Toy Cameras: More than simple plastic!
By J. Christopher Silvia
19 April 2007
After a recent set of trips around various parts of this country and around a few that weren't even ours, my wife and I noticed a little problem with our collected photo albums. Our digital snaps from various levels of digital cameras were remarkably documentary. The postcard quality pristine colors and details were unmistakably sane, sober. Suddenly, it dawned on us, the terrible naked truth: Our latest family photo albums sucked badly.
A solution was needed as more travel was rapidly approaching. The big D-SLR wasn't going to cut it this time. The smaller digital cameras were convenient, but yielded sketchy results. So what, then? Back to film SLRs? TLRs? Large Format? Pinholes? At some point in our search for this solution we shot some experimental rolls of film on some old plastic cameras we had laying around, just to see what would come out. Eureka. Toy Cameras seemed to be the perfect solution.
So what is a Toy Camera? Well first off, they're not actually toys. They do take actual photographs. Most of them don't have much control over settings. They're roundly made of plastic. Some shoot on increasingly archaic formats. How romantic, right? Shooting shots off the cuff using cameras made from futuristic polymers, loaded with clunky old film... just because you can. It's a dream from a forgotten age.
What can you do with these cameras in a practical sense? Take them with you, for starters. Everywhere. Take them to the store, on a walk, to a festival, to the family reunion, on vacation. They are small, non obtrusive, light and, for the most part, excessively simple to operate. They are as mobile as you are and can be thrown in the bottom of a shopping bag or backpack. Yet for all of that mobile simplicity, the resulting photos are fantastic, bizarre and capture not the simple facts of the places you've been, but frame up a new point of view on your destinations. With each snap of the shutter you're tucking away a second vacation you will be able to go on once you've developed your film.
Most would agree that those documentary photos you've been collecting throughout the years certainly do show the near-facts of situations you found yourself in, but I would ask you, do they accurately display the feelings you felt at the time, or the strange way that one place you visited looked or the bizarre facial expressions of your crazy uncle Eddie? The benefit of using Toy Cameras to shoot your precious moments that they brew a little bit of idiosyncrasy into your photo albums.
So which low-priced high-fun snappers should the interested photographer keep his or her eyes on?
How about the Holga ($29-$49, depending on options). It's built for abuse. I say this because most people buy them to chuck them down the stairs and create intentional light leaks for experimental photography. But, what's to stop the vacationing photographer from capturing their memories on such a simple device? There is a certain liberation in shooting with a plastic camera, especially when the going gets tough and muddy. Jumping in there with your sub $30 do-all plastic Holga is a little less intimidating than doing so with your more formidably priced digital SLR. Something about using a cheapie camera gives any photographer a little surge in courage. And, this little Holga has a secret hidden behind it's plastic lens: Medium format (120mm) film or typical 35mm can be loaded into it, with the right adapters. You can even get a version with a built in flash.
Consider the Lomographic Fisheye ($39). It spreads everything out over 170 degrees of bubbley goodness. Its built in flash means it's pretty great for a night out on the town. The camera is virtually guaranteed to grab some non-stereotypical "hangin' out" shots, of course, but after a few weeks of owning it you'll probably find yourself planning excursions to strange new places to just see what you can find to shoot with the fish eye lens. As for the construction? Plastic with a cool rubber lens cover and wrist strap that scream "take me out somewhere weird and take pictures!"
Another fine option is the classic Polaroid. Certainly they're useful when you don't have time to wait for processing or don't want to leave negatives as evidence (Polaroid being the first choice in cameras during "naked time"). $31.95 gets you a Polaroid One600 that will shoot those one-of-a-kind snapshots. For your small investment you get instant results with that signature low-fi faded pastel color tint and funky focus. The resulting pictures, little tangible souvenirs of your adventures that they are, glue easily into photo albums, too.
For the adventurous, of course, there are literally hundreds of strange plastic cameras from the halls of history that take all sorts of different film types and sizes. Brownies, Dianas, Lubitels and the various Lomos will all shoot those wacky, if unpredictable, shots of whatever it is your into. If you keep your eyes open you'll see them in bins at flea markets and antique shops (right next to the 24 pack of 11 years expired Ektachrome film, which is another exciting topic of discussion entirely). Next time you see one of these plastic wonders, consider taking it into your collection. Consider what a toy camera could do for your photo albums and portfolios. Most importantly, think about all of the fun you could have. They are toys after all.
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