Zoom-in Online

Most of you probably already own a Holga, or have at least heard of them. Just in case you haven't, they are cheap, plastic toy cameras that shoot medium format film (120), known for their vignetting, soft edges and light leaks. You never quite know how a picture is going to turn out, when you've shot it with a Holga. And this is why I love them so.

I truly believe that every serious photographer should at least try them out once. Personally, I like to get it out every now and then, spend a small fortune on film and go out into the world. I find that it sets my mind free. Let me explain: Since I mainly shoot with stock in mind, I tend to think a lot about things like copy space, usefulness and technical perfection. With a Holga, I stop worrying about all of that and just concentrate on taking a beautiful photo. It's just for me, so who cares if there's camera shake or if my focus point ended up in a different spot, than I had imagined. Of course, I still strive to get it right, and when I succeed, the feeling is so much sweeter, than if I had just shot it with my DSLR.

Using toy cameras in general is a lot of fun, but more importantly, it lets my brain work along different lines than it is used to. And when that happens, inspiration usually ensues. So, why am I writing this? Because, since I've been having a tough time getting models booked (though things are looking up in that department too), I have invested in a new stack of 120-rolls to work up a shooting appetite.

The photo used in this post is one of those that worked out, just like I hoped it would. I was driving across the West Seattle Bridge with my friend Lee, and suddenly saw how he and his car kind of framed the downtown skyline in the background. Lee was sitting way too close to be in focus, so I aimed for getting the skyscrapers sharp instead, and though I only had seconds, it came out just right.

Rasmus Rasmussen is on loan from iStockphoto, where he is part of the image inspection team.