Holga Cardboard Tricks

The Camera

• Due to the Holga̵7;s simplicity, it is considered a toy camera. If you ever get tired of technology, the Holga camera just might be your cup of tea. This bare-bones camera forces you to shoot without relying on the bells and whistles you̵7;ve become accustomed to. The Holga camera creates one-of-a-kind images due to light leaks, a soft focus and retro vignetting. Its distinctive, artistic images cannot be reproduced with any conventional cameras.

The Film

• Film for the Holga camera is not in a canister and must be wound tight to avoid light leaks, unless this is a desirable attribute for your images. In a new Holga, foam padding holds the film in place. If your foam padding has fallen off, insert a piece of cardboard under the film spool to keep the film tight. The Holga camera has a manual film advance; forgetting to advance the film after each shot will double expose your image, which can produce some interesting images.

Carboard Trick

• Fat rolls on an image are the results of the film not winding tight. This is a common problem in cheaply made cameras like the Holga. The foam padding in the camera̵7;s film area can be the cause of a fat roll. Fat rolls cause substantial light leakage that can occasionally result in a desirable special effect on the image. In most cases, fat rolls are not desirable. Placing a folded piece of cardboard under the film spool can help keep the film tight but can make it difficult to wind or advance the film. It is a good idea for users of this camera to travel with a dark-bag. If the film does not advance easily, open the camera inside the dark-bag and advance the film from there.

Other Tricks and Tips

• To eliminate light leaks, use black photo tape to tape the back of the camera where the film door opens and on the viewing window. The viewing window is notorious for unwanted light leaks.

  For panoramic to 360 degree images, ignore the film counter and advance the film 20 clicks after each shot. Move to the right a bit more for each shot until you complete the viewing area for the image. A panoramic image takes four shots.