Love that Holga

Palms

2012-01-31T09:51:00.000-08:00

Ghostly palms, Hollywood.

Vermont

2012-01-26T12:47:00.000-08:00

On Vermont Avenue, Hollywood.

Walnut

2012-01-19T10:41:00.000-08:00

Under the Walnut Street Bridge, Philadelphia.

Freedom

2012-01-13T09:00:00.000-08:00

Freedom Tower, lower Manhattan.

Century City Fog

2012-01-04T13:19:00.000-08:00

Foggy morning on Santa Monica Boulevard in Century City.

Travel

2011-12-29T16:59:00.000-08:00

Near Baldwin Village, in South Los Angeles.

On the Road II

2011-12-13T11:12:00.000-08:00

Auto transport, Santa Monica.

Downtown Pair

2011-12-08T13:54:00.000-08:00

Two from lower Manhattan, just across the street from the World Trade Center site.

Ferris

2011-12-05T10:01:00.000-08:00

Ferris Wheel, Santa Monica Pier.

Occupy

2011-12-02T10:17:00.000-08:00

Paid a quick visit to New York early last month, before Occupy Wall Street was dispersed.

Vines

2011-11-14T08:48:00.000-08:00

Grapevines, just off the 41 in the Central Valley.

Smoky

2011-10-17T13:43:00.000-07:00

A small brush fire clouding the sky over the Grapevine on the way back into Los Angeles.

Bridge I

2011-10-10T12:08:00.000-07:00

Under the Walnut Street Bridge, Philadelphia. Needs a little work in the darkroom.

Van in the Sand

2011-10-02T12:43:00.000-07:00

Flood II

2011-09-26T12:13:00.000-07:00

Another from the photos taken in Philadelphia after Irene swamped the banks of the Schuylkill.

Under Water

2011-09-22T14:27:00.000-07:00

Hurricane Irene made a little mess of things in Philadelphia, overflowing the banks of the Schuylkill. This was taken from the East side of the street, looking West.

Walnut

2011-09-19T10:37:00.000-07:00

From beneath the Walnut Street Bridge, Philadelphia.

Bleak

2011-09-15T12:00:00.000-07:00

Just off the 41 Freeway in the Central Valley, a few miles south of Fresno.

Litter

2011-09-12T10:03:00.000-07:00

Trash can, Philadelphia.

Sand Dive

2011-09-08T10:51:00.000-07:00

On the beach (in the beach?) at the Jersey shore.

Yosemite

2011-09-06T17:00:00.000-07:00

After several months I finally got around to getting a new Holga (and a backup for when this one inevitably fails me). One of the first excursions I took with it was up to Yosemite, which, given its antiquity, lens itself nicely to the Holga's plastic lens.

As always, click on the image to enlarge.

Fishing

2010-12-20T17:13:00.000-08:00

Off the pier at Pismo Beach.

Thokoza Protest 2

2010-11-19T12:33:00.000-08:00

I know I bounce from region to region, theme to theme, but I was thinking recently about Joburg and thought I'd post some previously unseen ones from the trip there.

Unglued

2010-11-12T06:09:00.000-08:00

The death of a beloved Holga is a hard thing. Shutters cease to snap close, electrician's tape can't reasonably hold backs on. In my case the styrofoam lining that cushioned the film roll up just disappeared. I have no idea where it went. When I popped the roll in it was there, when the roll came out it was gone. This happened twice - I replaced the foam with some from another deceased camera and it too came unglued and wandered off. The only evidence were the sticky marks left on the film and a very loose roll that allowed light to wash out the last few images.

Near the End

2010-11-02T10:43:00.000-07:00

One of the last images from the old warhorse. The Holga's guts (such as they are) gave way and it had to be retired. Details and images from that last roll to come.

Pismo Beach

2010-10-25T13:15:00.000-07:00

Bullpen

2010-10-12T21:53:00.000-07:00

Seems like Blogger's revised editing software is blocking photo uploads, and it took a while to figure out an end run.

Spent some time at Dodger Stadium this summer, and had an opportunity for an unobstructed view of the bullpen at rest.

Bridges

2010-09-20T12:05:00.000-07:00

Los Angeles does not lack for highway overpasses, and I like how the Holga renders their grace and concreteness.

The Truck Next Door

2010-09-03T11:10:00.000-07:00

A drive-by, somewhere in Hollywood I think.

Off Western

2010-08-10T11:20:00.000-07:00

In an alley behind Western Avenue, just north of Santa Monica Boulevard.

The Wait

2010-07-12T14:02:00.000-07:00

Mpumalanga II

2010-06-23T09:53:00.000-07:00

Sunrise partying.

Mpumalanga

2010-06-15T10:53:00.000-07:00

At the end of an all-night party celebrating the initiation of teens in the Pedi culture in northwest South Africa. The drinking and dancing were still going on when we arrived around 7 AM.

Mai Mai II

2010-05-30T07:41:00.000-07:00

Making sandals out of used tires. Nike, adidas knock-off logos are designed in to help sales.

Grey and Blue

2010-05-19T09:16:00.000-07:00

Poolside, beachside at Pismo Beach in March.

It's Always There

2010-04-22T12:51:00.000-07:00

I think I've tried a double exposure once with the Holga - on the first roll I shot. Don't know why I've hesitated - it's not like you really can tell what you're going to get anyway. So this one, shot in the alley behind a bike shop on Western Avenue near Santa Monica, was an accident. I forgot to wind the film, but, as with most Holga images, I'm happy with what I got.

Pismo

2010-04-16T10:50:00.000-07:00

The old workhorse is starting to break down. On this last roll the padding glued onto the body against the take up reel gave way, leaving a gluey mess. The roll didn't pull tight and there were some light leaks as well as glue marks on the negs, and I might post some results later.

Meantime, this early shot managed to come through unscathed. Went onto the dunes at Pismo Beach to enjoy the beauty of nature along with a hundred other folks riding ATVs and spewing exhaust fumes by the ocean. Something to do once, I guess.

Another from Jozi

2010-03-09T22:26:00.000-08:00

Angles and Shadows

2010-03-03T12:10:00.000-08:00

Gower Street, south of Santa Monica Boulevard.

Winter Tree

2010-02-17T12:15:00.000-08:00

I have to say, I love the colors rendered by Fuji Pro 160s film - the blues especially are rich and deep and the film speed seems just right for outdoor images on the Holga.

Take It Down

2010-02-10T22:46:00.000-08:00

Demolition of an old church at the corner of Wilshire Boulevard and LaBrea Avenue in Los Angeles.

Bent

2010-01-21T12:08:00.000-08:00

I can't for the life of me figure out how this light pole in Blairgowrie, Johannesburg, got bent this high up. All the others on the block stood straight.

Cold

2010-01-12T09:07:00.000-08:00

Back from a winter hiatus.

Trapped

2009-12-20T21:20:00.000-08:00

A baboon trapped on the outskirts of an orange grove in Mpumalanga (formerly Eastern Transvaal). They steal the fruit, and the farmer put up this trap, though I have no idea what good one trap would do against a troop of monkeys. Poor guy was scared to death, and while we didn't stick around too long I have no doubt he came to an unpleasant end. Click on image to enlarge.

Initiation

2009-12-17T08:43:00.000-08:00

The capping ceremony for a coming of age celebration in rural South Africa.

Obit

2009-12-14T11:53:00.000-08:00

An obituary posted on an electrical box in Braamfontein, near the University of the Witswaterstrand.

Pondering

2009-12-07T14:31:00.000-08:00

Watching the July protest in Thokoza.

Local Color

2009-11-30T15:06:00.000-08:00

A little change of pace. Many more South African images to post, but wanted to bring it back to LA to break things up a little.

Where Were You?

2009-11-22T11:38:00.000-08:00

The City of Johannesburg is trying to develop the Newtown area as an arts district. Some sections have come further than others. While wandering around, a little lost, looking for a print gallery this summer I came across this open door. Click on the image to see it larger, and read the graffito inside.

Shacks

2009-11-15T22:13:00.000-08:00

Another from Thokoza.

Thokoza Protest

2009-11-04T10:36:00.000-08:00

Recycle

2009-10-25T12:30:00.000-07:00

In Orange Farm, one of the largest 'informal' settlements in Johannesburg, one couple has started a recycling center to both clean up the community and provide jobs and training to the people there. To call the Itsoseng Women's Center a shoestring operation is an understatement.

Morning, Orange Farm

2009-10-09T08:09:00.000-07:00

Orange Farm is one of the largest "informal" settlements outside Johannesburg, with the bulk of the housing like this shack. There is electric, and water infrastructure was just installed in the last few months - though the roads have not been paved since.

I've been using Fuji Pro color film in the Holga and love how it generally renders the deep blues of the sky.

Roof Walker

2009-10-05T21:10:00.000-07:00

I saw this guy scamper up the ladder (visible angled away from the right rear corner of the building) onto the roof and watched as he walked along the perimeter of the top of the building. I had one frame left, no more film with me and he disappeared from sight. I stood there, waiting and watching, until he finally reappeared. He was moving so quickly I had no idea whether I caught him or how well I framed the photo. Pleasantly surprised when the film came back.

Mai Mai

2009-09-07T00:43:00.000-07:00

Mia Mai is a collections of Zulu shops in Johannesburg - lots of animal parts and herbs for medicinal uses - with the occasional clothing thrown in.

Service Delivery

2009-08-16T13:22:00.000-07:00

Taken in July in Thokoza on the first day of service delivery protests across South Africa.

Bloody Hands, Thokoza

2009-08-07T05:25:00.000-07:00

Residents of Thokoza, the second largest black township in Johannesburg, started protesting poor service delivery by the government on July 21. Police tried to break up the crowd using rubber bullets, and this man claimed they bloodied his hands as they tried to clear things out.

Gold

2009-07-31T01:23:00.000-07:00

The gold rush that helped found the city of Johannesburg continues, thanks to new technologies. Mining companies now use new processes to extract gold from landfills like this one created when what was thought to be spent ore was discarded.

The White Roofs of Philly

2009-07-15T01:46:00.000-07:00

Not snow, reflective materials to keep energy costs down. Cities ought to require this for new construction and incentivize conversion for older properties - especially if the roof can't bear the weight of a grass surface!

Blanks 7, A Hot One

2009-07-09T03:23:00.000-07:00

I've got to be better about tracking these things, can't remember where this one was...

Off La Tijera

2009-07-02T14:18:00.000-07:00

Another from the day at the airport. I liked how the Poplars came together at this house. Chose not to fiddle with the exposure in PhotoShop.

LAX

2009-06-25T20:22:00.000-07:00

Had a tour the other day of LAX, from the runway side of the terminals. No chance to get off the bus, but some interesting sights anyway.

Blanks 6

2009-06-19T12:36:00.000-07:00

Another from West Hollywood.

Blanks 5, in the Distance

2009-06-04T15:26:00.000-07:00

A pair in the distance, on Vine Street, looking north toward the hills and construction.

Blanks 4, Hot

2009-06-01T23:12:00.000-07:00

With all the billboards in West Hollywood it's pretty easy to fnd a few blanks. This one was on the east end of the Strip.

Blanks 3, Back and Front

2009-05-24T15:38:00.000-07:00

The Sunset Strip in West Hollywood has a lot going on in terms of billboards, so much so that it that there is one property devoted to nothing but. This one, on the east side of the Strip, has an eye-level sign, blank, backing on a west-facing one.

Blanks 2

2009-05-07T21:47:00.000-07:00

This one is at the corner of Sunset and Bronson, across the street from KTLA and usually has a billboard advertising the station up. The east facing side has been blank for a while and I like its rough finish. Not sure if that's a ray of light glinting off it or something to do with the Holga's lens...

Blanks, Part 1

2009-05-06T12:45:00.000-07:00

I've been noticing a lot of blank billboards around town over the last few months, and thought I'd try and capture some of them. This is the first in an ongoing series of those images, a billboard on Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood that once housed an ad for Yahoo that won an award a few years back.

Shaky Technicolor

2009-04-30T15:10:00.000-07:00

Have had black and white in the camera for the last few rolls. The blurs and jiggles appeal to me less in color, though I like how this one of the new Technicolor building on Hollywood Boulevard turned out. Am three images away from dropping more rolls off for processing, so a new batch ought to be coming shortly.

Chilly Trees

2009-04-13T22:00:00.000-07:00

Big Sky, December.

Another roll working its way - a bit too slowly - through the Holga. Have been working on a theme and it takes a while to track down (or stumble upon) appropriate subjects.

Bouncing Letters

2009-03-30T22:01:00.000-07:00

On a construction site in Orange County. It's been a while, but I'm guessing the stencil on the cab of the vehicle is double painted, because noting else in the image jumped. Unless it's another Holga phenomenon I hadn't come across yet.

Warm Philly Summer

2009-03-22T10:11:00.000-07:00

Hazy day.

Blue and Grey

2009-03-06T15:13:00.000-08:00

Tempermental, this. Maybe the cold air was making it cooperate.

Color Got the Shakes

2009-02-22T16:45:00.001-08:00

Usually like the effect better in black and white, but think it worked OK here.

Paris at Night

2009-02-18T12:45:00.000-08:00

OK, it's Paris Hilton and it's a billboard, but I was still pleased with how the Holga was able to pull in enough light to get some detail. Using Fuji Pro 160.

Back in Barc

2009-02-09T14:08:00.000-08:00

Fiddled a bit with this shot from a street in Barcelona in PhotoShop. The neg, as scanned, was a bit light and the computer has left it a bit flat. Some day I'll get back to a darkroom, or drop it at one, and have a real print made. Ought to even things out a bit.

Back to the Ethereal

2009-02-02T12:52:00.000-08:00

Here's another one where I can't remember the exact spot it was taken. A combination of time and lack of clarity in the image (which is what makes it appealing to me). I have a feeling it was at the top of Mulholland somewhere, probably east of Laurel Canyon.

Up High

2009-01-27T13:14:00.000-08:00

Looking up, from a chairlift.

Monument

2009-01-19T17:45:00.000-08:00

Costume

2009-01-18T21:44:00.000-08:00

My boy, a ninja at the Halloween parade at school.

Green and White and Blue

2009-01-13T10:52:00.000-08:00

It's a funky thing, that Holga. Part of the fun is never knowing how it will render what you're shooting. Black and white works better when the shutter shudders, at least to my eye. So I was pleased to see the color images from the trip to Montana come back sharp. Using Fuji Pro 160.

Cold Dogs

2009-01-10T22:03:00.000-08:00

Back from Montana, where we took a dog sled ride. The guys were skinny and cold, but seemed up for the workout.

DC Flag

2008-12-24T08:52:00.000-08:00

The Holga, she was behaving this day.

Steps

2008-12-18T10:07:00.000-08:00

Thought I'd posted this one from Barcelona, but evidently not. So here it is...

Train in Spain

2008-12-16T07:35:00.000-08:00

I realized there were a few images from Spain that never got posted, like this one of the train station in Barcelona, so there will be a few coming in coming days.

OSH, 2

2008-12-15T12:33:00.000-08:00

Another shot of the OSH on Sunset at Western. Off shortly to snowy points east (though still in the West), with the Holga, black-and-white and color film in hand. More to come.

OSH

2008-11-29T18:33:00.001-08:00

Parking lot, Orchard Supply Hardware, Sunset Boulevard near Western Avenue.

Looking Down Sunset

2008-11-10T08:37:00.001-08:00

Sunset Boulevard, heading west, in Hollywood.

More Plams

2008-10-22T13:43:00.000-07:00

I never really saw the appeal of the Palm as a tree - no shade, lots of maintenance - but visually they are very appealing (especially in black and white).

Dancing

2008-09-17T12:38:00.000-07:00

I wandered onto an idle construction site not that long ago and came across this character. Don't recall whether it looked like it was put there by the folks operating the site or by some happy tagger.

Campus

2008-09-11T09:45:00.000-07:00

There's a very cool Modernist building on the campus of UCLA, and I liked the juxtaposition of the randomness of the tree in front with the order imposed by the windows and otherwise blank facade.

Lost in the Supermarket

2008-09-07T08:13:00.000-07:00

I was doing a quick shop a little while ago and tried something new. Used the shopping cart to steady the camera in lieu of a tripod. I was using Fuji 160 film, and next time might use something a bit faster, since I really had to fiddle with the balance of light and color with Photoshop (having the negs scanned now rather than printed after processing). There were a few that worked well, but these are two I liked best. Peppers a just sexy for some reason.

Zoo Bridge

2008-09-03T16:15:00.000-07:00

I was in Philadelphia earlier this summer and was able to indulge my interest in shooting bridges. This one is a railroad bridge running over the Schuylkill near the zoo.

Costco

2008-08-23T19:28:00.001-07:00

Another from the archives.

Old Boats

2008-08-12T17:53:00.000-07:00

The image looks I think like it was taken a century ago. The boat hasn't been there that long, but I do know it hasn't moved from the side of the house in years.

From the Archives

2008-08-07T14:18:00.000-07:00

Here are a couple from 2006 - the one above from December, the lower one from August. I love the overpasses here in Los Angeles, there's something at once graceful and bleak about them. We spend so much time on the freeways, never moving as fast as we'd like but still too fast to really appreciate these things. I'd like one day to be able to walk around on an empty stretch - especially one where three or four bridges converge - and shoot, or even better to take the Holga up in a helicopter and look down on them (does it make sense to use such a cheap tool in such an expensive endeavor?).

Snow

2008-08-05T09:16:00.000-07:00

It's hot and muggy in Los Angeles, and it's got me thinking of snow and Montana.

Feed Me

2008-08-03T12:23:00.000-07:00

Boat for sale, Long Beach Island, New Jersey

The Shed

2008-07-27T11:25:00.000-07:00

Back in Jersey. There's a little boating and fishing community in Barnegat Light, and whenever I go back I swing by and check out this little shack by the bay. Hate to keep harping on the focus/blur issue with this camera, but this is one that I think would have looked OK no matter how well the camera performed. Next time, will try and shoot it in color - lots of nice rust, peeling paint.

Summer Fun

2008-07-22T13:48:00.000-07:00

I've found that the Holga treats water pretty well, I suppose in part because of the softness generated by the plastic lens. In this case, I was lucky the shutter kept up with the action, though a little blur would have probably worked out well, too.