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An Exclusive HolgaDirect Interview with Gunnar Larson

November 6, 2011 in Features, Interviews, Slider with 0 Comments

Name: Gunnar Larson

Location: New York, New York

Website:Gunnar Larson Home & Gunnar Larson on Tumblr

Holga Cameras used: I have two Holga 120N. One is in white and the other is black with a Polaroid back.

Photographers you admire: Eugene Atget, Julia Margaret Cameron, Gregory Crewdson, Autumn De Wilde, Frederike Helwig, Koto Bolofo

1. How would you describe your photographic style?

Gunnar Larson

I like to think that my photographic style is like having a dance party with Native American Chief, Spotted Elk and spiritual visionary, Hildegard of Bingen in the middle of a vast open prairie under the Milky Way filled sky while being DJ-ed by Deadmau5. My parents would be there making campfire coffee.

In living and traveling abroad I’ve realized that we live in a small world and so my people, places, contacts and ideas merge in very unique ways. I like to merge or marry space and time by allowing for the natural overlap, almost capturing a world that is located in the in-between. The past bleeds into the future and I think that each frame/shot in my camera should relate to the next. Everything is connected.

2. What inspires you in your work?

Gunnar Larson

The love of fashion, history, antiques, obscure oddities and traveling. The native prairie, in which I grew up in, and the beat of NYC always inspires me. I love to pull inspiration from old paintings from the 17th and 18th centuries and films by Wes Anderson, Federico Fellini and Jim Jarmusch.

3. Where is or would be your dream photography location/shoot?

Gunnar Larson

The old abandoned port at Grytviken, South Georgia Island is my dream photography location. This island off the coast of Antarctica used to be a whaling port. I have heard that much of the old port town remains as it was: items still in the general store and houses left with its belongings. This old port seems so haunting with its history yet so beautiful with raw untamed nature.

4. How long have you been using a Holga camera?

Gunnar Larson

A great friend and amazing photographer, Flavia Sollner, introduced me to a Holga in 2005 while I was living in London. It was my fist medium format camera. I also loved its price for a poor East London
artist, like myself at the time.

5. What do you like about using a Holga camera?

Gunnar Larson

When you use a Holga, the images come out different all the time. The more wear-and-tear on the camera results in more unique and beautiful shots. My two Holga cameras have been everywhere and are beaten up. I also have modified my Holga allowing other variables to play into the shots. Shooting with my Holga is always fun because everyone asks about my crazy set up with the white camera and a funny looking flash. It makes for a fun interaction with the subject. I also love to shoot and then not be able to look at the image. I love waiting for the film to develop.

6. What films do you prefer using and why?

Gunnar Larson

I prefer Kodak 160 VC (Vivid Color). I love the color this film produces.

7. What are your thoughts on the way Photography is progressing? (HDR, digital, web)

Gunnar Larson

Digital photography is amazing. It is changing photography and allowing so many people to experience the medium. It is great for shooting commercial work and being able to adjust and alter the image to almost endless possibilities. I am not a big fan of HDR, least not today but maybe tomorrow. I do like using digital and it is great but it has a time and a place. If I could, I would have my own darkroom, process my own film and print large prints by hand.

8. What kind of work/projects do you have lined up for the next 12 months?

Gunnar Larson

Shooting, shooting, shooting. I am really excited to keep producing and exploring. I will continue to shoot fashion and explore different narratives using my Holga. Outside of commercial work, I will be focusing on a couple personal projects this year.

The first project I am working on is my “700 Polaroids of Love,” which is a working title. It is a project of over 700 Polaroids documenting the relationship of me and my wife and our love for fashion. Some of the images are on my website but I am working on compiling them for an exhibition and book.

The other project is collaborating with Justin Hooge, an amazing bookmaker, on making several hand printed books. The project is called “Death of a Warrior” which was shot on film with a Hasselblad. It is about a school building in Southwest Minnesota that was demolished due to the school district closing. The images were taken just two days before the demolition.

9. Do you have any tips for aspiring photographers?

Gunnar Larson

Some of the best photography advice ever given to me was from a tour guide while I was on the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa. I was photographing like crazy, not really thinking about the shots but trying to capture it all. He told me, “You really should just stop and take it all in. Forget about taking a photo. You are here right now, so you should look and experience what is around you.” I put down the
camera and took it all in and experienced what was around me. An image is telling a story, and in order to tell a good story you need to experience the story before it can be told. The camera is a powerful tool, respect it and use it with wisdom. Let the story be told through you and the camera as a team.

A Big Thanks to Gunnar Larson for taking time to talk about his work. We wish him all the success for his future projects!

The HolgaDirect Team

Please let us know your thoughts about this article. It’s good to talk!

An Exclusive HolgaDirect Interview with Jennifer Shaw

July 28, 2011 in Features, Interviews, Slider with 1 Comment

<– Follow HolgaDirect & then Tweet about this interview article (Click the box) for a chance to win a signed copy of Jennifer Shaw’s book ‘Hurricane’ Story’ ! – See Bottom Of Page

Name: Jennifer Shaw

Location: New Orleans, LA

Website: Jennifer Shaw Home

Holga Cameras used: 120S, modified 120S (macro-ized)

Photographers you admire: Keith Carter, Diane Arbus, Joseph Koudelka, Debbie Fleming Caffery, Lori Nix, Susan Burnstine,Lori Waselchuk, Hiroshi Watanabe, Sally Mann, Francesca Woodman, Ernesto Bazan

1. How would you describe your photographic style?

We Got a New Roof before Christmas

I think it varies depending on the specific portfolio, but the common threads are a reverence for light and form, and a sense of narrative.
Not just in Hurricane Story, which is obviously a narrative project, but in my other work as well – I like to think the images include a narrative subtext; hints of mystery, stories implied.

2. What inspires you in your work?

Everything! Nature, art, literature, music; all of these things provide food for thought and help to fuel my work. I’m also driven by a really basic visual curiosity. The process of seeing, and then seeing the way things translate onto film, is still fascinating to me after all these years.

3. Where is or would be your dream photography location/shoot?

I don’t really have an exotic location fantasy. My work tends to be pretty personal, so for me it’s more about finding inspiration where you are.

4. How long have you been using a Holga camera?

Since 1999 – I picked one up to shoot Mardi Gras that year and it quickly became my primary camera.

5. What do you like about using a Holga camera?

I love the square format – it’s so clean and decisive. And the simplicity of plastic cameras allows me to work from of place of intuition, responding directly to the things that move me. I also feel that the sharp center and fading edges that Holgas provide come closer to the perspective with which we actually see/perceive/experience the world, depicting more of a “mind’s eye view”, if you will.

6. What films do you prefer using and why?

Send in the Guard

I’m not a hardcore film loyalty person, and will shoot with whatever I can find. That said I tend to use Ilford HP5 and Tri-X most frequently, and like Kodak’s Portra NC for color work.

7. What are your thoughts on the way Photography is progressing? (HDR, digital, web)

I’m pretty much missing the digital photography boat, for better or worse. I love the way the web allows us to share and connect in such an unprecedented, international way. Information and inspiration are now so easily accessible, and the ever-growing online photo communities are wonderful.

8. What kind of work/projects do you have lined up for the next 12 months?

Hurricane Story will be shown in full at the FotoSeptiembre festival in San Antonio this fall, which will be the first time all 46 of the images have been exhibited together. And there’s another book in the works through the North Light Press 11+1 Signature Series, featuring images from my Nature/Nurture portfolio.

9. Do you have any tips for aspiring photographers?

A Boy was Born

Look at everything. Find a subject you are passionate about and pursue it like crazy. Work like nothing else matters. Seek feedback – through classes, forums, portfolio reviews; it may be scary at first but will strengthen your vision in the long run.

10. What have you been working on recently?

The past year has been pretty consumed with the publication of Hurricane Story, which has just hit the shelves.

11. Can you tell us about the book and the publication process?

It’s my Katrina tale, shared in a graphic novel format, with images and simple one-line sentences. I had self published it a few years ago (through Lulu) and was thrilled to find an independent publisher interested in picking it up – Chin Music Press. The book was redesigned with a few sequence changes, the addition of a foreword, and a lovely clothbound hardcover. It was intense, but also a really fun collaborative process.

12. Do you have any advice for photographers interested in getting published?

I am currently reading Publish Your Photography Book by Darius Himes & Mary Virginia Swanson and would recommend that to anyone who wants to learn more about the process. It’s a comprehensive, inspiring and accessible manual, packed with tons of great advice and resources.

Many thanks to Jennifer for taking time to talk about her work. We wish her all the success for her future projects!

***AS A SPECIAL PRIZE *** – Jennifer is offering an exclusive signed copy of ‘Hurricane Story’ (images seen in this article) which will be given away as a Prize for one lucky reader! Once this interview article has been tweeted about 30 times we will choose a random person from those 30. So don’t forget to click the Tweet button next to the top of this page.

The HolgaDirect Team

Please let us know your thoughts about this article. It’s good to talk!

An Exclusive HolgaDirect Interview with Guy Dondlinger

January 19, 2011 in Features, Interviews, Slider with 2 Comments

<– Follow HolgaDirect & then Tweet about this interview article (Click the box) for a chance to win an original 1m Square Print, ‘The Orange Girl’ ! – See Bottom Of Page

Name: Guy Dondlinger

Location: Berlin, Germany

Website: Guy Dondlinger Home

Holga Cameras used: Holga 120N Camera , Holga 120 WPC Camera, 120GN. Also Diana+ and Lubitel 166B

Photographers you admire: Nan Goldin, Allen Ginsberg, Annie Leibovitz

1. How would you describe your photographic style?

The Orange Girl by Guy Dondlinger

I have two main subjects, and the style varies with the subject. When I shoot people, it’s very much ‘from the hip’ (sometimes literally so). I like street photography, so I tend to take the photos fast and by instinct. I also photograph buildings and urban landscapes – there, I take more time to shoot, but again it’s more by instinct than by careful consideration.

2. What inspires you in your work?

People, mostly – their moods, their quirks, their expressions… . I like being in a busy place in a city, just watching people – especially if it’s a place where people take their time, enjoy the sun or the sights or generally have a good time. It’s in situations like these that I’ve taken what I consider my best photographs. I enjoy this even more in Asian countries where people don’t mind when you take their photo – as opposed to Europe, where you have to be more careful when photographing people in the street.

3. Where is or would be your dream photography location/shoot?

It’s a bit of a cliché, but: New York. I’ve been there a few times, but never with a Holga, and I feel that I need to remedy that. Else, Japan is also high on the list. And I would like to return to India and see (and photograph) more places there (I’ve only been to Southern India so far). As far as colours go, it’s hard to get more fascinating ones than in India; and the same goes for the people.

4. How long have you been using a Holga camera?

Since 2004.

5. What do you like about using a Holga camera?

Susan Sontag wrote in ‘On Photography’ that photography attempts to replicate reality (but doesn’t manage to do so). What I like about Holga photography is that it doesn’t even try to replicate reality. When you shoot with a Holga or a toy camera, you know you’re gonna get a dream-like, unreal (and often, quite surprising) version of the world, which I like.

6. What films do you prefer using and why?

Montparnasse Cemetery by Guy Dondlinger

For colour, Fujicolor Reala, preferably ISA 160, for the quality of the colours – strong but not exaggerated (although my absolute favorite colour film was a batch of the discontinued, original Agfa Optima 100 films which I managed to get on the internet). For black & white, Ilford Delta 400.

7. What are your thoughts on the way Photography is progressing? (HDR, digital, web)

One of the most interesting developments for me in recent years has been photography on smart phones like the iPhone, for the reason that it’s no longer just about taking photos: on the same device, the photographer can use various apps to improve and/or modify the image in many ways, post it to blogs and publish the link on social sites like Twitter and Facebook; all within a matter of minutes. So photography has become very ‘immediate’: photographers can exchange their work with the world, more or less as and when they create it – in a sense, it’s the digital version of what a polaroid camera did or does in the analogue world. I think that this development – the possibility to interface with the internet – will very likely be extended to professional or semi-pro cameras in the near future.
I find this development fascinating, but what it also means is that the world is gonna get swamped with even more images. And this development probably marginalizes analogue photography even more as analogue is as far removed from that immediacy as can be. It’s gonna be yet another challenge for analogue photography – to find its own place in the world of up-to-the-minute blogs and tweets.

8. What kind of work/projects do you have lined up for the next 12 months?

Nothing concrete, but I’m definitely going to do more projects with the Holga 120WPC, the wide-angle pinhole camera. Other than that, my projects are mostly linked to my travels, but I’ve got nothing lined up so far.

9. Do you have any tips for aspiring photographers?

Happy in Shanghai by Guy Dondlinger

When you take a picture, people will always tell why the photo is great, or why it isn’t – especially on the internet. At the end of the day, you have to judge yourself if a photo is good or not, and judge by your own criteria. If those criteria are not everyone else’s, so be it.

Thanks to Guy Dondlinger for spending time with us to talk about his work. Wish would like to wish him all the success in his future work!

***AS A SPECIAL PRIZE *** – Guy will be giving away a 1m square print of ‘The Orange Girl’ (seen in this article) which will be given away as a Prize for one lucky reader! Once this interview article has been tweeted about 50 times we will choose a random person from those 50. So don’t forget to click the Tweet button next to the top of this page.

The HolgaDirect Team

Please let us know your thoughts about this article. It’s good to talk!

An Exclusive HolgaDirect Interview with Mark Olwick

January 18, 2011 in Features, Interviews, Slider with 6 Comments

<– Follow HolgaDirect & then Tweet about this interview article for a chance to win an Exclusive Mark Olwick Fine Art Holga Print, ‘Epiphany’ ! Valued at USD 500 ! – See Bottom Of Page

Name: Mark Olwick

Location: Seattle (USA)

Website: Mark Olwick Photography

Holga Cameras used: Holga 120N Cameras (one modified for IR use) and Holga 120 TLR

Photographers you admire: Michael Kenna, Keith Carter, Michael Levin, Bill Schwab and many more.

1. How would you describe your photographic style?

Mark Olwick

My goals are twofold: 1. To create photos that capture the emotion and essence of a scene. 2. I want people to look at my photos and know that it would be difficult, if not impossible, to duplicate. I hate boring photos that anyone could take.

2. What inspires you in your work?

While I love looking at the great art created by other photographers that I admire, my inspiration comes from an inside drive to create. There’s not a day goes by that I don’t think about photography and art. It’s a need rather than a hobby. Looking at painters like Vermeer and trying to figure out how they captured light insipires me tremendously.

3. Where is or would be your dream photography location/shoot?

Where is or would be your dream photography location/shoot? This is a tough one as I absolutely love to travel and have many places on my “bucket list”. I just returned from Africa where I used my Holga camera for both landscapes and wildlife photography, something that isn’t done much at all. I’d love to continue to push the boundaries of the type of photography that can be done with a Holga camera. You can see my Africa Holga gallery on my website (Mark Olwick Photography).

4. How long have you been using a Holga camera?

More than 10 years.

5. What do you like about using a Holga camera?

I like that there are virtually no controls other than focus. It allows me to be totally in the moment creatively, and that sets it above any electronic marvel. The dream like quality of the images is wonderful, plus I can get great sunflares from the plastic lens.

6. What films do you prefer using and why?

Epiphany - Holga Image by Mark Olwick

My favorite film is Fuji Neopan 120 400, but they recently discontinued it. I’m currently experimenting with replacements. My other favorite film is Efke IR 820 Aura for infrared. Stunning film that gives ink-black skies and a great glow from the infrared bright areas.

7. What are your thoughts on the way Photography is progressing? (HDR, digital, web)

Honestly, I don’t really care about gear in the sense that many people do. Sometimes brand loyalty turns into an almost religious fervor, which is ridiculous. Cameras are just tools and all that matters is the final print (not a web page). If I’m going for a particular look that can only be done with a Canon 5D Mark II with a 17mm tilt/shift lens, then that’s what I’ll use. If it’s a Hasselblad, then I’ll use that. For the majority of my work, the Holga camera is what comes closest to the vision of the final shot in my head, so that’s what I use. I think too many people spend way too much time pixel peeping on DP Review or browsing B&H catalogs and not enough time out shooting. That’s the most worrisome thing.

8. What kind of work/projects do you have lined up for the next 12 months?

Continue to travel and use the Holga camera in unconventional situations. I”ll be one of the featured photographers in a 3 month show of my Holga work at the Oasis Gallery in Seattle starting in April 2011. I have a few different series in work, plus some ideas for books in the future – nothing I can share yet though.

9. Do you have any tips for aspiring photographers?

Study art, not just photographers, then just shoot all the time. Analyze photos or paintings you admire and try to figure out how they did it. Study light. Shoot some more. Forget about what everyone else thinks about your work – as long as you’re happy with what you’re shooting the right audience will find you.

We’d like to thank Mark Olwick for taking time to share his thoughts on Photography and Holga’s with HolgaDirect and wish him all the success in his future work!

***AS A SPECIAL PRIZE *** – Mark is very kind to offer his Fantastic Fine Art Holga print, ‘Epiphany’ (seen in this article) which is valued at USD 500 to be given away as a Prize for one lucky reader! Once this interview article has been tweeted about 50 times we will choose a random person from those 50. So don’t forget to click the Tweet button next to the top of this page.

The HolgaDirect Team

Please let us know your thoughts about this article. It’s good to talk!

An Exclusive HolgaDirect Interview with Matt Larson

January 16, 2011 in Features, Interviews, Slider with 4 Comments

<– Follow HolgaDirect & then Tweet about this interview article for a chance to win an Exclusive Matt Larson Fine Art Holga Print, ‘Peaceful’ valued at USD 500 ! – See Bottom Of Page

Name: Matt Larson (aka ToyCameraPlay)

Location: Tampa, FL (USA)

Website: http://toycameraplay.com

Holga Cameras used: Standard Holga & Holgaroid

Photographers you admire: Robert Frank, Michael Kenna, Dan Estabrook, Rebecca Sexton Larson, Sally Mann, Gary Geboy, Peter Beard, Alfred Stieglitz, Sally Gall, Annie Leibovitz, Walker Evans, Gordon Parks, Andre Kertesz & Man Ray

1. How would you describe your photographic style?

Journey - Holga Image by Matt Larson

I like to try to be spontaneous, strive to be ready for that next image that can present itself at anytime, anyplace and prefer to use a toy camera as opposed to a so called “professional camera”.

2. What inspires you in your work?

Being able to make a quick, artistic image with toy cameras. The cheaper the better.

3. Where is or would be your dream photography location/shoot?

Easter Island.

4. How long have you been using a Holga?

Since 1997.

5. What do you like about using a Holga?

Soft edges and the square format.

6. What films do you prefer using and why?

Innocent - Holga Image by Matt Larson

I never get hung up with films, to me it’s just another tool. All serve a purpose, all work.

7. What are your thoughts on the way Photography is progressing? (HDR, digital, web)

Fascinating and Frustrating all in one. I love all the possibilities and options but hate the fact that now everyone thinks they are a photographer. There are still and will always be the basics to learn before one should break all the rules. I see a lot of folks don’t get that. Just because you shoot with a Holga, doesn’t make your photographs good.

8. What kind of work/projects do you have lined up for the next 12 months?

I work with toy cameras of all types so right now I’m just enjoying shooting with all of them. I would like to do another blurb book with my iPhone images. I just completed one called The Polaroid Project that showcases most of my Polaroid work I did in 2008 the year Polaroid quit making the film for the 600 Land Camera.

9. Do you have any tips for aspiring photographers?

Survivor - Holga Image by Matt Larson

I believe the best tip and the key to photography besides understanding composition is LIGHT. Learn to see good light and learn to recognize it and take advantage of it. I personally always “follow the light.”

10. Anything else you would like to talk about?

I think that does it. Thanks for doing this and giving us Holga shooters another platform to exhibit! Much appreciated.

***AS A SPECIAL PRIZE *** – Matt has very very kindly donated one of his Fantastic Fine Art Holga prints which is valued at USD 500 to be given away as a Prize for one lucky reader! Once this interview article has been tweeted about 100 times we will choose a random person from those 100. So don’t forget to click the Tweet button next to the top of this page. The Print can be viewed HERE

The details of the Prize print are:

Title: Peaceful
Holga Photography (Silver Print)
20″h x 19″w (Framed)
Valued at $500
Image size: 6″ x 6″
Paper size: 11″ x 14″
Framed size: 20″h x 19″ w
Edition size: 15
B/W toned silver print
Forte Polygrade V paper

The HolgaDirect Team

Please let us know your thoughts about this article. It’s good to talk!

An Exclusive HolgaDirect Interview with Revolog

January 15, 2011 in Features, Interviews, Slider with 10 Comments

<– Follow HolgaDirect & Tweet about this article for a chance to win an ‘All In One Pack’ containing all 9 of the Revolog Special Effect Films – See Bottom Of Page

Company Name: Revolog

Location: Vienna, Austria

Website: http://www.revolog.net

Business:Special Effect Film (Sold Online)

HolgaDirect: Hi Revolog! Thanks for talking to us about your exciting Products that you are launching. Can you give us some background on who you are?

Rasp Film by Revolog

Revolog:We are Michael Krebs and Hanna Pribitzer. Two years ago we met at photography school. Since we both always liked analog photography and the excitement that comes with it, it was only a small step until we decided to work together.

Our company started out as our diploma project in photography school. We just liked the idea of experimenting with film and try to achieve some special effects with analogue material. During the first two months of our diploma we had so much feedback of people who also wanted to photograph with our films, that it became quite clear to us, that we should start a business out of it, to give others the chance to experience the same fun and surprise moments that we have with our films.

Volvox Film by Revolog

Currently we sell nine 35mm special effect films in our shop. The effects are ranging from lightning bolts in the pictures to color changes, fine coloured lines, green dots and sprinkles and other textural effects. We also have a so-called “filmothek” , where we sell rare and expired films of all sort. Within the “filmothek” we also sell 120 (medium-format) film.

HolgaDirect:And what kind of Products are you now focussing on?

Revolog:We are still mainly focusing in extending our range of special effect film. We just released a new film, which is called “lazer”, where fine green and blue “laser-like” lines are going over the picture.

In the near future we might also start selling C-41 home-development kits.

HolgaDirect:What do you see for the future of Photography and how it is changing?

Kolor Film by Revolog

Revolog:We strongly believe that analogue photography is advancing again. People start to get tired of digital photography and its quasi perfect ness. Of course you can achieve the effects of our film with image editing software like photoshop, but you need some knowledge of these programs, some time to edit the pictures and you’ll miss the element of surprise, which is the main idea behind our films and which makes analogue photography so exciting.

We would like to thank Revolog for taking some time to do this interview with HolgaDirect and wish them all the best in their future work.

***AS A SPECIAL PRIZE *** – Revolog have kindly offered an ‘All In One’ Pack showcasing all Nine of their Special Effect films as a Prize for One lucky reader. Once the article has been tweeted about 100 times we will choose a random person from those 100. So don’t forget to click the Tweet button next to the top of this page.

The HolgaDirect Team

Have any thoughts on this Article? Please leave a comment below.

An Exclusive HolgaDirect Interview with Geoff Waugh

December 13, 2010 in Features, Interviews with 5 Comments

<– Tweet about this article for a chance to win a copy of the Geoff Waugh Holga book ‘Viva Las Holgas’ – See Bottom Of Page

Name: Geoff Waugh

Location: London, UK

Website: http://Geoff Waugh Home – www.waughphotos.com

Holga Cameras used:Holga GN (white) and GCFN (light blue, pink and yellow) , Lomo L-CA, Horizon Perfekt

Photographers you admire: All those putting amazing images on Flickr for their dedication and spirit. I draw as much inspiration from there these days as anywhere else, particularly now I shoot Holga.

1. How would you describe your photographic style?

Fort Holga - Holga Image by Geoff Waugh

Once loose, then tight and getting looser by each shoot.

2. What inspires you in your work?

Great light and shadows, interesing people and faces. Machines. Riding my bike through fields in a summer evening in August in England when the light is flaring and phenomenal. Just wish it happened more regularly and I always had my camera!

3. Where is or would be your dream photography location/shoot?

I know it’s been done a thousand times but I’d really like to go to the speed week on the Utah Salt Flats. The light and subject matter looks very tasty indeed.

4. How long have you been using a Holga?

Around about 10 years. It started with the Lomo, but I never had a lot of luck with it and then saw the medium format Holga look and I was sold. Plus my scanner handles a bigger neg better!

5. What do you like about using a Holga?

Simplicity, unpredictability that is all but lost with digital cameras. A Holga is so inexpensive in comparison to a modern digital body (without lens!) that everyone should try one. I like the different effects I can pull directly from the holga camera by using and manipulating different emulsions. I like the fact that it is essentially a toy and people often react to it like that. It brings a relaxed and smiley mood. Often sticking my 300mm 2.8 lens in someone’s face doesn’t illicit the same response as a Holga.

6. What films do you prefer using and why?

Viva Las Holgas - Holga Image by Geoff Waugh

Well, I’ve stumbled along using whatever I had left in my fridge and from eBay and the old favourites always come through – Kodak EPP for cross processing, Kodak 400CN C-41 process for black and white and lately I am using a lot of Portra 800VC which produces a pleasing negative.

7. What are your thoughts on the way Photography is progressing? (HDR, digital, web)

Have to be careful here not to sound like a curmudgeon. I refuse to say that ‘everyone’s a photographer these days’! I think digital photography is amazing and obviously here to stay. In my work I use digital cameras 80-90% of the time, but I enjoy using film bodies more and I have no love for a digital camera body as an entity the same way as I have for, say, my Hasselblad 501. Images have always been manipulated in the darkroom we all know that, but with Photoshop CS5 a half decent PC operator can produce something off the scale. It can alter the image so much that taking it in the first place can seem superfluous. Why not comp one from various stock images? I don’t mind HDR provided it is done with a sensitive eye and hand. The irony is that so many digital photographers are trying to creatre a filmic look after the fact where they could do it instantly with real film! A lot of editing applications incorporate film emulsion filters , but, let’s honest they don’t look that much like the real thing. And another thing that makes me smile is putting a negative rebate around a digital image – it proves we still have a soft spot for film. What can we say about the web? How could we live without it. It is essential in my life as good coffee and good music. And it has made propogating my work that much easier. I can reach out to more people from my dingy basement office. and if they reach back that’s a bonus.

8. What kind of work/projects do you have lined up for the next 12 months?

Holga does the seaside shuffle - Holga Image by Geoff Waugh

Well, the salt flats are in there. It’s not that hard and I have some unfinished business with Las Vegas too. Maybe a second Viva Las Holgas book? Through the winter mountain biking and cyclocross will take my time

9. Do you have any tips for aspiring photographers?

Don’t just look, see. All the photographers I like have an amazing eye for details. They dont’ miss the subtleties others might. Always shoot for yourself as much as for clients. After 20 years shooting for money, taking a Holga outside and playing around is like some kind of therapy.

10. Anything else you would like to talk about?

Yes, I’d like people to give me their recipes for a decent pano. All equations gratefully received!

We would like to thank Geoff for his time to do this interview with HolgaDirect and wish him all the best with his future work! Information about Geoff’s first book shot using a Holga in Las Vegas, ‘Viva Las Holgas’ can be found HERE.

UPDATE: THIS GIVEAWAY HAS NOW ENDED ***AS A SPECIAL PRIZE *** – Geoff has kindly donated one copy of his ‘Viva Las Holgas’ book to be given away as a prize. There are some great Holga images inside. Once the article has been tweeted about 100 times we will choose a random person from those 100. So don’t forget to click the Tweet button next to the top of this page.

The HolgaDirect Team

What do you think about this interview? Please leave a comment below.

An Exclusive HolgaDirect Interview with Jeff Dojillo

December 11, 2010 in Features, Interviews with 1 Comment

Name: Jeff Dojillo

Location: Los Angeles, CA

Website: http://Jeff Dojillo Home – jeffdojillo.com

Holga Cameras used: Holga 120N

Photographers you admire: Mona Kuhn, Joel Peter Witken, Duane Michals, Andrea Mordaci

1. How would you describe your photographic style?

Holga Image by Jeff Dojillo

My photographic style is emotionally driven, what ever that maybe; positive or negative. I use a lot of natural light & available light. I believe sun light is the best light to use.

2. What inspires you in your work?

My work tends to examine myself. I draw inspiration from the people that surround me, ideas and dreams, my emotional state, and things that grab my attention. Anything from Thai Boxing to the Hip Hop Culture. I try to capture things that I deal with on a personal level as well as find things I like and expose a side of it I find interesting.

3. Where is or would be your dream photography location/shoot?

My next bodies of work I am planning to either go to South America like Argentina or Columbia. If not South America, I would love to do a body of work that investigates the native people of French Polynesia.

4. How long have you been using a Holga Camera?
came
I started using a Holga Camera around 2003-2004. It was the first camera I learned to use when creating narrative bodies of work with photography as a medium.

5. What do you like about using a Holga Camera?

I enjoy using a Holga Camera because it has a beautiful soft focus. I enjoy it’s light leaks and imperfections. I also love the vignette. The plastic element creates a style that can be beneficial to certain bodies of work. Really, I’d rather take a Holga Camera on a trip than a small point and shoot digital camera.

6. What films do you prefer using and why?

Holga image by Jeff Dojillo

I really like Fuji Provia to cross process, There is a way to work with colors if you understand how the chemicals react to the film. Before Kodak killed its stock, I really loved Kodak Ultra Color. That had an amazing color latitude that create pictures that were vibrant.

7. What are your thoughts on the way Photography is progressing? (HDR, digital, web)

I love digital photography, It has revolutionized the way people create art, art for commerce. We are now creating images that we thought was once unachievable. With that said, I am an analog photographer at heart. My personal work is all done on film if I have a say in it. Most of the work on my website is created with medium format film. It’s a part of my process, there is a quality to shooting film that can not be rendered by digital cameras. I shoot Polaroid 600, Fuji FP100c for my Land Camera, I take peoples portraits with a Hasselblad 500c. I admire people that use film, today it is considered a vintage process. I have a deeper respect for those that still C-Print.

I have had conversations with established photographers and we have both agreed, If the digital revolution never took place, there would be half as many photographers in the industry today. A lot of people are picking up cameras that have automatic everything, and if the image is not done in camera correctly, they bring it into post and make it look beautiful. Is that cheating? Is that technology? That question is up to the artists and photographers to decided.

There is an art to exposing film, film is much more unforgiving that digital capture. Film creates photographs, Digital captures images. At the end of the day, all that matters is what the picture looks like. It does not matter if you use film or digital or use digital for tin types. It is the end result that matters.

8. What kind of work/projects do you have lined up for the next 12 months?

Holga image by Jeff Dojillo

I have just finished working with the Young Photographers Alliance and I have created a few photographs that answers how Los Angeles has battled the Recession. My work deals with how Domestic Violence shelters use art as therapy. I am working on getting down to South America to create a body of work. Those are the main things I have been concentrating on. I also have started a nude series but that has no definite due date, I just work on it from time to time. I have been contacted by Nsubordinate Magazine to take some portraits of three female DJs that are in a group called RRS Feed. I am also a freelance photographer for Muay Thaimes Magazine.

9. Do you have any tips for aspiring photographers?

Learn as much as you can, Do not follow trends, stay true to your style. You will go to school and learn all kinds of techniques, stick to your style and evolve. Don’t be afraid to f*ck up in college, if there is any place to f*ck up, its in college. Set a standard for your self and exceed it.

10. Anything else you would like to talk about?

Shoot with a stream of consciousness

We would like to thank Jeff for his time to do this interview with HolgaDirect and wish him all the best with his future work!

The HolgaDirect Team

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