‘community’ breakthroughs!

I have decided finally, without an inkling of doubt, to do my online documentary on the HOLGA community. Now you may ask what exactly is this HOLGA. Well, it is a small, cheap, plastic, medium-format camera. It was initially introduced as a camera for the working class to capture their social events and family. In this digital photographic age the Holga is a rare entity, especially considering its ridiculously cheap price. Its plastic construction, including a plastic lens, produces images with trademark vignetting, blur, and lightleaks. Characteristics that each Holga enthusiast is mad about. Comparitively theres many advantages of a Holga camera with other more expensive and big cameras. I have found in my own practice that as a result of the Holga looking like a toy camera, the subject is often not intimidated and therefore more able to be captured in a natural and comfortable pose.

The Holga is an interesting camera as it is not only utilised by 'amateur' photographers but by 'professional' photographers. There are quite an array of Holga images created by prestigious and prominant photographers. I will attempt to locate these and link them to this entry. I have found a few blogs dedicated to the Holga and its magnificance. A few worth a look at are Always Arriving, Dave's Holga Page, and many more links to an plethora of pages at a Toy Camera database. I have a few images as well that I will post shortly. You will notice in many of the images the trademarks mentioned earlier.
Now, the question of the grand Holga and community. How do these both interact? It is simple really each Holga user is a passionate advocate of their camera and without probably being aware are inextricably linked to a community of Holga users. This is the community I wish to tap into and create a database of their images, their thoughts and opinions on the Holga. I want to facilitate a community that is wholly and utterly dedicated to the Holga. I will do this by emailing people who already have a Holga web presence, I will advertise through camera stores and other possible places Holga users may hang-out, and I will film people on the street and ask them if they are aware of this camera phenomenon. By these methods hopefully I will create a broader community that just may maintain a web presence post this subject.

Lastly, a classmate Kimberly is producing an online documentary on the LOMO, which could be classified as Holgas one and only competitior. Although the same company produces both cameras. Both are very similar and part of the wider toy camera community. Both our documentaries will compliment and assist each other in the objectives we are attempting to achieve.