The low-fi movement: 35mm sprockets in Holga

This summer is really experimental and fulfilling at the same time. I tried several stuff in my new Lomo cam like inserting different color filters and shooting using a 35mm adapter, but what really made me surprised was this modification- I successfully cross processed my 35mm sprocketed shots!

This mod is very common for avid Lomo users especially those who own a Holga. It was my first time so it made me nervous, I thought it was only a waste of film but I was wrong. Actually, I did get a couple of fairly good captures. I feel really grateful now that I want to share to you how I did it. Here it is:

First, I wrapped two rubber bands along the opposite sides of the spool to fit a 35mm film around it.

Then, I placed the film inside and squeezed two foams at the top and bottom part of its compartment. Finally, I taped the film around the spool and I wound it.

Since the Holga doesn't indicate whether you are in the next frame or not, I followed the "34click rule." After capturing a photo, you wind the film after 34 clicks to advance to the next frame.

It was really challenging at first but the results were fulfilling. It took Digiprint three days to deliver my scanned films but it was worth the wait. The sprocketed images were ok but out of three rolls, only 31 shots were successful, here are some of my sprocketed photos:


Not bad for a starter, I'm planning to improve my exposure and my focusing, I got a couple of shots that are out of focus and It really made me feel bad. I guess that is one of the challenges in using a Lomo cam, the unpredictability of your photos and of course, to master the art of using analog cameras without the help of cheap photo editing softwares.


*My next low-fi movement: Red scale film.