Visions of Plastic

When Guy Reynolds decided to take photos of his routine walks through downtown Dallas, he chose a specific camera. Knowing that Reynolds is the photo editor and an occasional photographer for The Dallas Morning News, you would assume the camera to be something ultra-modern and fancy with all the bells and whistles. You'd be wrong in that assumption. Instead, he chose a Holga, a cheap (as in less than $20), simple and unpredictable camera that’s made almost entirely out of plastic. Designed in the early '80s, Holgas are assembled in a factory in Hong Kong with little to no quality control. They are prone to light leaks, and their plastic lenses are almost incapable of sharp focus. Holgas use medium-format roll film (remember film?) and need to be coaxed into actually winding said film correctly without scratching it. So why bother with this unwieldy contraption? Put simply, the results can be amazing. Amazing as in great photos, not amazing as in, "Holy crap, this thing actually works? Amazing!" Reynolds has summer photos spanning three years at this exhibit, and they are, indeed, amazing. Summer Observations and Other Conversations shows through December 29 at 12 Forward Productions, 4228 N. Central Expressway. Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. Admission is free.
Mondays-Fridays, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Starts: Nov. 20. Continues through Dec. 29