Still Figuring Out the Holga

Got a couple rolls of film back from my first Holga shoots.
 There were a few pretty sweet shots and the rest of the rolls were just...nothin'. Or just nothing good (but mostly nothing). 
That's part of Holga cameras and lomography in general (so I've been reading), you never know what you're gonna get. But I can't help feeling that I'm not getting shots I like because I'm sitll not using the Holga "properly". Granted, there is no "properly"...but still.

I think I've determined that one of my main problems is using a low ISO film. Been using Fujifilm 200...and it's just not doing the trick. What I'm reading says you pretty much need 400 or more. I picked up a pack of Fujifilm Superia Xtra 400 today and I've got a roll of lomography 120mm 100 ISO in my Diana F+ right now. We'll see how that turns out.

All the shots I've taken in the dark with the flash have actually turned out pretty good on the Holga. I've just gotta work out the lighting. Something I saw on a Holga tip website today said to take a digital camera and set it at an aperture of  f/8 and f/11 with 1/1000 of a second for the shutter speed and that will emulate what the Holga gives you, more or less. That way I can take some shots in different lighting and see how it looks immediately so I know how to use (or not use) the Holga in that same lighting. Pretty nifty idea. 

So I'm gonna try that and see how it works and I'm also researching films. After I see how this Fujifilm 400 does I want to try some Lomography 35mm 400 and 800 ISO. Now I've just gotta research 120 film and see what I like. Probably going to try the lomography brand 120 400 ISO next (Man, I really wish there was a lomography store around here. Or an Urban Outfitters--I know they sell lomo stuff there). I really hope that roll I have in my Diana turns out nicely.

The only drawback to shooting film is it IS kind of expensive to develop and print. But I guess that could be helped if I stopped snapping my camera at everything I see...although, where's the fun in not trying to capture every moment, eh? Hah, just means I gotta start selling books to support my habit I suppose. ;)