Plastic Cameras: Toying with Creativity, Second Edition [Paperback]

Michelle Bates (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 18, 2010 | ISBN-10: 0240814215 | ISBN-13: 978-0240814216 | Edition: 2

Take a tour of the burgeoning world of plastic cameras and low-tech photography in this fun and funky guide to creating the most artistic pictures of your life! Whether you're an experienced enthusiast or toy camera neophyte, you'll find this guide full of tantalizing tips, fun facts, and absolutely striking photographs taken with the lowest tech tools around.

You'll learn how to prep your plastic camera, their advantages and quirks, and what film to feed it. You'll also explore what makes a good subject, vignetting, multiple exposures, panoramas, close-ups, night photography, color, flash, problems and solutions, and so much more. Michelle Bates also takes you from a negative to either prints or pixels so that you can show off your photos and jump on the toy-camera revolution!

Contributors include:

Michael Ackerman, Thomas Michael Alleman, Erin Antognoli, Jonathan Bailey , James Balog, Michelle Bates, Phil Bebbington, Gyorgy Beck, Susan Bowen, Laura Corley Burlton, David Burnett, Susan Burnstine, Nancy Burson, Perry Dilbeck, Jill Enfield, fotovitamina, Annette Elizabeth Fournet, Brigitte Grignet, Eric Havelock-Bailie, Christopher James, Michael Kenna, Wesley Kennedy, Teru Kuwayama, Louviere & Vanessa, Mary Ann Lynch, Anne Arden McDonald, Ted Orland, Sylvia Plachy, Dan Price, Becky Ramotowski, Nancy Rexroth, Francisco Mata Rosas, Richard Ross, Franco Salmoiraghi, Rosanna Salonia, Jennifer Shaw, Nancy Siesel, Mark Sink, Kurt Smith, Sandy Sorlien, Pauline St. Denis, Harvey Stein, Gordon Stettinius, Ryan Synovec, Rebecca Tolk, Marydorsey Wanless, Shannon Welles, Matthew Yates, Dan Zamudio

* Now including the latest and greatest cameras, from the Pinhole Wide Holga, the Stereo Holga, and the all-new Blackbird, Fly 
*This edition expands on its fabulous lineup of artists by including well-known Christopher James and Michael Kenna
*Still the most informative, colorful, and inspiring Plastic Camera guide in existence

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Following the success of the first edition, the second edition makes Plastic Cameras even more comprehensive and up to date. This book provides extensive how-to information to get you started and a new section on alternative processes for the advanced photographers. This ultimate guide is also packed with many inspiring photos by world renowned Holga artists such as Sylvia Plachy, Michael Kenna, Thomas Michael Alleman, Brigitte Grignet, Christopher James and many other additions."--Holga Inspire Newsletter

"This volume brings together the world of toy camera photography, including the history of their use, exhaustive instructions, tips and tricks for getting the most out of Holgas and other choice cameras, advanced camera modifications, darkroom and presentation information, and resources for continued research and sharing."--Photography Blog

From the Back Cover

Take a tour of the burgeoning world of plastic cameras and low-tech photography.  Whether you're an experienced enthusiast or toy camera neophyte, you'll find Plastic Cameras chock full of tantalizing tips, fun facts and, of course, absolutely striking photographs taken with the lowest-tech and simplest tools around.

I got me a Holga.  Now what?

Holgas need a little TLC before they're ready to go out into the world and start snapping.  Plastic Cameras digs through all the different Holga models available, lays out their advantages and quirks and helps you get up to speed on all the prep you'll neeed to do to jump in on the toy-camera revolution.

What should I Feed my Plastic Camera?

Holgas, Dianas, and other toy cameras can use many types of film.  Plastic Cameras lays all their pros and cons out on the line letting you get some images you want, and some you could just never imagine.

Can Toy Camera Come Out to Play?

Plastic Cameras will help you steer your way through all the details and quirks of taking wonderful and weird pictures with your toy camera.  We'll explore possible subjects and the best way to shoot them and play with all sorts of techniques from vignetting, to multiple exposures, to panoramas, close-ups, movement, night photography, flare, flash, color and more.

What Next?

From negatives to prints or pixels, we help you navigate your post-shooting choices.

Don't Forget

The Diana, Banner, Action Sampler, Photo Blaster, Lensbaby, and NEW Blackbird are all toy cameras with their own loveable qualities.  We'll look beyond the Holga to show a whole wide world of toys!

 

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Focal Press; 2 edition (October 18, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0240814215
• ISBN-13: 978-0240814216
• Product Dimensions: 7.2 x 8.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #211,716 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Michelle Bates has been photographing with Holga cameras since 1991, and since then has become known as the "Holga Queen." She exhibits her images worldwide, and lectures and teaches about mastering toy cameras at photo centers, universities, conferences and photo festivals around the United States.