The Octopus’ Garden

In this day and age of digital cameras and warp-speed workflows, why would anyone want to go film? That’s a question that has been asked of me these past few weeks. I don’t know, maybe because after a stressful year at work and the associated warp-speed timelines,  I really DO want to SLOW down and to just have genuine fun.

So I considered my options, including using an SLR again, and figured that the best way to do just that is to go lomo, to go Holga, to go square, and to go black & white. After all, I’ve been finding myself shooting more black & whites with my LX3, and I’ve also been cropping my earlier photos into squares anyway. I find that the lack of distracting colors brings out stronger responses, and that the square format complements that simplicity. Whether to go landscape or portrait is a question I won’t ever have to ask again with this camera. And the less thought that goes into the picture-taking process, the better for me and for what I’m trying to achieve.

A Holga Experiment

Also, the main reason why I went traditional black & white (non C-41) is so I can process the film at home, and scan the resulting negatives myself. I would have opted to have a lab like Studio 58 do it but the cost is too prohibitive (though their work is quite stunning!) With the same cost I’d be spending for lab processing of about 7 rolls of film, I could instead get my own chemicals, process about 20 rolls with it, and not wait for 3 days to get each roll back! Without a doubt, I’m able to save a lot more of my time and money by just doing it myself. And the whole process is another load of fun in itself. Trust me, the experience of seeing your photos materialize in your hands and hanging them up to dry is always a blast!

So, how am I doing so far? Well, I’m pretty happy with it! It may be a slow process throughout but it’s really a great feeling to just slow down, kick back,  and pray for dear luck once in a while. And as lomo fans would say: Don’t Think, Just Shoot!