Wow! I’ve been waiting for my mother’s first Holga photos for nearly two weeks now and I finally have the negatives on my scanner.

My mother, Charly Butcher (www.imagesbycharly.com), lives in Phoenix, Arizona. The JFK hearse was up for auction at Barrett-Jackson in Scottsdale.

Read John F. Kennedy’s Dallas Hearse up for Auction in Scottsdale (Jan. 17, 2012) for how this all began.

Charly bought her first Holga (there will be others) at a local camera retailer and resisted the urge to buy other camera equipment (one of her husband’s dreams). She then proceeded with her husband in tow (actually, he drove) to the auction, where she did the best she could with absolutely zero Holga experience, poor lighting, a crowd of people and less than ideal scenery.

As of right now, I have only scanned one roll of film. This image came off a roll of Kodak TMAX 400. Of the twelve images, this was the only one that came out. Talk about lucky.

I will be scanning the other two rolls in a few minutes. I can already see there are images to be had.

I can’t than my mother enough for being part of my JFK project, Death by Holga: 11.22.63. Cheers.

Another Photo

Okay, you can’t make an omelet without breaking a few eggs. And you can’t take Holga photos without the back coming off every now and again (I’ve done it three or four time).

The following image is not a CGI background for the next Star Trek movie. It is in fact a shot of the Barrett-Jackson showroom floor after the back of my mother’s Holga came off. This is a happy accident, because the image is quite lovely.

Last year I found out about Lee Harvey Oswald’s coffin being auction. Today, I read that the hearse that moved President John F. Kennedy’s body from the emergency room at Parkland Hospital to Air Force One at Dallas Love Field is now up for auction.

The hearse, a white / green 1964 Cadillac, will be auctioned by Barrett-Jackson in Scottsdale, Az. this Saturday, January 21, 2012. The owner claims to have all the proper documentation to prove this is the Kennedy hearse used in Dallas.

This is extremely short notice for me and my JFK book project. I don’t have the means or the time to hop a flight to Arizona this weekend.

Fortunately, I know a stock photographer in the neighborhood who might be able to help, my mother. I can easily overnight a Holga and some film to her for the few shots I need.

I hope this works out. Cheers.

UPDATE 2012-01-17

I have since talked to my mother in Avondale, Arizona. She has agreed to photograph the JFK hearse for my book project.

At first I was going to overnight a Holga to her, but she has a local store that sells Holga cameras and 120 film. That saves shipping and time.

Now comes the hard part. I have to give my mother directions on how to use a Holga camera and get good results. She is no stranger behind a lens, but this will be her first attempt at shooting with a Holga.

I did send here a link to Freestyle Photographic Supplies’ famous Holga manual. I get one with every Holga. If you ever want to know more about Holga cameras, I suggest starting with this manual.

The most important tip I can give her is to make sure the shutter setting under the lens is set to N for normal, not B for bulb or blurry. This little switch will ruin a roll of film.

Wish us luck. Cheers.

UPDATE 2012-01-21

The JFK hearse sold for $160,000 at the Barrett-Jackson auction in Scottsdale, Arizona. From what I read, the owner was looking for something closer to $1 million. Looks like it fell a little short of their goal.

UPDATE 2012-02-01

I received the film from my mother last week. I dropped the film off at BWC Creative in Richardson, Texas, on Monday. I will have negatives back this Thursday.