Holga News

New: Blog!

Sat, 20 Oct 2007 18:18:42 BST

I've set up a blog to accompany the site. I'm going to be adding information, reviews, interviews and featured artists. Full details available in the first post. You may want to switch your RSS reader over to that feed as I'll be including site updates on the blog too!

New: Developing Film

Fri, 12 Oct 2007 20:31:37 BST

To celebrate the 1 year anniversary of squarefrog.co.uk, I'm launching quite possibly my most ambitious section to date. How to develop film. I've tried to include everything you'd want to know, except choice of developer. So why have I left such a crucial aspect out? Well developer choice depends on what film you are using, and what you hope to gain from developing. I don't feel qualified enough to make that decision for you. So have a read of the article, and if you have any questions, come and ask in the DIY black & white group. Otherwise, enjoy!

Competition Winners

Fri, 12 Oct 2007 11:26:07 BST

The winners have been plucked from the virtual hat and are as follows:

Jane Rose from England - Holga 120CFN

Sven Hantschack from Germany - Holgon Strobe Flash

Alexander Ghaffari from USA - 5x Agfa RSX II film

So congratulations to those three, and thanks to everyone who entered. Hopefully we'll be having another competition before too long so keep your eyes peeled for information.

Stay tuned for a brand new article coming later today. Its a much requested article so I hope you all find it useful!

Desperately seeking CSS guru!

Wed, 10 Oct 2007 17:22:25 BST

Firstly, for anyone using Internet Explorer - I apologise for how odd the site looks at the minute. There's something wrong with the way Internet Explorer renders websites which is currently making the left-hand nav bar appear at the bottom.

According to my testing this will only affect PC users using 1024x768 screen resolution or lower.

So I'm pleading for anyone with some CSS knowledge (especially regarding the box model hack) to contact me urgently. paul [at] squarefrog [dot] co [dot] uk, or message me on flickr.

Competition Now Closed

Sun, 07 Oct 2007 23:56:58 BST

The competition has now closed. Thanks to everyone who entered - I've had some superb suggestions for new articles and improvements. The resounding success of this competition has made me want to do more in the future!

Winners will be announced next Friday (12th October 2007), so keep your eyes peeled!

World Toy Camera Day 20th October 2007

Sat, 06 Oct 2007 13:51:25 BST

October 20th 2007 is World Toy Camera day. As Holga users it is your duty to go out, have fun shooting some film and spread the word about toy cameras. So make a note in your diary and blag some friends into coming out for a shoot.

Some toy camera links for you:

toycamera.com

WORLD TOY CAMERA DAY... and then some! flickr group

New: Corner Double Exposure section

Fri, 05 Oct 2007 17:39:53 BST

Got a new section for you today - it's another troubleshooting article. It concerns an odd problem where you get a double-exposure in the bottom right hand edge of your image. I was first made aware of this problem in a thread on Flickr. Well now I've found how to mod your camera so it's no longer a problem.

If you are interested in finding out how to sort this problem, head on over to the article!

Finally, just a quick reminder that the competition closes this Sunday at midnight GMT. So technically thats Monday morning, but anyway - it's the last chance to enter!

Update: Lots of new updates!

Mon, 01 Oct 2007 18:31:36 BST

I've done a load of updates over the past couple of days. Here's what's changed:

Holga Types - information added about the new Holga 135BC.

35mm Film - printing information added. A lot of people ask be how to get prints film 35mm Holga images, so I thought I'd better answer!

Creative Masking - a few more example images added.

Multiple Exposures - instructions on how to double expose a whole roll added. Basic information about film swapping groups added.

Holgaroid - Picture taken with Fuji FP3000 film added.

Light Leaks - more pictures added.

Filters - added more examples

Close Focus - added a few more macro examples. I really need some 2ft focus examples. So if you've got any, let me know!

Holga Types - added a few more pictures of different Holgas.

Lots of layout changes to make the site more aesthetically pleasing

Search bar added to the bottom of the navigation column

I've also got a few exciting new articles ready to go. So keep your eyes peeled!

Site Problems: Fixed!

Fri, 28 Sep 2007 11:54:00 BST

If you visited the site in the past 24 hours you may have experienced some 404- page not found errors. They have been fixed now so everything should be back to normal. The big news is that squarefrog.co.uk is back!! Yaay!

I've also done a minor site re-design. Some people have complained about the flowers distracting them so I've swapped them for stripes.

Last thing - theres not long left to enter the competition, if you haven't already. If you think of anyone who might like to win some free stuff let them know where to find the site! We need more Holga converts!

thats it.
- squarefrog

Google Ads

Thu, 27 Sep 2007 18:58:58 BST

If you've been on the site today, you may have noticed the adverts at the bottom of the page. I feel I should explain why I've put them there, to quieten anybody who thinks I've sold out.

OK so the main suggestion I've had from the competition entrants is that they'd love more competitions! As I only run the site part time, I can't really afford to pay for prizes, so putting an ad bar at the bottom of each article is a nice way to hopefully generate some revenue for prizes.

Rest assured that I'm not trying to make money with this website. I'm just trying to provide a place for the Holga community to feel welcome.

In other news - the switch over to my new hosting is taking longer than usual, so you may have noticed that squarefrog.co.uk is directing straight to holgasonline.com. This is only a temporary problem which I hope will be resolved shortly.

Anyway - there has been a lot of fantastic suggestions for improving the site, so look out for new articles and features coming soon!

New: Infrared Article

Sat, 22 Sep 2007 14:55:43 BST

We have something rather special for you today - a guide to using infrared film in a Holga.

The guide was written by flickr member eye of wally, who is the undisputed king of infrared Holga images. So why not have a read through the article, and then go take a peek at his Holga IR set.

Mirror Site

Thu, 20 Sep 2007 21:51:44 BST

Due to the recent site problems, I've set up a mirror. If you have problems with squarefrog.co.uk, head on over to holgasonline.com.

There may be a few bugs with the new site, please please pleaaaaase tell me if you get a problem so I can fix it! paul [at] squarefrog.co.uk

Thanks everyone x

Site Problems

Mon, 17 Sep 2007 21:22:08 BST

You may have noticed the site has been painfully slow recently. This is due to the increased traffic from the competition. This is what I get for having really cheap hosting!

I'm just in the process of migrating the site to another server to test the speed there, hopefully it'll all be OK within a couple of days.

In the mean time you may have noticed a cheeky PayPal donate button appearing on the left. Let me assure you this is not me selling out, I'm just trying to get some donations to pay for future competitions.

If I can't generate enough revenue I may have to add some Google Ad-Words to the site. But this is a last resort - reserved for if the new hosting is prohibitively expensive.

Any comments? Send me an email: paul [at] squarefrog.co.uk

Update: Holgaroid Section

Sun, 16 Sep 2007 18:20:08 BST

The Holgaroid section has just been updated. I've rearranged the information to be more relevant for the more recent Holgaroid backs.

Also, Flickr member Andy Lock let me know that the newer backs are also compatible with 3.25 x 4.25 Fujifilm packs. They are available in the following films:

* FP-100C - colour film, available in gloss and silk finishes. ISO 100 * FP-100B - black and white film. ISO 100 * FP-3000 - high-speed black and white film. ISO 3000

This is great news for us in the UK as its more widely available.

Site Updates

Sat, 15 Sep 2007 21:10:10 BST

I've been reading through the suggestions people have sent in. One of the most common ones was the lack of a Home button. I can't believe I didn't think of putting one in! Now when you visit the site you'll find a Home button on the left. Clicking on the 'holga' image on the top will also take you home.

Secondly, many people pointed out the wide waste of space at the top of each page. Well that space is no longer! It has been taken up by a string of images taken from the squarefrography flickr group.

Would you like to see your own Holga images included there? Simply sign up for Flickr and join the squarefrography group and start sending your images in.

If you haven't already, why not enter the competition!

Competition!

Thu, 13 Sep 2007 21:18:58 BST

To celebrate the first year anniversary of the Holga resource here at squarefrog.co.uk, we are holding a competition. There are 3 prizes to be given away: * First prize - Lomography Holga 120CFN package * Second prize - Holgon Strobe Flash * Third prize - 5 rolls of Agfa RSX II 200 ISO slide film All you need to do to be in with a chance of winning is to fill in the competition form. The competition closes on Sunday October 7th 2007. Winners will be notified by email the following week.

JPG Article

Sat, 16 Jun 2007 19:46:35 BST

I've just written an article for JPG magazine. Please vote for me, so I might get it published! Thanks :)

Update: Panoramas Section

Sat, 02 Jun 2007 14:49:07 BST

Flickr user matt has come up with an original and inventive way of getting 4 individual panoramas per film. The advantage of this technique is there is a frame border between each one so cutting the negs for storage is easy. Jump for more information.

Update: 35mm Section Fixed

Tue, 08 May 2007 19:23:10 GMT

If you visited the 35mm section hoping to see my new 35mm video, then you may have been disappointed. It seems some angry gremlins busted my code so what you actually saw was the old loading 120 film video. This bug seemed to only affect Internet Explorer users, so if you don't use IE then all is well.

I've chased away the gremlins with a stick, so all should be well now. Sorry for any inconvenience, love SQF x

Update: Masks Section

Mon, 07 May 2007 18:39:39 GMT

I've updated the masks section with an image showing the 6x4.5 and 6x6 masks so you can see which is which.

Lomo/Holga Meet UK!

Thu, 03 May 2007 21:21:10 GMT

We are having a meet up in Sheffield, UK on Sat. June 9th at 1:30pm. It promises to be a great day - with beer and morris dancing. For more information, clicky clicky clicky! Come along and meet like-minded people!

Update: Loading Section

Sun, 29 Apr 2007 17:09:36 GMT

Loading video updated. This one is different. I no longer consider cardboard tensioners and tape necessary. This video also shows just how far you have to wind to get the numbers. Also with 10% more tattoo!

Update: Unloading Section

Sun, 29 Apr 2007 17:08:14 GMT

Unloading video updated. It's not much different except it looks nicer and has music.

Update: 35mm Section

Sat, 28 Apr 2007 19:27:14 GMT

35mm section has been updated with a video showing you how to load 35mm in your Holga. Hope this shows you just how easy it is! Once you've loaded the film, make sure you print out the pdf of the winding guide and tape it to your Holga.

New: Using Cokin Filter System with Holga

Thu, 26 Apr 2007 18:06:41 GMT

holga_pics has written a superb guide on using the Cokin filter system with your Holga. Probably the easiest hack on the site. Great if you already own the Cokin system, or want to use filters. Check it out!

Squarefrography Group Created

Tue, 24 Apr 2007 18:02:25 GMT

I've greated a Flickr group - squarefrography. Why not come along and say Hi? Post a few pictures to the pool, hang out in the discussions, feast your eyes on some beautiful Holga pictures. If you don't have a Flickr account, why not join? It doesn't take long to set up and is connected with Yahoo so you get a free email address and some other things.

Update: Focusing

Sun, 22 Apr 2007 16:36:08 GMT

Last week I conducted some tests on the Holga focusing, and so I've updated the focus section to reflect this. Hit the link, or head over to my flickr set to see for yourself.

Update: Cross Processing

Sun, 11 Mar 2007 12:59:10 GMT

I've added a short description of what to expect when you cross process E6 in C41 chemicals, C41 in E6 chemicals, and E6/C41 in b&w chemicals.

New: Velcro Mod

Sat, 03 Mar 2007 21:55:51 GMT

Last update of the day: velcro mod! You have two options; use velcro for protection against your Holga's back falling off, or use velcro as a replacement for gaffers tape. This is the last section I had on my to do list to write. If you have any suggestions for what you'd like to see on my site, contact me and let me know.

New: Close Focus Mod Section

Sat, 03 Mar 2007 16:45:07 GMT

Close focus modification added. This well let your Holga focus as close as 2ft. Also included in the article is a link to a Toycamera.com article on Macro photography. 3 new sections in 1 day!! WHOOP!

New: Aperture Mod Section

Sat, 03 Mar 2007 16:43:11 GMT

I've finally gotten round to writing up instructions on performing the aperture mod. This will enable you to use switchable apertures of f/10 and f/13. Finally that sunny/cloudy switch will do something!

New: Pushing/Pulling Film

Sat, 03 Mar 2007 14:01:26 GMT

Article on pushing/pulling film, and its effect on the image. Handy to know if you are out shooting with 1 roll of film then discover you need something faster or slower.

Update: Holgaroid

Tue, 27 Feb 2007 10:07:03 GMT

The rumours were true! There is a new Polaroid back! Available now from Freestyle Photographic Supplies. The new back accepts both type 80 film, or 669/690 type films.

Update: Lens Cap and Exposure sections

Sun, 25 Feb 2007 22:24:32 GMT

I've posted a couple of small updates. I've added a link to making your own lens cap, and also added information on reciprocity failure to the exposure section. More updates to follow over the next week or two.

Update: Cross Processing

Wed, 21 Feb 2007 19:41:13 GMT

I have just added information regarding pushing/pulling film when cross processing. Thanks to EATENalive for his help with this.

New: Holgaroid Section

Sun, 18 Feb 2007 18:59:02 GMT

New article added all about Holgaroids. Check it out for a insight into one of the rarer Holga mods.

Update: Several Minor Updates

Sun, 18 Feb 2007 18:33:20 GMT

I've done a few minor updates today to the aperture, exposure and flashes sections. Some minor grammatical and coding tweaks done for validation purposes.

New: Blurry Pics Section

Sun, 18 Feb 2007 15:26:02 GMT

New article added explaining why you may get blurry pictures.

New: Panoramas

Wed, 31 Jan 2007 21:42:38 GMT

Article introducing panoramas added. It's a sub-article really, as I've linked to a tutorial on ToyCamera.com that is better than anything I could have wrote!

Update: Light Leaks

Tue, 30 Jan 2007 20:51:40 GMT

Added further information regarding light leaks. How to get more leaks if you want them, complete with examples.

New: Flocking Section

Tue, 26 Dec 2006 16:26:21 GMT

I'm on a roll now! Here are instructions on how to reduce internal reflections from your Holga.

New: PinHolga Mod

Wed, 20 Dec 2006 20:21:31 GMT

Finally got round to writing a new article, score! Here I'll show you how to convert a spare/broken Holga into an awesome ninja-kickin' PinHolga camera. Be the envy of your friends.

New: Cable Release Section

Wed, 20 Dec 2006 20:21:25 GMT

New article added on modifying your Holga to let you use a cable release.

New: 35mm Guide

Sun, 12 Nov 2006 19:45:34 GMT

35mm guide added. Features some advice on how to load film and advance between frames. Once I can find a video camera to borrow I'll update this section with a video on how to load your first roll of 35mm film.

Update: Buy Film

Mon, 30 Oct 2006 23:40:56 GMT

New link added to the buy film section for American visitors.

Update: Buy Holga

Mon, 30 Oct 2006 23:40:00 GMT

New links added for American visitors.

Update: Site Update

Tue, 24 Oct 2006 20:44:54 GMT

Minor site update. I'm now using Litebox for loading pictures so hopefully the site should be a little faster loading for you.

New: Exposure Section

Mon, 23 Oct 2006 18:15:50 GMT

Exposure section added. Gives you advice about how to correctly expose your pictures using the Holga's limited exposure controls.

New: RSS Feed!

Mon, 23 Oct 2006 18:15:37 GMT

I've created an RSS feed for the site, to enable you to keep up to date with the latest Holga news at Squarefrog.co.uk