Holga My Dear/Pretty In Mad
from TWTGE the lomography issue, January 2013
One from Rome, recently transplanted in Berlin, the other one from the beautiful Veneto. It’s thanks to people like them if films and analog photography continues to exist. Holga my dear and Pretty in Mad are two great young photographers that make photography with their experiments! This great passion, plus the one for cameras and blogging, has made them friends. We’ve decided to make a double interview to let you know them better.Â
Hi, please introduce yourself.Â
S: Hi, I’m Silvia, I’m 26 years old and I like analog photography a bunch. I’m known as “biondapiccola” on the web, it’s a nickname I’ve always had. E: Hello, my name is Erika, I like to define myself with a term coined by the good Mijonju: a “Camera Lover“: I love any type of camera as long as it’s analog– I like to collect and use them. I like England, Japan and hairpins. I love to shoot with faulty film and experiment with new effects. I have a blog of analog photography but I haven’t decided if it is good enough to be heavily followed. I’m confused about it and I think I might be for some time. What is your relationship with nature?
S: I like to think it’s good, and I hope that it’s mutual! In all seriousness, I find nature to be a refuge. I love the city but for me it’s necessary that large green spaces exist where I can go to ground myself from the hustle and bustle. In the summer, I usually go camping and mountain-hiking to put me back in a state of peace with the world. E: My relationship with nature is strange: I don’t like wide-open spaces, I’d prefer to be closed away somewhere forever if I could. Contradictorily, nature is what I love most about photography. I remain enraptured by the shapes in nature, the beauty of its colors, its violence and its sweetness. I have to thank photography for the hours I spend in the nature, it’s the only reason I spend time outside (unless you’re talking about the beach, in that case I could live there, I mean outdoors). What is “Holga my dear”?
S: Holga my dear is my blog where I share my experiences with analogue photography. I deal primarily with Toycameras and Instant Photography in the Italian language.
What is “PRETTY IN MAD”?
E: The right question should be Who is? I’m Pretty In Mad.
When and how was “Holga my dear” born?
S: The blog was born as a personal need, at a first-built. I had been given a Diana Mini as a gift and was completely unfamiliar with photography. So to bring order to the large amount of information that I recognized from the network, I decided to create the blog. I secondly found that sharing my experience with everyone was helpful not only for my growth but also for those who – like me – found the beginning to be difficult and wanted to know more about Lo-Fi photography.
When and how was “Pretty in Mad” born?
E: Never ask a lady her age.
Why did you choose “Holga my dear” as name of your blog?Â
S: There isn’t any serious reason. I was humming “Martha My Dear” by The Beatles and I thought about my Holga and I made one plus one.Â
Why you choose “Pretty in Mad” as name of your blog?
E: I decided to give my blog this name ’cause I like the idea that it was my namesake. It’s a personal blog, first and foremost, so I thought it was good. I had these three words tattooed on my left arm before leaving Manchester, so the meaning is there and it’s very accurate but also very personal—just like the blog!
Silvia, "Holga my dear" has just turned two, how do you feel? Are you satisfied with your work?
S: I’m very satisfied, of course. Firstly, I’m satisfied for this finish line…to maintain consistency for the same interest and an enthusiasm for people who ramble as much as me is a big deal. Plus, I had great success and a follow-up that I never expected, especially in the beginning!Â
Which are your favourites and why: Lomo Camera, Film, Toycam, Technique.Â
S: It’s a hard choice. I would say: Holga 120 GN with Kodak Tri-X 400, developing and printing contrasted. A classic. E: Lomo camera: Diana F+. It’s the most versatile and equipped of all lomo cameras and primarily a medium format. I have three of them and I love them all!
Film: I’m really into tampered film right now, especially the homemade kind (manipulation through dishwashers, heating and other spoiling methods) and Revolog. If I had to pick my favorite normal film I would say Ferrania Solaris 200.
Toycam:Â Eminflex WidePicÂ
Technical Photography: Multiple exposures. There’s no greater satisfaction than studying the first snapshot before you take the second one, and after developing your film you see that it came out just like you wanted!!!
What is Photography? Â
S: Damn. That’s a really difficult question. I hope I can get by with this quote: “I really believe there are things which nobody would see unless I photographed them.”  ~ Diane Arbus. E: Photography is an aspect of my life that makes me happy. It fills my days and gives meaning to what I do even when I’m not photographing. What is Lomography?
S: Lomography, for me, is low-fi analog photography. Is it a category? It can be. Is it Art? I can’t tell. I’m convinced, however, that to be able to really get the best out of it you should have a general knowledge of photography beforehand.  E: Lomography is nothing but a funny game, a verrrry funny game. Plastic is…
S: …a very useful material… (just joking!) When I think of pastic I think simplicity, flexibility, low-fi. E: Plastic is a new B&W disposable point-and-shoot camera by Ilford that surprises you. It reminds us that there are people out there who believe in film and still want to produce it. How is your relationship with the camera?
S: With each and every one of my cameras I have a relationship of love and desire. I had searched, wanted and lusted to use every camera I now own. E: Symbiotic–almost like the relationship with my cat. An your personal Lomo rule…
S: Grain & contrast. Down with wimpy gray.
E:Â Toss a roll in the dishwasher and enjoy the result!Â
For those who don’t know, what is the SWAP? Â
S: A Swap (also known as “double”) is an exchange of the same roll of film between two photographers. The result is a film that has been exposed twice and shows the look of two pairs of eyes creating one very different perception. It’s very interesting in my opionon.Â
E: Swap is a process where two people shoot the same roll of film and overlap their shots. How did the idea of doing a swap with Pretty In Mad come about?Â
S: We’re both passionate about these things and the timing was perfect. So we said “let’s try it”. The experiment went well and we split the swap in two parts: the first film was shot with a Supersampler and a Olympus XA2 and the second with an Actionsampler and a Lomo LC-A.Â
How did the idea of doing a swap with Holga My Dear come about?
E: I have a section on my blog that is titled “SWAP: a double with…” where I publish the swaps I do. I simply asked Silvia if she wanted to do one with me.Â
Erika, please tell us about your PIMhole.Â
E: PIMhole is a pinhole camera that I built following several tutorials until I created my own model. The tutorial can be found on the blog, or, if you are too lazy to assemble the camera yourself it is available to purchase on my online shop. Once you take some photos with the camera you can send them to be published on PIMholers, a blog exclusively for PIMhole shooters.Â
Do you have any future projects?
S: None at this moment! I just hope I can keep doing what I’m doing and improve, of course! E: Yes, I do! I think preparing a pizza for dinner. Where can people find you and your works?
S: My Photos on Flickr or on the blog. Other content, instead, on the Facebook page.
E: The right question should be “Where we can find Pretty in Mad?” because you won’t find Erika anywhere online (I deleted my Facebook a while ago). Pretty in Mad is the only place I reside online and I’m more than happy with this choice. My photos are available on the blog, its Facebook page, Flickr and Tumblr!  Do you want to say something that I don’t ask you?
S: I want to tell the world: Relax. E: Yes, I would like to say to everyone: shoot one roll of film, only one roll! Take the trouble to develop one single frame and print your photos. Afterwards, go back to your digital camera. Can you do me this favor, please? What would you like to ask Erika?
S: I’d like to ask her: When are we going to pick up something together? What would you like to ask to Silvia?
E: Are we gonna scarf down a ton of currywurst together when I move to Berlin? Â
www.holgamydear.wordpress.com
www.prettyinmad.com
