All the images displayed in the various portfolios were captured on film and most were taken using a simple plastic camera known as a Holga. The Holga has no light metering system and offers only limited exposure controls, making it a truly hit-or-miss way to capture an image. However, pictures taken with a Holga have a look all their own. The resulting photographs have softly focused subjects, dramatic corner vignetting, and often unpredictable light flares. Consequently, the Holga, and many other plastic cameras like it, has developed an almost cult-like following of photographers who are looking for something other than the perfection offered by expensive cameras. Many galleries (Rayko, Soho, Lightbox Photographic) have taken advantage of this enthusiastic group of plastic camera users and have run very popular annual shows dedicated to images captured with all plastic cameras.
In the darkroom I often print my photographs using a lith developer. The first time I saw a lith print, I was immediately attracted to the unique look of a lith print with its strong contrast and often grainy and graphic nature. Lith printing is a variation on traditional silver printing. The photographic paper is over-exposed to control the highlight tones and then developed in a very dilute lith developer solution to control the contrast and shadow development. Depending on the combination of photographic paper and lith developer used, images can achieve a warm brown tone with softly colored highlights or a cold black tone with gritty, high contrast highlights. Lith printing is known to be highly variable as the tonal quality of the image changes over time as the developer is depleted with use. Consequently, each lith print is a unique, hand-made photographic image.