Photographers And Their Toys: Meet The Toy Polloy
Published November 15, 2006
Tamara Keever (Moments of Mine): I think it's great. I think everyone should try it. It's just a lot of fun. The "click" is addictive.
CS: Where do you find your cameras?
Angie: eBay, thrift stores, antique shops, online retailers.
CS: What is your favorite camera to use?
Angie: No doubt about it, my Holga, or as I refer to her, "Miss Holga".
CS: There are a lot of little techniques and tricks that can be done in Photoshop to replicate the "look" of a toy camera image. How do you feel about that, do you feel like its cheating?
Tamara: Well, I think that it's fine, actually, but I don't really understand it. If someone wants a toy camera look, and they are a photographer, they should just go out and get a toy camera. It's not like it's evil to shoot film or anything. But, after all, it's the final image that people really connect with, not how it's created. If an image is created in Photoshop, and created such that it connects with someone, then that's all that matters. There are really many ways to get a toy camera look, without using a toy camera at all.
If you find yourself in the Kentucky area this weekend, make a point of stopping by the Icehouse at 412 Cross Street in Lexington to view this spectacular display of art, talent, and passion. If a trip to the Bluegrass state is out of your reach, then choice images from Toy Polloy can be seen on the web, where Flak Photo and Light Leaks magazine have teamed up to feature select artists from Toy Polloy in a week-long display of their work.
- Photographers And Their Toys: Meet The Toy Polloy
- Published: November 15, 2006
- Type: Interview
- Section: Culture
- Filed Under: Culture: Society, Culture: Photography, Culture: Arts, Interviews
- Part of a feature: Photobloggers Exposed
- Writer: Chantal Stone
- Chantal Stone's BC Writer page
- Chantal Stone's personal site
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Comments on this articleComments
You're welcome Tread...Toy Polloy is an event to be noticed!
That was fun. Thank you, Chantal.
It made me remember my Diana when they first appeared, taping up that light-leaky body and making pictures that were just fun and no other thought had to cross your mind.
Later I tried a point and shoot Olympus but the pictures were pretty much the same as I always took, merely of poor quality. The Diana made part of the fun, that lovely plastic, a few Waterhouse lens stops of different sized holes. The "toy" part means something special.
My Hawkeye I have to admit being new, my second camera traded for my mother's Brownie and I was about 7 with my pennies saved up for, I think, the big $2.50 purchase.
Nice trip to have taken us on. My only fear is of a world where the reference to hoi polloi from Toy Polloy needs to be explained.
Thanks for reading, Howard!
Maybe it's time to brush off the old Diana and give it another try? Toy camera usage is definitely on the rise...just check out sites like Toy Camera.com and Light Leaks magazine. Photographers of all skill levels are discovering and RE-discovering the beauty that can be created with these crappy little gems.
If you decide to shoot with your Diana or Hawkeye, let me know, I'd love to see what you get :)
Great Article and many more feeds to add to my Bloglines now :D
Personally I don't give a rats ass how the final product was produced. No one asks painters what oils they use. The important part is the final product. What does it create for the viewer.
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Fantastic blurbs, thanks for the attention!