Toy Cameras: Holga 120S

Series Summary

Photography is the practice of making images by exposing film or another medium to a timed flash of light. The basic equipment used for photography has changed dramatically in the last decades, many people finding digital photography an inexpensive and creative hobby. We use photography as a means of communication worldwide: to sell things, to tell stories, capture memories, evoke passions, fight for causes, make new meanings, and inspire the imagination. Mastering the art of photography is a technical and challenging experience. Even with an automatic, digital camera, one has to learn how to frame a shot, choose a background, interact with the subject, use natural light, and select the right supplies and tools. In this free camera video series, let a professional photographer show you how to take fun and creative pictures with different toy cameras. First learn about the Holga 120S camera. Learn how taping light holes in a Holga helps with better pictures. Then learn how to avoid fogging film and how the flash on a Holga works. Get tips on linking and doubling exposures for a artistic feeling to your pictures. Finally he moves on to the Action Cam which uses four separate shutters. After watching this free video series, you won't need professional camera equipment to get creative shots.

Video Transcript

"I'm going to talk about toy cameras today, and toy cameras fall into a couple of different categories. Some are plastic cameras, some are cameras people make, some are cameras people actually buy at toy stores. I love toy cameras, because it really it brings the fun out of photography, and one of the cameras I like the most I have in my hand. It is called the Holga 120S, and this camera is it's a plastic camera with a plastic lens, and I think the funniest part about this camera is the way you focus. It's one person, three person, group, and mountain. Now, whether or not those settings actually do anything is very much up for debate in the toy camera world. And so, that's kind of why I like the toy camera. There's a few things that I'm going to talk about in the next couple of minutes about what you need to know to actually use one of these cameras successfully. The first one is never trust this camera too much. If you're taking family photos, or photos that you really need, do not use this camera. If you're trying to have a good time, and experimenting, this is the one of the best cameras to use."