Shooting a wedding using Holga and Ilford 3200 -- what to expect?

MattKing · May 20, 2023

A few years ago I had the pleasure of attending a talk by Michelle Bates, a photographer based in north-west Washington state who is also the author of the excellent book
"Plastic Cameras".
She does very interesting work, including using Holgas and other similar cameras to document events.
One of her practical pieces of advice? If you use something like a Holga, Diana or similar, don't be surprised if some piece or pieces of it falls apart mid event .
I would use a 400 speed film and a flash (when required) - for the fun of it only.
And I would take and use it for fun. If I saw anything that required higher fidelity, I'd use either a good small 35mm camera, or a cel phone to supplement my results.

skylight1b · May 20, 2023

I'm going to preference this with, I don't know if it'll work out, but it could be fun.

Anyway, I have brought an Olympus Trip 35 to a wedding to try out something similar. I put in ISO 400 film, set it to the widest aperture (2.8), and used the default 1/40sec. I would say most of my indoor shots came out fine. The place wasn't as dimly lit as a bar, but not bright either. Trying to calculate that for ISO 3200, f/8, and the default 1/100sec, that would put you more than a stop under what I had.

Being in a barn this time of year, I would think there's the chance of some natural light coming through. It gets dark pretty late unless you're heading south of the equator.

Reference picture:

Andrew O'Neill · May 20, 2023

MattKing said:
A few years ago I had the pleasure of attending a talk by Michelle Bates, a photographer based in north-west Washington state who is also the author of the excellent book
"Plastic Cameras".
She does very interesting work, including using Holgas and other similar cameras to document events.
One of her practical pieces of advice? If you use something like a Holga, Diana or similar, don't be surprised if some piece or pieces of it falls apart mid event .
I would use a 400 speed film and a flash (when required) - for the fun of it only.
And I would take and use it for fun. If I saw anything that required higher fidelity, I'd use either a good small 35mm camera, or a cel phone to supplement my results.

Very true. Yesterday, I had the 120 Panoramic pointed upwards on a tripod (IR film with 720 filter, and longish exposure...), and the back panel fell right off, right in front of me, right after I wound to the next frame. I stood there for a good 5 seconds, staring at the piece of plastic, sitting on the ground between my size 12's. All frames were buggered, except for the first two in the roll. I decided to forgo the usual electrician's tape treatment... silly me.

-persimmon-tree- · May 20, 2023

skylight1b said:
I'm going to preference this with, I don't know if it'll work out, but it could be fun.

Anyway, I have brought an Olympus Trip 35 to a wedding to try out something similar. I put in ISO 400 film, set it to the widest aperture (2.8), and used the default 1/40sec. I would say most of my indoor shots came out fine. The place wasn't as dimly lit as a bar, but not bright either. Trying to calculate that for ISO 3200, f/8, and the default 1/100sec, that would put you more than a stop under what I had.

Being in a barn this time of year, I would think there's the chance of some natural light coming through. It gets dark pretty late unless you're heading south of the equator.

Reference picture:

Super helpful, thank you. Yeah, I am realizing the reception starts at 6 and this is in an area where there will still be direct sunlight at that time. I think I am just gonna try it out -- that amount of light sounds similar to what I am gonna have access to. Not dim like a bar, but not bright like outdoors at 3pm or something. I might try it out with a flash that someone suggested, just have to read up on it a bit more.

pentaxuser · May 20, 2023

Best of luck. If you are happy to, let us see the results when the negs arrive back from the lab you use to develop them

pentaxuser

Helge · May 20, 2023

Why a Holga?
I’d rather use a box camera to be honest.

-persimmon-tree- · May 20, 2023

Helge said:
Why a Holga?
I’d rather use a box camera to be honest.

I like how the photos from the Holga look, that's pretty much it. I don't have a box camera or a huge collection in general. I may end up using portra 800 in my point and shoot to be safe.

-persimmon-tree- · May 20, 2023

pentaxuser said:
Best of luck. If you are happy to, let us see the results when the negs arrive back from the lab you use to develop them

pentaxuser

I will, thank you!

Helge · May 20, 2023

-persimmon-tree- said:
I like how the photos from the Holga look, that's pretty much it. I don't have a box camera or a huge collection in general. I may end up using portra 800 in my point and shoot to be safe.

Anything is better than a Holga.

Sirius Glass · May 20, 2023

gbroadbridge said:
Not often we agree, but I'm with you 100 percent on this.

Over expose and overdevelop.

A lot can be salvaged in post.

We should both rethink this because we are not supposed to agree on anything.

Sirius Glass · May 20, 2023

A hazard of taking wedding photographs or any event is that in my experience I can either enjoy the event or take photographs but not both.

mshchem · May 20, 2023

The Ilford film is closer to 1600. I would either use a flash or bulb setting trying to achieve something like a 1/4 -1/2 second shutter speed. Brace the camera on something fixed, hand hold and open then release the shutter. Motion is part of the look. I wouldn't over think it, but f8 at 1/100 th sec is way too little light. Pushing beyond 3200 will just give more grain and contrast, which is OK. Using bulb setting is your best bet.

Post your results, and good luck.

BobUK · May 20, 2023

Have a look at the above link, posted in the last few days.

Judging from the results achieved in the video by a very competent photographer, you may get lucky and have the Holga stolen.
You could then make a claim on the insurance.

Use one of your other cameras, film is just to expensive to waste.

It will be an interesting experience if you persevere with it.

I

-persimmon-tree- · May 20, 2023

Helge said:
Anything is better than a Holga.

I've been trying to get my hands on a Helge, but I'll have to go with the Holga for now

That being said, this is making me lean slightly towards using Portra 800 with my SLR this time around. I really want to get good photos from this event and it would be a shame for the experiment to go wrong.

-persimmon-tree- · May 20, 2023

Sirius Glass said:
A hazard of taking wedding photographs or any event is that in my experience I can either enjoy the event or take photographs but not both.

Luckily, I am not the actual photographer for the event, they will have a professional photographer. I just want to take photos of my friends for my own enjoyment. I am kind of leaning towards bringing my mju point and shoot with portra 800 and just having fun, especially because I can put that camera in my pocket and it has built in flash. That will probably be the smartest choice practically, since actually managing the camera during the event will probably be annoying, and I'd rather not have my SLR around a bunch of drunk people, + I'd have to set it down if I end up doing a bit of dancing. But I will definitely be experimenting with Ilford 3200 with the Holga in the near future, somewhere!

Daniela · May 20, 2023

I always use 3200 on my Holga. I can tell you that the only time I tried shooting it in late afternoon it was at the seaside and almost nothing registered on the film, even with (some) sunlight still reflecting off the water...I'd use a flash, since you have that option.

Nicholas Lindan · May 20, 2023

I just shoved my meter into a dim corner of my living room. Result: ASA 3200, f8 1/2 second.
Or, a more reasonable f2 @ 1/30. At 1/125 on a Holga you would be 6 stops underexposed -or- exposing an ASA 1000 / 3200 film at ASA 128,000 / 400,000.

Bar lighting is all over the place, but I'd say the dingy corner of my living room is a rather well lit bar with late afternoon sunlight coming in the back windows.

mshchem · May 20, 2023

-persimmon-tree- said:
Luckily, I am not the actual photographer for the event, they will have a professional photographer. I just want to take photos of my friends for my own enjoyment. I am kind of leaning towards bringing my mju point and shoot with portra 800 and just having fun, especially because I can put that camera in my pocket and it has built in flash. That will probably be the smartest choice practically, since actually managing the camera during the event will probably be annoying, and I'd rather not have my SLR around a bunch of drunk people, + I'd have to set it down if I end up doing a bit of dancing. But I will definitely be experimenting with Ilford 3200 with the Holga in the near future, somewhere!

Good idea . Maybe take the Holga for daylight shots

mshchem · May 20, 2023

BobUK said:
Have a look at the above link, posted in the last few days.

Judging from the results achieved in the video by a very competent photographer, you may get lucky and have the Holga stolen.
You could then make a claim on the insurance.

Use one of your other cameras, film is just to expensive to waste.

It will be an interesting experience if you persevere with it.

I

Eastman Kodak sold approximately 68 trillion (slightly exaggerated) cameras less sophisticated than the Holga from 1890 to 1999ish. Now I want one. I wonder if Carl Zeiss is secretly making the Holga lenses to stay in medium format photography??

Nicholas Lindan · May 20, 2023

mshchem said:
I wonder if Carl Zeiss is secretly making the Holga lenses to stay in medium format photography??

I think that it is Carl Scheisse who is making the lenses.

awty · May 20, 2023

I just use filters to cut the light when using my Holga. Yellow will cut one stop, orange about 2, red about 3. Use bulb when not enough light.

AnselMortensen · May 20, 2023

Nicholas Lindan said:
I think that is Carl Scheisse making the lenses.

You, Sir, win the internet today.

mshchem · May 20, 2023

Nicholas Lindan said:
I think that is Carl Scheisse making the lenses.

I want some recognition for guesstimating 1/4-1/2 second at f8. Based on your interior reading I was within a couple stops.

Helge · May 20, 2023

-persimmon-tree- said:
I've been trying to get my hands on a Helge, but I'll have to go with the Holga for now

That being said, this is making me lean slightly towards using Portra 800 with my SLR this time around. I really want to get good photos from this event and it would be a shame for the experiment to go wrong.

Cute.
The only reason anyone ever heard of a Holga is that some arsehole in the 90s thought it would be ironic and “cool” to import Chinese exploitation junk to western hipsters.
He also imported other slightly less crappy (but only slightly) eastern block consumer cameras and called the venture Lomo, to remind everyone how kooky and subversive it all was.
When shooting a Holga you are falling for a thirty year old cynical sales pitch.

Sirius Glass · May 20, 2023

Helge said:
Cute.
The only reason anyone ever heard of a Holga is that some arsehole in the 90s thought it would be ironic and “cool” to import Chinese exploitation junk to western hipsters.
He also imported other slightly less crappy (but only slightly) eastern block consumer cameras and called the venture Lomo, to remind everyone how kooky and subversive it all was.
When shooting a Holga you are falling for a thirty year old cynical sales pitch.

Meanwhile primarily because of APUG in 2007 I started buying aHasselblad 503 CX for $400US, the 80mm lens for $600US to $800US, the 50mm, 150mm and 250mm lenses for $400 to 600US all EX+ because I was too stupid to go chase ever spiraling higher prices of quickly evolving digital camera or the Unicorns of Holga and Lomo. So here I sit with lots of Hasselblad and Nikon AF equipment and not one Holga or Lomo to be seen. Woe is me for sticking to traditional film cameras! Why did I never hear the siren calls of Holga, Loma and other kewl ventures? I still do not have atop of the line Nikon or Canon digital camera. Now I console myself with an appreciable bank account and prime photographic equipment. Woe is me!

Shooting a wedding using Holga and Ilford 3200 -- what to expect?

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