I don’t think I even mentioned this on the blog… I have no idea why.

A little while ago, in what I still think was an unbelievable stroke of good luck, I received a notification that my new camera had been shipped.

It was on back-order.

Everywhere.

Anyone I asked would tell me that even though I pre-ordered the thing in October, it’d be anywhere from two to three months from January before I could hope for it to head my way. But on January 18th, it came to my door.

The next day, I got my new lenses.

And the day after that, I shot a movie with it.

The ability to switch from great still photography to High Definition footage within the same camera and with just the click of a button is an unbelievable experience. Sure you get used to it, but it still rules. The funny thing is that I used to scoff at the idea of bringing video to a photo camera. “Psh, just make me a good photo camera would ya please?!”

Well, it turns out that photo cameras shoot really, truly gorgeous video. I discovered this a year and a half ago when the Canon 5D MkII came out and everybody’s heads exploded at the sight of the footage. Mine included. But I couldn’t justify stepping down to the 5D just to get video. Then the 7D came out. Even cheaper than the 5D and also equipped with beautiful video. But it was a step down from the 5D, so forget it. Both cameras would mean spending money that I’d later regret.

So, I patiently waited for my 1D MkIV to come out.

It finally did.

And now… The movie’s done!! Here’s a couple of images to whet your appetite

The poster:

The image that will go straight on the disc:

If you’d like to come see the film, I’d love to have you! Just leave a comment or email me directly!

I’ve been excited to show you these for some time and now, I finally get to!

The images below are photographs taken with a Holga camera.

The Holga is a film camera. Medium format, which is larger than the 35mm film cameras most people remember. And it’s also listed under “toy camera” anywhere you look to buy it.

Why?

Because it sucks, that’s why. You laugh, but it’s true.

It sucks.

A lot.

It’s manufactured in China with exactly zero quality control, so if you and a friend each bought your own, you’d still end up with two completely different cameras, it’s made entirely of plastic (yes, even the lens) and it’s incredibly primitive in the control it offers.

Oh and don’t lick it either, there’s the slight possibility you might get lead poisoning. Remember; it was made in China! On the other hand, what the hell are you doing licking cameras?!

Anyway, but that’s also why boatloads of photographers love it so much. It’s primitive and unpredictable.

I can’t speak for other photographers, but my experience with the Holga has been liberating. That’s what I love about mine. The freedom. I go into any new shoot with two things on my mind.

1. Film is expensive and I only have 12 shots per roll. I better get this right.
2. This camera sucks. It doesn’t matter what I do, it’ll come out interesting. Still though… Get it right…

Whenever I get started on a shoot with my current digital camera, I have about 1,200 images worth of space. With a Holga, I have almost exactly ONE HUNDRED TIMES fewer shots at my disposal.

So I friggin’ pay attention.

So yes, it focuses me like digital cameras can’t. To me, that is liberating, because instead of focusing my energy on telling similar images apart, I get to pay closer attention to what I want to do NOW, with the camera in hand. But there’s the added bonus of not knowing what you’re gonna get, especially with a Holga, until you get your roll back from the lab.

Here’s why.

With professional cameras, your view is bounced around through a series of mirrors so you can see exactly what your lens is seeing. You see how far you’re zoomed in or out, what your focus looks like, there’s even an indicator to tell you what your exposure is gonna look like before you take the shot.

With a Holga, forget about mirrors; you look through a hole. You don’t have a clue what your lens is seeing. You have to literally guess what your focus is gonna be like based on some stupidly vague icons at the front of the lens. And you have two aperture settings. Sunny and cloudy.

And that’s it. Go take a picture.

And when you do go take a roll full of pictures and get them developed, you find that your Holga did a number of things you didn’t know it was doing. It leaked light onto the film in this frame but not on that one because the construction of the casing sucks so much, it missed focus because you can’t tell exactly where your focus is anyway and even where focus magically falls in your lap, the camera’s construction may be such that the bottom right corner of your images are out of focus regardless. I say “may be” because remember, no two Holgas are alike. I just know it does that on mine, with some frames where the issue is more pronounced than others. Oh and of course the thing Holgas are most famous for: vignetting. The corners of your images are darkened, not by choice like we do now digitally, but because that’s how your Holga came out of the factory.

The sheer unpredictability of the thing makes the results all the more exhilarating.

So I hope you enjoy my little collection so far. These have been shot between around November when I got it and during my trip to Europe, which by the way means that I had three cameras to juggle; the iPhone, the Canon and the Holga. And I had a 4-year-old. And it was cold. And the French have nukes.

What?! It’s more exciting when I put it like that!

Today, my picture-a-day-for-365-days project, comes to an end with the final picture. And this time, it’s more about the experience of the project than it is about the picture itself. So yes, that means more reading.

But I hope you enjoy my recollection of the project and its significance in my life and potentially, your life, should you choose to someday do the same.

Enjoy.

Day 364/365

And finally… *drumroll*…

Tadaaaaa!!! I’m finished!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So why did I leave this for last?

Because this image, that time… It’s 8 minutes to midnight and I can’t tell you how many times that happened to me throughout the year. It’s late, I’m tired, I feel like I’m forgetting something but hey I’ll get to it tomorrow, but still not being able to sleep I look at the clock to see how late it is and how long I’ve been trying to fall asleep and suddenly it hits me like a ton of bricks.

“CRAP!!! Forgot the picture of the day!!”

So I bounce out of bed and hunt for something, anything, to take a picture of.

And I think that image, crappy as it is, represents to me what the project was often like.

I mentioned this a while ago, but a 365 project leaves you at a loss for ideas in a big friggin’ hurry. Especially when you’re a busy guy/gal. And I don’t know about other shooters who have undertaken this project, but I felt like I often forgot taking a shot until just before midnight.

But I learned a few things with this project.

First, as mentioned above, the stream of ideas dies very quickly. Like the saying goes, it’s 10% inspiration, 90% perspiration. And I wasn’t about to give up when my 10% ran out. I’m proud of that fact. I never gave up. It was never even an option. At the worst of times, it was a tedious task to take a picture, but giving up wasn’t gonna happen. Period.

Second, I noticed myself getting lazy on a bunch of my shots. I either didn’t have the time or on some occasions, simply didn’t have the inclination to try and take something I felt was good. I had good days, I had bad days. All of this became especially apparent once I got my iPhone. It became so easy to postpone taking a shot because I didn’t have a bulky camera to pickup. I could be done quickly.

Third, no question about it, I took an enormous amount of images that I would never have taken had I not been working on that project. Some were good enough to end up in my portfolio, but for the most part the project really forced me to observe the world that existed around me at that moment. You see the world around you every day, but it’s not until you raise a camera at it that you’re forced to really examine it. Understand it. Enjoy it. And as it becomes a habit, what happens is that even when your camera isn’t around, you see things as if you were looking through its viewfinder.

The camera transitions successfully into your subconscious.

That’s cool.

And finally; the memories.

At its most basic, a camera is simply a visual recording tool. It doesn’t lie. It doesn’t distort. It just says.

In the year that I started and ended this project, I went through two MAJOR, life-changing events and countless experiences in between.

Some were amazing, others were excruciating.

And I’ve heard it said about drawing on paper and I feel the same about photography; even when you’re not taking pictures of the event itself, the imagery you create becomes so strongly associated with those events that it’s essentially as good as having taken a picture of your emotions, your state of mind, your boredom, your anticipation, your happiness or your misery.

Those aren’t things you can take pictures of. Because they’re intangible from the camera’s perspective. But you capture them anyway. At least for yourself.

And yes, to me that’s invaluable. I cherish those images, whatever they’re connected to.

I have two shots that jump out at me when I think back at the whole year and as it so happens, they’re the two major, life-changing events. I couldn’t take a picture of either event, nor do I really want to divulge what they were.

But they’ve been forever seared in my mind.

A picture of my calendar: I was ecstatic. Relieved. I felt I could finally rest and live peacefully. The whole world melted away and everything in my future looked bright and filled with freedom.

A picture of my Honda framed by my garage door: I was hopelessly depressed. I remember sitting on the steps to my back door. No longer knowing what to do with myself. No longer seeing the point to it all.

I don’t regret either memory. They’re mine. No one can take them away from me. And despite them meaning nothing to all but my closest of friends and family and not even being all that great to look at, they’re incredibly powerful and meaningful to me. I can revisit my past with all of its ups and downs, just by looking at these two pictures.

I like that.

There are some photographers who still lament the advent of digital cameras, making it child’s play for anyone to take a picture.

Not me.

I cherish what we have. I love that I’m alive at this time in our history when all you need is a phone to record your lives and the lives of others with so much ease and frequency, and an outlet as simple, open and infinite as the internet.

So take many, many pictures my friends. Take as many as you can.

You’ll thank yourself for it later.