slow down to go faster

“Slow down to go faster”? What does it mean? It may mean that if you do something slower, more methodically and deliberately, you can get the job done faster because it will be done right the first time. I also like saying “measure twice, cut once”. It’s the same kind of thing. Change your pace, take the hurry out of things and you’ll find rewards. Sometimes it’s good to vary our approach in order to expand our horizons.

What does that have to do with a Holga film camera? If you’ve never used a Holga it’s a very different experience from digital photography. These inexpensive plastic cameras offer a complete change of pace from digital capture.

Holgas are primitive (toy) plastic cameras that use 120 roll film. They produce distinctive, soft focus images with blurred edges and no two Holgas produce photos that are exactly the same (each lens has it’s own distinct personality). This can be a refreshing change from the surgical precision of any camera maker’s digital SLR.

A Holga must be loaded with film producing 12 images on a roll, so there’s no slapping a card in a slot and firing long motor drive sequences.Time slows with a Holga as you previsualize photos using a plastic viewfinder with no LCD screen confirmation. And then the film must be developed. It can be a wonderful, eye-opening way to learn a new approach toward photography if you’re a child of the digital age. And the quality of the images all have their own unique appeal.

If you’ve never used a Holga I would urge you to explore the fun and possibilities (you might even find a way to offer Holga photos to your clients as something special and different). At just $25 these cameras are a bargain. What you will learn is worth far more than the investment.

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