The inaugural Holga Inspire Award for the best Holga image in the Krappy Kamera Competition

Holga Inspire and the Soho Photo Gallery are proud to announce the winner of the first Holga Inspire Award under the auspices of the annual Krappy Kamera Competition: Kimberly Mowbray for her image “Granite Lake”. In addition to a cash prize of US$ 500, Ms. Mowbray’s work will be featured on the Holga Inspire website at www.holgainspire.com, with links to the photographer's own website.

 Congratulations to  Kimberly Mowbray!

Kimberly Mowbray is a San Francisco Bay Area based fine art photographer exploring alternative processes.  Her subjects range from landscapes to self-portraiture. Currently she is attending the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, working to complete her Master of Fine Art Degree in the summer of 2009. 
Kimberly says, “The Holga reminds me of why I began taking pictures. It releases me from the binds of a traditional camera. I am not weighed down with the technical aspects of photography and I am free to take it places that I might be afraid to take my high end camera. The Holga brings photography back to the fun, careless medium that I fell in love with as a kid. The combination of the Holga being lightweight and inexpensive allows me to pack it into the wilderness, granting me the opportunity to create my art where I normally would be limited”.

 Why we chose this picture

Choosing the best Holga picture was enjoyable but not easy. We decided to choose Kimberly’s work as her picture delivers a subtle harmony of the individual and nature, and carries an aura of mysterious tranquility. We found her work explores an almost Taoist aesthetic, conveying the futility of fighting against the way. The “being” here lies on the calm water, at once a recipient and member of the nature forces composing the universe.

Kimberly coordinates the elements in each of her compositions, and her subjects demonstrate both the wonder of natural beauty and the ingenuity of an exquisite artist.

About the Holga Inspire Award and the Krappy Kamera Competition:

This is the first time the Holga Inspire Award is being awarded, as part of the Krappy Kamera Competition. With this prize, we want to recognize the outstanding talent and artistic vision of the world’s many Holga photographers. Our aim is to recognize and reward talented photographers who demonstrate and fulfill the potential of Holga.

Every year over 75% of the entries to the Krappy Kamera Competition are photographs taken with a Holga camera. With such a high volume of participation, Holga Inspire and the Soho Photo Gallery decided to recognize the best single Holga image from among the top fifty entries.

We extend our thanks to the Soho Photo Gallery (sohophoto.com) for annually coordinating the world’s largest show of photographs taken with cameras variously known as plastic, toy, or lo-fi cameras. We join New York’s Soho Photo Gallery in celebrating the eleventh year of this remarkable, internationally-juried competition. The Krappy Kamera Competition succeeds in proving that minimal equipment can still yield superlative results.

  
 About Holga Inspire

Holga Inspire is an initiative of Holga Limited, a company of the Universal Electronics / Tokina Group co-founded by Mr. T.M. Lee, who invented and continues to manufacture and develop the Holga range of cameras. The mission of Holga Inspire is to support creative artists and professional photographers who use the Holga as their medium of creative expression. We seek to connect professionals from throughout the arts, media, and academia through exhibitions, events and educational programs. We want to reinvigorate classic photography and inspire creative originality. Holga Inspire strives to demonstrate the extraordinary artistic potential and the wide range of creative expression that can be realized with a Holga camera. Our aim is to spark the imagination and nurture the natural talent of all Holga photographers.

February 2009

Holga Inspire

An initiative of Holga Limited, a company of the Universal Electronics Industries / Tokina group. www.holgainspire.com