A collection of toy cameras. Image by Slightlynorth.

Despite the proliferation of digital cameras, some avid photography fans are taking a step back away from technology and are adopting much simpler, toy cameras. These gadgets might look like playthings but they are anything but: They are capable of producing all kinds of delightfully sophisticated images.

Because of their cheaply made plastic bodies and lenses, these cameras have started a new trend in low-fi photography. Boasting preppy names like the Holga, Blackbird, Fly, and Diana F+, they have attracted the attention of a new generation of photographers keen to abandon digital perfection and venture into the experimental side of low-fi photography.

Photographer Michelle Bates is an early user of toy cameras and a prominent figure in the world of low-fi photography. She has been endlessly collecting different toy cameras and giving workshops in low-fi photography since discovering the joy of hassle-free photography using the Holga back in 1991. Bates believes toy cameras are gaining a following:

“I call toy cameras the antidote to the tyranny of technology” she said.

Her advice to photographers just starting with these toy cameras is to experiment and not be too concerned with the equipment. Having had 15 years of experience with toy cameras, Bates has even been invited to author a book titled “Plastic Cameras : Toying With Creativity”, published by Focal Press in 2007. About the writing of the book, she says it was exciting to discover the serious work being done using these toy cameras.

Dubbed the “Holga Queen”, Bates’ own work is characterized by rough, fuzzy edges that frame her photos. A noticeable streaky quality can also be seen due to the “light-leaking” nature of the Holga. Accepted by enthusiasts not as a flaw of the camera but a distinct quality, similar photographic work can be found all over the web nowadays. In fact, many plastic cameras are marketed for their distinct photographic effects – fish-eye, multiple-exposure, corner vignetting, stereoscopic images, are but a few that make the list.

Toy Camera clone of a Rolleiflex TLR. Image by Patrick Ng.

The advent of toy cameras also harks the revival of film photography, largely abandoned due to the elaborate process and costs involved in processing, printing and archival. Old camera models like the Rolleiflex Twin Lens Reflex camera, long considered a collectible, are also appearing in the form of plastic clones like the Blackbird, Fly produced by Japanese company Superheadz. Compared to the endless upgrading and expensive nature of digital cameras, these plastic film cameras are affordable to the average person (costing as little as 30 dollars), sparking a renewed interest in the art of photography. A simple Flickr.com search with the term “toy camera” turned up 1377 user groups, attesting to the widespread propagation of this new photographic trend.

• Toy Cameras: http://www.flickr.com/groups/toycameras/
• Holga users: http://www.flickr.com/groups/dontforgettotakethelenscapoff/
• Seattle Toy Camera Aficionados: http://www.flickr.com/groups/31038600@N00/

Additional Links & Credits

• Michelle Bates Photography
• Dawn’s(who provided most of these links) Flickr Page
• Seattle Bon Vivant’s Flickr Page
• Espressobuzz’s Flickr Page
• Dotism’s Flickr Page
• The Official Holga Inspire site

A big thank you to Michelle Bates, Dawn Bustanoby, Hank and Viv for making this article possible.