Holga Afternoon at Nau Bostik

From 1 to 7 October, photographers all over the world take to the streets with the same plastic camera: the Holga. They do it for Holga Week, a celebration and a competition dedicated to the most imperfect and best-loved medium format camera.

We celebrate it on the 8th with an afternoon at Nau Bostik. It’s free. It isn’t a course: it’s a meet-up to shoot, share tricks and have a good time with a camera that forgives nothing and gives everything.

What we’ll do

6:00 pm · Welcome and camera intro. How to load it, why people tape up the seams, what it means that it only has “sun” and “cloud”, and how to make multiple exposures on purpose.

6:20 pm · Shooting. Around Nau Bostik and the surrounding streets, making the most of the last light. The Holga needs plenty of light, so we start early.

7:30 pm · Show and tell. What we shot, what we expect to see when it’s developed, and how to carry on. While the rolls wait to be developed, we’ll look at the day’s photos shot on a digital Holga: horrible, funny and immediate.

What to bring

Your Holga, if you have one. If not, bring any toy or analogue camera. We’ll have a few to lend, but only a few: if you’d like one, email us in advance.

Film: if you don’t bring any, we’ll have 120 and 35 mm black-and-white rolls at 12–16 € each. ISO 400 recommended.

And then, the roll

You can develop it yourself or do it with us in the B&W film development workshop, and, if you want to go all the way, follow it with darkroom printing. Both are optional and have their usual price.

If you shot during Holga Week

Bring your rolls. The competition opens precisely on 8 October and closes on 8 November. Each person can submit up to three photos taken from 1 to 7 October, in one of these categories: Effect, Nature, Pinhole, Portrait or Street. The rules require a film Holga (digital ones and Holga lenses mounted on other cameras don’t count) and a selfie of you with the camera.

Photos we take on the 8th don’t enter the competition. This afternoon is about the joy of shooting a Holga.

Sign-up

The event is free, but places for loan cameras are limited. Fill in the contact form with your name and whether you need a camera, and we’ll save you a spot.

Frequently asked questions