Toy
Cameras, Creative Photos: Unique Stylistic Results From 40 Plastic
Cameras by Kevin Meredith
Published
by Rotovision. 2011. ISBN:978-2888931188
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Born
in 1978, Brighton based British photographer Kevin Meredith has become
a well known 'Lomographer'. His work, often using a Lomo-LCA, has
been widely exhibited and published and has won awards. He is the
author of the books 'Hot Shots' and '52 Photographic Projects' and
Meredith runs a photography course in Brighton based around his books.
Toy Cameras, Creative Photos: Unique Stylistic Results From
40 Plastic Cameras is his latest offering and its title
is largely self explanatory. The book opens with a short introduction
that questions 'What is a Toy Camera?' and how does it differ from
a 'serious camera'? What follows next is a look at the 40 individual
Toy Cameras that the books title promised. These include the usual
suspects - Holga's in their many flavours, the Diana and her various
clones and the variations on the Lomo-LCA. These have been covered
many times but what makes this book of interest are the other cameras
that Meredith looks at. Such as the Action Sampler, Time Camera, Vivitar
Ultra Wide and Slim, Golden Half, Fisher-Price Kid-Tough, Blackbird
Fly, Lensbaby Composer, Robot 3 and many more; he even finds time
to include a No.2 Portrait Brownie. Each camera get a chapter to itself.
Meredith discusses what aperture/shutter speed combinations are available,
film stock used and focal length of its lens. In addition, we are
treated to several pages of examples of photographs made by each model.
This serves to give the reader a good impression of what they can
expect from each camera in way of focus (or lack of), vignetting,
colour, light leaks making it easier to pick a model that best reflects
your aesthetic interests. The final sections of the book look at 'Film
Formats and Processing' and 'Toy Camera Basics'.
Toy
Cameras, Creative Photos: Unique Stylistic Results From 40 Plastic
Cameras is published in a soft cover and its 176 pages
are printed on a high quality, matt paper that, at 1.5 x 20.5 x 20.9
cm, make for a pleasurable reading and viewing experience.
As
a fine arts photographer, I have long been attracted to the aesthetics
afforded by 'Toy cameras', having used them in my work
practice long
before the Lomography craze, and have really enjoyed the many books
that have recently been published evangelising their use. Sadly, I
feel that, though they may have brought them to a wider audience,
the Lomography company repackage many cameras and sell them at over
inflated prices. For example, take the Holga. These can be purchased
far cheaper via the likes of EBay. Ok, they don't come with the fancy
Lomography box and book but I have never felt that these additional
items justify the price hike. Sadly Lomography do have something of
a monopoly on the Diana and Lomo-LCA, but other cameras they sell
can often be purchased cheaper elsewhere so it pays to investigate
other options.
What I enjoyed most about Toy Cameras, Creative Photos: Unique
Stylistic Results From 40 Plastic Cameras is that Meredith,
though a user of Lomography cameras, has looked beyond that particular
companies catalogue to include many other little camera gems. Doing
so has made for a far more enjoyable book and has broadened the choice.
Indeed many readers may actually have one of the cameras featured,
gathering dust in the loft, just begging to be taken out, fed a film
and shown some love.
Review
by Christopher John Ball
****
Rating
I have long favoured the use of 'Toy Cameras' in my own working practice
and examples can be found
here.
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If
you have a photography related book you would like reviewing, including
self-published material, email details to chris@cjballphotography.org.uk
and I will happily consider doing so. The review will be hosted, free
of charge, on this website and posted via Twitter and Facebook. All
I ask in return is that a link be placed on your own site to the review
on this website and, if used in any promotional material , I am credited
as Christopher John Ball.
July 2024 Several books, featuring Christopher John Ball's photographs, are now available through Amazon or click on an image below to purchase via secure payments on lulu.com
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