Everybody loves Helga, by Stacy Ericson

As soon as I saw Helga I was plunged into a night club in the ruins of Berlin, 1946. I could hear Garbo’s husky voice insisting “I vant to be alone.” The light, all velvet and platinum, the flickering shadows and dangerous encounters. Who would not fall in love with this beauty.  Okay, I was a bit off. Helga is really a child of the sixties, much more of a Bond girl than a WWII siren, an exotic adventuress right out of “You Only Live Twice.”

The CameraBag Helga effect was inspired by the Holga cameras that came out of china in the 1960s. Called “Toy Cameras” because of their cheap mass production and simple design, they were originally marketed as a camera for the People. Holgas soon became popular with collectors precisely because of the leaking light, lens curvature, and unpredictable impressionistic effects.  The Helga effect, with its distinctive washed down highlights, emphasis on the manipulation of light and shadow, square format, and unabashed vignetting is one of the most popular filter effects out there; indeed everybody loves Helga. According to CameraBag  representative, Thomas Plewe, “there's a lot more going on in the code than just adjusting saturation and contrast, though people don't necessarily notice that until they try to recreate it on their own in an image editor.” Make no mistake, like Garbo, Helga is not easy.

You may have run into Helga’s best friend, Lolo. The Lolo effect is based on another mass produced device, this one originally developed in Russia and known as the Lomo.  Another “toy” camera that produces unexpected and striking effects including bright colors, light leakage, spontaneous vignetting, and unpredictable bursts of color. Lomography remains popular among film camera enthusiasts.

Type in either Helga or Lolo and search the CameraBag Flickr group to find a variety of quirky imagery. Strangely both Helga and Lolo can claim a relationship with a slightly older swinger, Diana, a product of the early 1960’s.  Diana brought an eerie dreamlike quality to the classic prints of artist Nancy Rexroth whose series documenting Ohio rural life was mysteriously entitled “Iowa”. Rexroth influenced a generation of photographers like Cindy Sherman and Richard Prince.

Take some ordinary photos with the iPhone and experiment. Below are three shots, each with a varying amounts of color, a full frame with a center point that would crop into a square, and both detail and smooth spaces. You can see the differences below, left to right, original photo, Helga, and then Lolo.

Get your CameraBag and take pretty Lolo out on the town; you’ll love her saturated, funky style, affinity for the happy accident, her sexy dark edges, and her confident charm. If you prefer a girl whose a little more refined, but with a dark moody streak, date Helga. Either way your iPhone photos will emerge looking classy and classic in one easy step. Like all timeless beauties Helga and Lolo manage to be at once vintage and contemporary. They offer a gritty, sexy appeal and a dreamy glamour—yeah kinda like Garbo.

Comments

[D_Chaos]

Great post! Loved to read it!

[Eliano]

But I like the desaturation of Helga filter!

[Charles]

I really enjoy Camera Bag but wish they were able to make it save in full resolution. Responding to my e-mail they cited unusual difficulties in accomplishing this. I hope they're still trying.

[Max]

Most of my photos make a trip through Camera Bag. If only it would save in full res. Here's hoping... Great read, thanks Stacy.

[Pepino]

I enjoy using CameraBag on my iPhone a lot. I wasn't thinking of it, but now after reading this article I hope they make a Diana effect soon. :)

[Graham McArthur]

Love CameraBag. I use Helga a lot