Light Leaks
Light leaks can be cool. But sometimes they can ruin a perfectly good picture. The two biggest causes of light leaks are the two holes in the top of the Holga. You'll need to tape these bad boys up, or use the 6x6 mask if you have one. If you are experiencing streaks of light going from the bottom towards the centre of your images, then these two holes are the most likely culprits (thanks Randy @ Holgamods)
Another source of light leaks are the seams along the top, bottom and sides of the Holga's back. Once you have loaded your film in, seal that puppy up using black photographers masking tape or electrical tape (don't use electrical tape if you live in a hot climate, use gaffers tape instead).
If you are experiencing a red leak in the middle of your image then the film counter window is the culprit. Place a strip of tape over this window and fold the edge over to make a tab, so that you can easily remove it when winding. Sometimes you can get cool imprints in your pictures of the lettering from your paper backing through this window.
How can I get more light leaks?
If you are anything like me, you religiously tape up your Holga. As you probably notice you rarely see any leaks. Sometimes you feel like experimenting and leaving things up to chance. Those times you need the skills to introduce some leaks into your pictures. There are a couple of ways of injecting some super-sweet sexy streaks:
- Don't bother taping up your Holga. Well, stick some tape over the metal latch so the back doesn't fall off, but that's it.
- Take the mask out and make sure the two holes at the top of the camera are uncovered.
- Don't use cardboard under your spools. A bit controversial this one, as the lack of tension might cause your pictures to be blurrier than usual. What this also does is produce 'fat rolls'.
What's a fat roll?
A fat roll is where the film base and backing paper overlap the top and bottom of the spool. Normal tightly wound spools have protection against leaks by the design of the spools, but fat rolls have no such luck. Light can come pouring in at the top and bottom producing images like the example shown below:
Once you have your fat roll, if you are feeling especially brave you can give it a squeeze to increase the risk of leaks. But once that's all done you'll need to wind it back up tight so still have something when you get it developed. The best method I've found to do this is to hold the spool between your thumb and index finger in one hand, and start pulling the edge of the exposed film backing off. Only pull out about an inch so you can see which direction to turn the spool. Once you know which direction, gently hold the paper in place with one hand while rotating the spool with your other hand. Once the edges of the film is covered by the plastic spool, seal it up as you would normally.
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| A fat roll | Squeeze! |
