Portrait with Holga
Medium format, plastic and heavy grain. Portraits without technical excuses.
The Holga is not a precision camera. It's a camera that forces you to focus on what matters: the person in front of you. In this workshop we make medium format 120 portraits and develop the roll in the darkroom.
The Holga and portraiture
The Holga is a plastic medium format 120 camera with a fixed 60mm f/8 lens. It has no light meter, no phase-detection focus, nothing automatic. It vignettes. The plastic lens lets light through in unpredictable ways.
And that’s precisely why it works so well for portraits.
When you photograph with a Holga you can’t rely on technique to save the image. All you control is where you place the person, how you light them and when you press the shutter. Three decisions. And in portraiture, three decisions is all you need.
How the session is structured
First part — Theory and preparation
We go over the basic principles of portraiture: composition, light and relationship with the subject. Not a lecture — a conversation about why some portraits work and others don’t.
We load the 120 rolls and go over the Holga’s characteristics: the useful focus zone, how to estimate exposure by eye, and how to use the camera’s limitations (vignetting, grain, light leaks) rather than fight them.
Second part — Portrait session
We work in the studio with a model. Each participant shoots a full roll: 8 to 12 frames in 6×6 square format.
The brief is simple: focus on the person, not the camera.
Third part — Development and scanning
We develop the 120 roll using the standard B&W process. The process is identical to 35mm development but with a different spiral.
At the end, a verification scan of the frames to see the dry results.
Key contents
- The Holga: how it works, its limitations and how to use them
- Portrait theory: composition, light and connection with the subject
- Exposure without a light meter: estimation and sunny-16 rule
- Loading a 120 roll and working in square format
- Medium format development: differences from 35mm
- Reading 120 negatives
What’s included
- One 120 B&W roll (ISO 400 recommended — Kodak T-MAX or HP5)
- Use of the studio with lighting and backdrops
- All developing chemicals
- Scanner for a final verification
What to bring
- A Holga 120 camera (any model) — if you don’t have one, we have one available
- Comfortable clothes; we work in the studio and the darkroom
Not included
- Additional rolls (+€12/120 roll)
- Full high-resolution scanning (available as a service at Llumàtics from €15)
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to own a Holga?
No. If you do not have one, we will provide one. You can bring yours if you have one.
Are the roll and developing included?
Yes. One roll of 120 B/W, use of the studio with lighting and backdrop, the developing chemicals and the scanner for the final check.
Do I need previous experience?
None. This is a beginner's workshop: no photography or developing knowledge is needed.
Workshop details
- Objective
- Make expressive medium format portraits with the Holga, understand the camera's limitations and possibilities, and develop and scan the roll at the end of the session.
- Methodology
- First part: portrait composition and lighting theory, loading and using the Holga. Second part: studio portrait session with a model. Third part: developing the roll and a first verification scan.
- Outcome
- One developed and scanned 120 roll, 8–12 medium format portraits, and a practical understanding of how to work on portraiture without relying on technical precision.
- Prerequisites
- None. No prior experience in photography or darkroom work is required.
- Who it's for
- Anyone who wants to make analogue portraits without technical complexity. Anyone who has a Holga at home and wants to get the most out of it.
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