As a professional wedding and editorial photographer, it’s incredibly important to stay inspired. Often overlooked in favor of website updates, social media posting, and “busy” work—nurturing creative energy is arguably THE top task for an artist to work on daily. You benefit, dear clients, with one-of-a-kind imagery of your life’s events AND I build a sustainable career with art at the heart of it all. Talk about a win/win!

One such way of keeping creativity flowing is to embrace the tangible of toy camera film photography, whims and all, as another tool for storytelling. The nostalgia of Holga frames remind you of home and the softness of an old, fond memory. Crisp sharpness of digital is replaced with a dreamier effect thanks to the plastic lens. Each frame is like lightning in a bottle, the ephemeral made real with the click of the shutter. Be still my heart.

This collection of Holga favorites from the past year really shows the breadth of this small-yet-mighty camera. Utilizing both natural light and flash, you can use this baby anywhere and get a variety of effects in your photos. I love it for outdoor scenes in full sun and with flash, at night, for a more stylish, paparazzi vibe. Excited to bring this gem of a camera to weddings and projects this year—cheers to staying creative!

Ready to dive into the perfectly imperfect world of toy camera film photography? Grab your camera, a few rolls of medium format film (here’s my favorite), and a trusty light meter. Tuck a notebook into your bag to note camera settings, light conditions, etc—you’ll reference later when viewing your film scans to learn and grow!

Cheers, S

Film scans by the best in the biz, Richard Photo Lab.

*Opinions are wholeheartedly my own. All recommendations are personally used by me and considered tried-and-true. If you purchase products using links from my site, I may earn affiliate money (at no added cost to you)—thanks and enjoy!