‘Toy’ cameras, expired film and old cars

While at the Import Carlisle show earlier this month, Dan Meade, who’s a graphic/web designer by day, took a bunch of photographs with cameras from his collection of plastic and toy cameras. He agreed to let us share some of them with you.

Here’s what he told us about his technique:

Lately I have really gotten into plastic/toy cameras, I have several and keep adding to my collection. It’s a great escape from the digital world I work in each day as a graphic artist/web designer! A friend I met at the local photo lab knew I was into lo-fi photography, and saw my enthusiasm for film. He had a Lomo Lubitel, a Russian camera from the mid-1980s, that was never used, in the box, and he passed it along to me since he knew I’d use it.

Some of the shots you saw, from the Lubitel, were slide film/chrome that is balanced for tungsten (Fuji 64T/RTPII). Normally this would create a very blue cast when used in natural light. Here, I had it cross-processed (developed in C-41/color negative chemistry rather than the intended E-6/slide chemistry). This creates extra contrast and the golden/greenish color shift. The fact it expired over 8 years ago also produces unexpected and retro-looking results.

The others with less unusual color were taken with a Holga, using more recently expired Fuji Pro400H film. I yanked the film mask from my Holga to get more unpredictable light leaks and less defined borders on the edges of the frame, as well as extra blurring and vignetting. The plastic lens and poor optics of this camera also make for very dreamy, old fashioned looking photos.

I have a pro lab develop my film, since 120 is not something that can be done at any 60 minute photo. But I scan the negatives myself – and no matter how well I clean my scanner, dust and hairs from my feline friends always seem to end up in the image, which further creates the “authentic film look”

Thanks to our friend Ric DiDonato for sending these our way.