Some people curse at Holgas for being temperamental. Holga, of course, doesn’t give a rat’s behind who curses and who doesn’t. And that’s because Holga, as the name suggests, probably since it rhymes with Volga, is likely a princess, a tsarevna, a grand duchess. So you have to make obeisance and pray, may be even sing, to her royal Holganess and perchance she will lift her veil and grant you a look at her ethereal, other worldly beauty.
I am very fortunate. Princess Holga has shown her kindness and taken me to worlds dreamlike, magical hidden behind veiled portals that no plebeian Leica, Pentax, Rollei or Mamiya could ever conjure up.
Arizona has the public reputation to be a bright sunny desert speckled with saguaro and prickly pear. But it has another side. It storms and rains here. There are clouds. There are pine trees. There are mountains and lakes. This other side of Arizona isn’t always visible. You have to get away from the city of Phoenix and the valley of the sun. Naturally, you need a Holga to see this other Arizona.
Come walk with me to the other side:
A different Arizona (1). 400TX
A different Arizona (2). 400TX
A different Arizona (3). 400TX
A different Arizona (4). TMY
A different Arizona (5). TMY
All photos developed and scanned by http://www.oldschoolphotolab.com
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Dev Samaddar is a right brain person in a left brain world, trained as an engineer and MBA who left the corporate world because it sucked the life out of him. He took formal lessons in painting for many years and learned photography from his father. His rite of passage was falling into a print fixing tray at the age of six. Dev is a synesthete whose senses are entangled allowing him to experience the world in a very vivid way leading to his annoyingly optimistic outlook. He carries his camera everywhere capturing the endless beauty of mundane minutiae. Dev is a cheeky fellow who doesn't take himself or anybody else seriously and wrote this bio in third person because that is apparently how it is done.
14 Comments
George Appletree
May 16, 2018 at 6:44 pmI think the only royalty and magic of that camera is in your imagination
Dev Samaddar
May 16, 2018 at 7:17 pmI take that as a compliment. 🙂
And indeed, it’s true for all cameras. To quote Ernst Haas: “The camera doesn’t make a bit of difference. All of them can record what you are seeing. But, you have to SEE.”
George Appletree
May 16, 2018 at 8:05 pmI don’t agree Haas (and don’t think even himself really did).
John Casteel
May 17, 2018 at 12:58 amThese are nowhere near as good as the Holga shots I saw on your website. I am amazed that you chose these.
Dev Samaddar
May 17, 2018 at 2:36 amJohn, I appreciate your candid feedback. Art, like most things in life is personal preference. What one person thinks is fabulous might appear as worthless to another person and vice versa and so on. There isn’t an objective way to say one is better than the other. I am happy you liked some of the other photos. 🙂
Chris Pattison
May 17, 2018 at 7:30 amI am reminded of an exchange with a kid I encountered one day at a beach not far from here. I was aware of someone behind me while I was making images of old tractors used to haul fishing boats over the sand and into the sea. I turned around to see a half scowl, half puzzled look on his face as he asked with disdain in his voice, ‘Why are you taking pictures of old tractors?’ I simply replied, ‘Because I like them.’ The kid shrugged his shoulders. He was accepting of my answer. Good on him.
Dev Samaddar
May 17, 2018 at 3:47 pmThanks Chris. 😉
David Obryan
May 20, 2018 at 3:03 amNice work.
Dev Samaddar
May 20, 2018 at 4:50 amThank you David.
Neil
May 22, 2018 at 12:55 pmI’ve not had a proper look at the MTF charts for the Holga 60mm but to me it does look somewhat soft in the corners 😀
Dev Samaddar
May 22, 2018 at 4:21 pm😂😂
Bryan Costin
June 8, 2018 at 11:38 pmI really like these shots. Some Holga work is a bit formulaic. These have that distinctive look while still being very compelling landscapes. They remind me a bit of vintage large format. Thanks!
Dev Samaddar
June 9, 2018 at 12:29 amThank you for your kind words. I appreciate that compliment. Also that’s a very good observation and I agree with it totally. I have seen what you mean and the camera is obvious from the photo. Well, if not Holga, it’s a Diana, but the point is the same. I have tried to avoid that cliche and I am happy to hear you say that I have succeeded a little bit.
Sleepwell
September 11, 2018 at 11:45 pmHAAAA !!!