spring heralds the cherry blossom and crocus, but it’s still snowy somewhere….

I keep meaning to link to a new photography blog Pierre told me about called Muse-ings. I really love a lot of the work Tim Atherton has chosen to feature on his blog.

I want to ride this bicycle

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I want to ride this bicycle

The above photo was blogged on the front page of Utata today, along with a wonderful write up by Greg Fallis. Greg has been a long time Flickr friend, and I’m always pleased when he stops by my photo stream with a thoughful comment about my work. I am very pleased with his written accompaniment of this photo. It makes me long for a new red bike, a warm sunny day, and a joyride around the seawall.