HolgaJen

Profile

City: London
Country: Canada

Joined: Jul 2009

For me, photography is a way to express myself. When I photograph I feel a sense of release ~ it’s almost like therapy. My goal is to use my imagination to create a new perspective of reality, something elusive and evocative.

Capturing a moment on film is more about instinct than thinking for me, and sometimes I don’t even realize what my connection is with the image until after I see the final result. I also love simplicity, which is why I rely mainly on simple, cheap, film-based cameras such as Holgas and other toy cameras. I do not get distracted by technical issues, and can focus more on my vision.

Currently I am exploring the freedom of a “no rules” approach. I want to challenge my own perspective, as well as my viewer’s, through bold distortion, blur and motion.

Web: http://holgajen.com
My blog: http://holgajen.blogspot.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/holgajen
Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/holgajen/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/HolgaJen

A little bit about my self portrait project:

I find out things about myself when I shoot, and when I view the end result. Some of the shots do not even look like me, or what I perceive myself to be, or to look like. This is definitely not a vanity project or something I do to draw attention to myself (anyone who knows me can vouch for the fact that I do not like to be the center of attention!) Its like an alternate reality in my head – I know it’s me, but at the same time I find myself debating whether I see myself or someone else? A fictional character perhaps or something from my dreams. I find this fascinating – and learning how my emotions can really lead me in different directions is a great experience as well.

Published:

F-stop magazine (www.fstopmagazine.com)

Lightleaks Magazine (www.lightleaks.org)
Issue 4 – Step Right Up
Issue 14 – Childhood

File Magazine (www.filemagazine.com)

Quite Useless Magazine (http://www.uselessart.org/quiteuselessmagazine)

In Her Own Image
Book – 2009

591 Photography Summer Exhibition
http://mrurbano.jalbum.net/Portraits%20-%20591%20Summer%20Exhibition%2009/

Four Corners Dark
http://nicnichols.com/FourCornersDark/?p=3456

15×100 Featured Reader
http://blog.15×100.com/?p=2223

There Must Be More
http://tmbm.tumblr.com/post/148558032/holgajen

Exhibits:

Watson Studio Gallery, Johnson City Texas
Fantastic Plastic Show, 2009
http://www.lostcanuck.com/studio/