Ranchos de Bosox (Ode to Ansel), 1994 (from Two Sons)
Lake Travis, Texas, 2003 (from Two Sons)
Father's Day, Block Island, 2001 (from Two Sons)
Angel Newton, 1998 (from The Newtons)
Although I began using the Holga in 1992, it wasn't unitl 1997 that the diminutive camera began to assume a greater role within my work. Known for its unique, ‘lo-fi’ imaging capabilities, I have been able to adapt and utilize this plastic camera as a tool that is capable of rendering great detail and a subtle palette of gray tones and emotions -sometimes at extremely close range -representing a radical departure from what this camera is known for.
I utilize The Holga with Tri-X 120 film, in both the 6x4.5 and 6x6 formats, depending on the subject matter. The camera provides little in terms of exposure control, leaving me with aesthetic choices in the processing of the film, and the printing of the image. Each body of work, each situation, demands a unique and experimental approach. Although the camera costs $25 or less, it requires some knowledge of technique that precludes ordinary, point-and-shoot usage. I do not convert the cameras by changing backs, lenses, or shutter speeds. I use it right out of the box, except in the case of The Striped Sheet Series, where the intimacy of the experience requires an adaptation allowing me to move physically closer to the subject.
I am often asked, "Why use such a camera?" I think it's the nature of the imagery, how focus and distortion play with each other, the subtleness of tones, and the unreliability of the results, that provide me with continuing discoveries: I can guess at what the image will look like, but I am always surprised when I see the developed negatives. It's this sense of discovery and uncertainty, the feeling of 'newness,' of 'uniqueness,' and the emotional motifs that are embodied by such imperfect images, that keep me coming back to this little plastic camera.
The visual structure of the Holga image allows no escape, no wandering beyond the frame. The viewer's attention is contained by the characteristic vignette of the Holga image. A deceptive sharpness in the center and an unfailing distortion around the edges echo our own lack of understanding -our own lack of resolution. Light and dark - the known and unknown - battle for prominence within the frame, defining the struggle within the image, and within ourselves.
HOLGA WORK
"The Holga is a fickle mistress." - MJ Benson
Underwater, Savannah, 1999 (from Two Sons)
The Splinter, Savannah, 1998 (from Two Sons)
The Bubble, 1997 (from The Newtons, Page 2).
Horseshoe Crab, Maine, 1998 (from
Past Tense).
Boulanger, Lacoste, 2005 (from Provence Holga at Gallery Z).
Untitled, 1998 (from Savannah Streetscapes).
Southern Vines, 1999 (from Two Sons)
Untitled, 2000 (from The Striped Sheet Series)
Black Mesa, NM, 1994
Untitled, 2001 (from The Striped Sheet Series at Gallery Z).
