Lomography LomoChrome Purple Sample Photos with a Holga 120 GCFN | Review

March 17, 2024

I’ve heard so many things about Lomography LomoChrome Purple. Some people love it, some people absolutely despise it and some people have never heard of it! Personally, I’m obsessed with it. I love the whimsical world that you can create with it. I get bored with photographing the real world sometimes and I find that LomoChrome Purple brings a little bit of spice and excitement to my film. My favorite day is when I get my film back in the mail and I get to spend it scanning and finding out how my images turned out. The film is super saturated and makes for particularly beautiful landscapes. I find that it can be a bit grainy, especially when you start layering images like I do with multiple exposures. But it’s much less noticeable if you choose to shoot with a better camera. I’ve also used LomoChrome Purple with my Contax 645 and those images are much, much sharper. Overall, though, I’ll take a little bit of grain for some strange, magical purple photos!

You guys know I love the Holga 120 GCFN, so of course, I had to try out the LomoChrome Purple with it. I find the combination to be truly magical. The Holga already has such a dreamy, surreal quality to it, so adding in the LomoChrome Purple really makes the images seem otherworldly.

If you’re not quite ready to venture out into 120 film, LomoChrome Purple also comes in 35 mm, so you can try it out with any ole 35 mm film camera! Plus, it’s just a regular C-41 development process so you can send it to your regular film lab and they’ll know what to do!

I tend to find good deals for LomoChrome purple 120 on eBay, with people getting rid of their film in bulk. Even if its a couple of years expired, it should be perfectly fine as long as it was kept in a relatively temperate environment. If it’s been refrigerated, even better! And as soon as you get it, pop it in the refrigerator to keep it in good, usable condition for as long as possible!

All of the images below are taken with a Holga GCFN and LomoChrome Purple 120 film. I hope these images inspire you to get out there and try it out! Don’t be afraid to get weird and get experimental. We need more uniqueness and creativity out there in the world. :) If you’re feeling REALLY adventurous, you should try out LomoChrome Turquoise, the latest LomoChrome film from Lomography. I don’t love it quite as much but it’s super interesting and I know that there are some people out there that will be able to make some incredible photos with it!

WHERE TO BUY:

Lomography LomoChrome Purple 120 film on eBay

Lomography LomoChrome Purple 35 mm on Amazon

Holga 120 GCFN on Amazon

Holga 120 GCFN on eBay (for more fun colors!)

LomoChome Turquoise on eBay!

Thanks so much for stopping by! Feel free to leave any questions/comments/thoughts below!

<3 Myles Katherine

Holga 135BC 35mm Film Camera Review & How-To with Sample Images | The 120 Holga vs. the 35mm Holga

October 2, 2023

If you’ve been following my work at all, you know I’m obsessed with the traditional 120 Holga. I’ve written a blog post and filmed a YouTube video about it! When I unexpectedly received the 35 mm version of this camera, the Holga 135BC, as a Christmas gift last year, I was SO excited. I always assumed that I wouldn’t like the 35mm format as much, just because the square format is so unique. But as soon as I got the images back, I realized that the 35mm version is unique and different in it’s own way. Because of the BC, “bent corners”, or vignetting, created by the Holga, the images still have that dreamy, surreal vibe that I love so much. In fact, I think the 135BC has renewed by excitement about the Holga. I now have a new way to create my beloved Holga images.

In my latest YouTube video, I bring the Holga 135BC with me on a trip to Louisville, Kentucky to try it out for the first time. The video includes an unboxing, how-to, film loading and tips for creating multiple exposures, as well as all of my favorite photos from my first roll of film. But if you’d prefer to read about it, rather than watch the YouTube video, keep scrolling! :)

HOW TO USE THE HOLGA 135BC 35MM FILM CAMERA

In terms of camera settings, it’s pretty much exactly the same as the traditional Holga. It’s extremely easy to use once you get the hang of it! Just be patient and show yourself some compassion with your first roll while learning the camera. :) Sometimes, crappy film cameras can be intimidating because it seems impossible to create a “good” image with it. But that’s the whole point! You have to embrace that they are unpredicatable, unusual and low-quality. It’s about taking those features, turning them into something positive and using them to your advantage.

LENS SETTINGS

The lens only has 4 options for distance from your subject - landscape, large group of people, small group of people and single-person. I tend to leave it on the landscape option most often because it’s the most likely to end up in focus, in case you forget to switch it in-between photos. But if you plan on being within a few feet of your subject, I’d use the single-person setting for best results. I don’t really use the other two options very often, just because I tend to forget to switch the lens setting in general. It’s safest for me to just leave it on landscape so I don’t end up with blurry, out of focus images!

SHUTTER SPEED

On the bottom of the camera, there is a switch with a B and an N. These letters stand for “Bulb” and “Normal”. So, unless you’re trying to do long/slow exposures for light painting or something similar, then the Normal setting is what you want. I actually tape it onto the N setting, because I’ve had it accidentally switch back to B while in my camera bag, and then I end up with blurry images. “Bulb” basically means that the shutter stays open as long as you hold down the shutter button. Using the N setting is a shutter speed of about 1/100th of a second. That’s really what you want for everyday use.

FLASH

The Holga 135BC comes with a removable flash. I love using a flash with my Holga, which is why the Holga GCFN is my favorite version of the 120 Holga. The Holga, in general, needs quite a bit of light to perform well. If you plan on using the Holga at night, inside or in another type of low-light situation, then I’d recommend using the flash. The Holga 135BC also comes with a bunch of colorful gel filters you can use to get creative. I haven’t tried it out yet with the 135BC camera, but I will definitely do that soon and update this blog post with some flash photos. :)

MULTIPLE EXPOSURES

The main reason I love the Holga camera so much is because of how easy it is to create double and multiple exposures. I’ve been using the 120 Holga since 2008 and it quickly became my favorite camera when I discovered the surreal and ghostly world that I could create with multiple exposures. I’ve even won a handful of awards with my multiple exposures, including first place in my senior thesis exhibition and one of the winners in the Lomography’s Ten and One Awards in the “Human Stories” category! If I had to choose one camera to use for the rest of my life, it would be the Holga. When I discovered that the 35mm camera was just as easy to use when creating multiple exposures, I fell in love even more! To create a multiple exposure with the Holga 135BC, you simply just DO NOT wind the film in-between shots. You click the shutter button for your first image and then click it again for your second image, right over top of the first. You can do this as many times as you want, creating triple or quadruple exposures if you’d like! Just keep in mind that every image you add will increase the exposure of the image overall, meaning that after three or four images, you will be losing detail in the highlights and will eventually just become a purely white image if you took too many. I usually stick to doubles and will occasionally try a triple.

FILM LOADING

This is my one source of contention with the Holga. They are sort of known for being difficult to load. The 135BC is no different. I recommend watching my YouTube video to get a better idea of how it works. But as long as you notice the knob on the top left of the camera spinning while winding your film in-between shots, then you’ve loaded the film correctly and it is winding through the camera. I typically start with bending the leader of the film before inserting it into the slit on the right side of the camera, to help it catch. Then, you’ll have to click the shutter button once or twice as you’re winding it and getting it started, before closing the back and taking another photo or two to prevent light leaks. Just make sure you can see the film sprockets catching on the grooves inside the camera before closing the back. A lot of crappy 35mm cameras work this way, so if you plan on shooting a lot of film in your future, unfortunately you’ll just have to get used to this process!

APERTURE

On the top of the lens you’ll notice a switch with a lightning setting and a sun setting. Technically, the lightning setting is supposed to be f/8 and the sunny setting is f/11. Most people who use the Holga would argue there’s not really a difference, but I tend to leave it on f/8 with the hope that it will let in a little bit of extra light, especially because I prefer to use lower ISO films in order to get sharper images.

WHERE TO BUY THE HOLGA 135BC

Amazon

eBay

FILM OPTIONS

You can use any 35mm film with this camera, but I definitely have a few options I’d recommend. Keep in mind that Holgas in general need a lot of light to perform well. They are also known for not having the sharpest images in the world. This is why I tend to sick to ISO 200 or 400 film. When you get up to 800, the images become quite a bit grainy and less detailed. If you use ISO 100 or lower, just make sure you’re in a super bright environment, like the beach. Personally, I use ISO 100 pretty often with the Holga, but only when I know that my environment will be able to handle it, or I use a flash. You will definitely end up with much sharper images though, the lower ISO you use. If you’re a beginner, I’d recommend 200-400 ISO.

Here are a few of my favorite film options:

FINAL THOUGHTS

To be honest, I kind of love the images more than I thought I would! I was convinced that I’d always have more of an affinity towards the 120 version, but there really is something special and magical about the Holga brand in general. If you aren’t happy with your first roll of film, try again! It takes a bit of time to grow comfortable using the Holga, but once you do, you’ll love it! Especially, if you love the 35mm frame overall, this would be a super fun way to experience it differently. Personally, if I had to choose between 35mm and medium format, I’d choose medium format. But there’s nothing wrong with either choice, it’s really just a personal preference! If you think you might like the medium format version better, you can read more about it here!

SAMPLE PHOTOS

And of course, I can’t end this blog post without showing you a few sample images! These are all from my very first roll of film with this camera, so I’ll be sure to add more examples as I use the camera more. :)

Thanks so much for stopping by! Feel free to leave any questions/comments/thoughts below!
Have a magical day!

<3 Myles Katherine

(click to enlarge)

How to Create Double Exposures and Multiple Exposures with a Holga Toy Camera | 5 Simple Tips and Tricks with Sample Photos!

August 12, 2023

How Do You Create Double Exposures and Multiple Exposures with a Holga Toy Camera?

This HAS to be my most frequently asked question. If you follow my work you know I’m obsessed with the Holga and multiple exposures (specifically, the Holga GCFN). I still remember the very first double exposure I ever took and the excitement I felt when I realized what had happened. I suddenly felt like the opportunities were endless when it came to photography. I realized that photography didn’t necessarily need to mimic real life. I could create a world that didn’t exist, by merging photos taken directly from reality. That juxtaposition blew my mind and really catapulted my interest in photography.

It might seem intimidating at first when it comes to creating multiple exposures. I think there’s an innate and expected fear that they’re going to be TERRIBLE. That they won’t make sense. That no one will know what they’re looking at. But guess what, that’s FINE! In fact, it’s better than taking the same boring photo that everyone else takes. It takes some time to get used to layering images and understanding how the final product is going to turn out. But even now, with a decade of experience under my belt, I still don’t feel like I have complete control over my multiple exposures. I always have an expectation in my mind and it never quite fits with how I envision them. Either they’re not as good as I’d hoped, or they’re even better. And usually the ones that I’m just messing around with end up being the best. It’s really better NOT to plan. To just try out different textures and faces and landscapes and see how they turn out.

In case you’re having some trouble getting started though, here are a few tips for creating multiple exposures with a Holga camera. The Holga is one of the best cameras, in my opinion, to try out multiple exposures. But first, you have to understand HOW to take a multiple exposure. It’s actually SUPER simple. After taking a photograph, you just simply don’t wind the film advance dial at all. You just take another photo right over top of the first one. And you can do this as many times as you want, which is why I love the Holga so much. A lot of film cameras will automatically advance to the next frame, leaving you without the option to shoot over top of the first frame. The Holga is meant for multiple exposures. It’s very easy to accidentally take a multiple exposure with the Holga too, simply because it is a manual advance camera. So oftentimes, you might nor even mean to take a photo over top of another one, it just might happen. Actually, it WILL happen at some point if you use the Holga. It’s just part of the magic of the camera!

5 Simple Tips and Tricks for Creating Incredible Double & Multiple Exposures with the Holga Toy Camera

Tip #1 - Try out a portrait over top of a landscape!

This is probably one of my main choices for creating double exposures. It usually ends up quite interesting and beautiful. I’ll shoot the first image on the infinity/mountain setting of the Holga and then shoot the second image as a close-up portrait using the single-person setting on the Holga.

Tip #2 - Try asking your subject to move slightly / try a new pose in-between images

This is another go-to for me when it comes to double exposures. It ends up creating very ghostly, spooky images that are incredibly unique and unpredictable. These are often my favorite photos to get back after a photo shoot.

Tip #3 - Try out different close-up textures as your second image

This one is somewhat of a risk, but oftentimes pays off! If the texture is too much, it can sometimes end up being a big indecipherable mess. But other times, it can add a bit of mystery and atmosphere to your photo.

Tip #4 - Try flipping your camera upside down for a second shot of the same subject

This is really fun to try with cityscapes, buildings and landmarks, mostly because they don’t move and you have enough time to plan out your shot.

Tip #5 - Try having your model step out of the second shot, but keep the background the same

This creates a very ghostly vibe, because the model becomes somewhat hazy and somewhat see-through. This is definitely another one of my favorite multiple exposure methods when using the Holga.

I’ve included a few more samples below of my favorite double/multiple exposures I’ve taken over the years with the Holga. It’s gotten to a point where I won’t even buy a camera anymore if it doesn’t have the option for multiple exposures! It’s become a huge part of my process and I feel extremely limited now when I’m not able to create them. If you’re interested in multiple exposures, you should definitely pick up a Holga and try it out! You can also check out my full review and blog post about the Holga here. Or you can check out my YouTube video! I LOVE the Holga. My main advice though is to be patient when you’re first starting out. You can’t expect perfection when it comes to the Holga. It has a mind of its own. But if you’re willing to learn its eccentricities, it will surprise you.

CAMERA:

Purchase a Holga 120 GCFN on Amazon

Purchase a Holga 120 GCFN on eBay!

Purchase a Holga 120 GCFN on KEH Camera

FILM RECOMMENDATIONS:

Lomography 400 120 film

Kodak Portra 160 120 film

Kodak Portra 400 120 film

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Feel free to leave any thoughts/comments/questions/concerns below! Thanks so much for stopping by. :)

<3 Myles Katherine