Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/01/11

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Subject: Re: [Leica]Holga: Why?
From: csocolow <csocolow@microserve.net>
Date: Mon, 11 Jan 1999 22:30:13 -0500

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Joe Stephenson wrote:
> 
> Dear Carl,
> Can you please explain to me what is "fun" about a Holga. I was in a
> workshop last summer where two people were using Holga's. I couldn't see the
> point. Especially when I've got three capable, full-featured cameras with
> good lenses. What am I missing?
> Sincerely,
> Joe Stephenson
> ++++++++++
> Carl wrote:
> My assistant has a Holga and after seeing the fun he has with it I'm
> thinking seriously about scraping together the $20 and buying one. I
> like the bokeh.
> Carl Socolow

Joe,

At last count I have 6 Canon bodies of various ages and capabilities, 3
Hasselblad bodies, 3 Leica bodies, a couple view cameras and a fortune
in lenses for all of the above. Using them I have made a good living and
I have strived for realizing the best images possible for my clients and
my reputation. I constantly strive for technical mastery, control and
somewhere in there creative interpretation of the subject matter. 

The Holga kind of reminds me of Tom Cruise's line in the movie Risky
Business. To wit: "Sometimes you just have to say What the F--k." In a
way it's the anti-camera. It's not precise. So much of what I do is
rational. So much of what this group discourses on is the rationality
and repeatability of photography, the standardization, as it were. The
Holga blows it all away. It obligates you to accept serendipity. To lose
control. As much as I love what I do it sometimes becomes a job; truly
one that I wouldn't know what to do otherwise. So the Holga, strictly
for me, would be a chance to play. On the other hand, the more I think
about this, I might have to test some Scala in it and see if I can sell
its application to an art director or two. And then I can get paid to
use it.

Carl Socolow
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