CS: What is your definition of a Toy Camera?
Tread: The $64,000,000 question, I guess, but I'd say any camera meant to be used by a kid. Cheap, plastic, not very durable, but the primary and consistent defining characteristic is a plastic lens.
Warren Harold (That Was My Foot): Ultimately, any camera that throws control out the window is a toy camera to me. You can filter that down to any camera that has a plastic lens and/or minimal controls. Beyond the Holga and Diana, I consider a lot of the mass-market cameras of the past to be toys as well. The Brownies, Imperials, Anscos, a lot of those.
CS: What is the Toy Camera appeal for you?
Tread: The appeal to me is fairly simple and probably the same as most who regularly use these cameras as a tool for artistic expression. Toy cameras capture scenes in what I term "unrealism." Most moments are not reproduced as they were; there is a quality caused by the potential of blur, vignetting, and less than optimal framing that can be classified as dream-like, but I tend to think that the toy is merely trying to capture an image akin to how my memory pieces together a single 1/100th of a second scene from my past. You can think about what you are shooting and not about the camera or controls. There is freedom there that is undeniable.
Angie Harris (Pinky Style): No pressure! Just aim and shoot, basically. Everything is accepted with toy photography.
Chris McLemore (Fotogeneric): The ease of use is a nice appeal. I can toss the camera in my bag and not worry about damaging it. It's also nice because the camera lets me worry more about the subject than the technique. With my digital camera I am much more likely to just start shooting. I'm much more deliberate with the toy camera.
CS: What are some of the reactions you receive when shooting with a toy cam in public settings?
Bill Vaccaro (Out Of Contxt): The latest one was when I was in the checkout line at the supermarket. One of the clerks asked if my modified, blue Holga was a digital camera. Also, I've found that people are a bit looser in allowing me to take their picture when they see that I'm shooting with a crappy camera.
Article comments
1 - tread
Fantastic blurbs, thanks for the attention!
2 - chantal stone
You're welcome Tread...Toy Polloy is an event to be noticed!
3 - Howard Dratch
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.
4 - chantal stone
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 :)
5 - DAVE
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.