Katie Mollon

Holga | Katie Mollon

It has become tradition to curate a stream of all Holga images during the first week of October – or as it is more commonly known to film users – Holga Week.

I love the variety of images that were submitted. Some used the classic 6x6 frame; others overlapped frames or used 35mm to create a panoramic look. A few photographers took dreamy to a new level by utilizing the bulb exposure settings. And best of all, the tonalities range from classic black and white, to the trendy Lomochrome colors.

Thanks for sharing a few favorite Holga images with us. We can't wait to see what you photograph this week!

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Film photographer Katie Mollon is based in Michigan. See more of her work & connect with her on Instagram.

Check out (and follow) Holga Week on their Instagram and website! Be sure to participate and enter this year’s competition!

Double Exposure Fim Swap | Barbara Murray / katie mollon

Film Shooters Collective members were challenged late in 2022 to complete a film swap project. Here we present the results of one collaboration. In this type of double exposure, one photographer shoots the roll of film, rewinds, and sends to the second photographer to shoot a second set of images. The results are always surprising, often beautiful and sometimes downright amazing.

For this swap, Katie Mollon and I swapped two rolls of film. Each of us shot one roll in areas around their home towns, then swapped by mail. That gave two sets of fun results. Since Katie lives in Detroit and I live in Cardiff by the Sea near San Diego, some interesting juxtapositions resulted.

KATIE : For the first roll, I took photos on a sunny fall day at Elmwood cemetery in Detroit. It's the oldest non-denominational cemetery in Michigan, so it has a ton of variety. I brought along my Lensbaby Omni filters, and experimented with them on each frame. I imagined that this would add to the surreal quality of double exposures.

BARBARA: I shot my images for this roll at a local street fair on a sunny day. Unfortunately the images didn’t line up as well as we would have liked but we still got some interesting results.

BARBARA: I shot a second roll mostly at locations near my house, then sent it to Katie. I tried to emphasize shots that were distinctly local, with a lot of palm trees and some sunsets. I think some of the results from this roll are really spectacular.

KATIE: For the roll I got in the mail from Barbara, I loaded it in my SLR during a photo meetup in downtown Detroit. It was a rather nondescript, chilly day. I was happy to have this roll with me, because I had already photographed a lot of the subject matter several times during the pandemic. Knowing that there would be a surprise in every frame kept me excited to keep composing my shots. Overcast days are great for film swaps, because the skies won't blow out the other person's subjects.

KATIE: Like with most of my work, which is experimental, I liked some results better than others. I will continue to do film swaps, because the ones that turn out the best keep me invigorated about the process! The mysterious qualities about film are what fuels my passion. 

BARBARA: Like Katie, I enjoy experimenting with photography. I think having a general idea what types of images your partner shot, but not an exact image listing, makes the project more fun. But, you’re free to plan a swap in as much detail as you want. Try it yourself with another film photographer and send us your results.

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Film photographer Katie Mollon is based in Michigan. See more of her work & connect with her on Instagram.

Film photographer Barbara Murray is based in California. See more of her work and connect with her on Instagram!

Holga Week 2022 | Katie Mollon

In celebration of Holga Week 2022 – we asked you to send in a favorite Holga image. The Holga is a simple toy camera. It's usually associated with square images on 120 film - but is also available in a variety of formats – including 35mm. Because its lens is plastic, the edges of the frame are quite soft, and often vignetted. I encourage everyone to embrace the quirkiness of this camera. Its lack of mechanics make it very easy to experiment with. Simply click the shutter as many times as desired to create multiple exposure effects.

This set of images shows off the wide range of photographic styles that can be achieved with this cult camera. I was happy to find similar threads between images – whether it be the color tonalities, or subject matter. The Holga adds a unique moodiness to any scene.

Connect

Film photographer Katie Mollon is based in Michigan. See more of her work & connect with her on Instagram.

Check out (and follow) Holga Week on their Instagram and website! Hurry to participate and enter this year’s competition!