Alternative camera: a new category

Should a new category be created for alternative camera photography

(Polaroid, Holga, Windsor, Lomo, Pinhole) in order to attract people

truly interested in this type of work? This way I think you get

proper feedback and ratings on your stuff, avoiding those who just

think they have come across some sloppy work. What you think?

I think about every six months this idea comes up, gets a good reception, then goes nowhere. Come on, let's make it happen this time!

I think Alternative camera is an excellent idea. BTW does anybody know how to remove a partially stuck film cartridge from a 1993 Polaroid Aptiva SLR?

Are you suggesting a critique category or a forum?

 

The forum idea has merit and I've been seriously considering adding such a forum. However it would NOT be a gallery. It would be a discussion forum. The discussion forums aren't intended to be for critiques - that's why we have a critique forum!

 

I can't comment on gallery critique categories (which is what I think you are suggesting). That's 100% Brian's turf.

Well, heck, both would be great. As an avid pinhole photographer I do get a little tired of the constant "it's out of focus" critiques. And since pinhole photographers usualy make their own lenses, a forum would seem a natural.

 

I think the best argument for a critique section would be that it would act as a nice counterweight to the manipulated image trend.

As a lover of pinhole, Polaroid, and Holga, I think this would be a great idea. It would be really nice to have both a critique category and a forum alternative photos.

I really would like to see this happen. I agree that it is a different aesthetic; and there seem to be plenty of photographers in action with these types of cameras on the site.

I would definitely like to see such a forum. I'm not sure about a critique category but it might work as well. Definitely a forum, though.

Why not both? It will be always up to the photographer to exhibit his work into the mainstream categories or forum. Having both a category and a forum will make it easier for alternative camera photographers to get to know other people doing this type of work. Right now is just a matter of luck to come across it. Other people approaching the category at least will have to use different criteria to comment or rate, as all work exhibited is sharing the same technical issues. I think the homemade/ toy camera ratings go clearly beyond the technical stuff in order to assess its quality, you know that. Having its own category and forum, It will at least guarantee that users are fond of that sort of photography.

How would you define an "alternative camera"?

 

We already have a "Classic Camera" forum (basically anything made before about 1970).

 

Does it require a lens with no more than 1 (2?) elements?

Bob,

 

We can define "Alternative camera" in so many ways. As long as brands are concern: Holga, Lomo, Windsor, Diana, Lubitel, and many others, even Polaroid. All these are known as "Toy cameras" or "Plastic cameras". Any homemade camera, i.e. pinhole, is bound to be considered as "alternative" as well. We can even consider alternative any regular body to which you have attached a homemade lens, no matter its complexity, or even the new Lensbaby thing. Technically speaking, they are a cheap plastic camera: light leaks, vigneting, soft focus, image distorsion, unaccurate viewfinder. Selfmade cameras and lenses can be made of any material you come across and find it useful.

 

In a more subjective approach, you like taking pictures with an alternative camera because you value your artistic expression above technical considerations: it is all about the photograph, not the price of your gear, or your previous experience taking pictures.

 

You can take a look at some "alternative" work displayed in PN. This is the Thomas Wenger Alternative Camera Project with several links to very interesting photographers:

 

http://www.photo.net/photodb/presentation?presentation_id=228474

<p>Further evidence of interest. Let's actually do it this time.</p>

<a href="http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=007nhq">Pinhole Photo Forum (2004-03-25)</a>

<br />

<a href="http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=00BAKJ">How about a pinhole/zone-plate category? (2005-02-15)</a>

OK. I'm convinced. I can make an "alternative camera" forum, but I'd like to see an "alternate camera" critique category first. People are going to want a place to display and discuss their images and I think that place is better in the gallery than in a forum.

 

So Brian, how about it? Would you consider adding an "alternative camera" section to the critique forum?

An interesting PN thread about Holga:

 

http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=00AeE2

If I had to pick between the two I'd say go for the critique category. If nothing else it might help expose new people to the medium.

Go Go Go ...This could be lot of fun. I have a lot of Polaroid Cameras..do they work? maybe..

Why are Polaroids "alternative cameras"? The Polaroid process might be termed an "alternative process" I guess, but the cameras can't really be described as "cheap plastic cameras with light leaks, vigneting, soft focus, image distortion, inaccurate viewfinder" etc.

 

There is already a B&W alternate process forum which does deal with polaroids from time to time.

You are right Bob, but Polaroid also builds cheap plastic cameras as the Joycam and the Polaroid One: quite soft focus (right, not as much as a Windsor or Holga), clear image distortion over one or two of the corners, pretty unhelpful viewfinder, and a unique aesthetics. If you post your Polaroids in such an alternative forum/ gallery, they are not going to be the regular family pics, but some artisty stuff.

 

It is difficult to define an "Alternative" forum/ gallery. It has more to do with the "subjective criteria" I have described above, rather than just listing technical stuff and brands.

I hope this happens! I've been looking for that extra spark of motivation to dust off my Holga!

I am all for it!

Alternative cameras do have a different aesthetic and deserve to spoken about!

Brian

Me too. I'm all in favour of having somewhere on photo.net for people who like this sort of

drop-out photography (me included). I reckon that people who want this are possibly

more interested in the results than in the photographic hardware itself. And it'd be nice to

be able to talk about your new ten pound (dollar, Euro) camera without someone sniffing

and implying that if you don't have a Hassleblad, it's not real photography. Yes, please.

I have to take exception to an assumption being made in this thread; that Polaroids are an 'alternative' class of photography. I believe Polaroids should have their own critique category because the distinctive place these images have in photography and in our culture deserves to be highlighted. Have things sunk so low that Edwin Land must be consigned to the special-ed class of Holga, Diana and pinhole?

Polaroid is a name that does not need to stand up to talk to Leica, and references to Joycams (a rip-off) and the like are irrelevant. Would I dismiss 35mm because I can buy a $5 cardboard point&shoot? A Polaroid is a unique capture, sensitive to it's surroundings, and a good one can catch the light in a bottle like no other document.

I love digital, but Polaroids deserve to be celebrated here in their own category, as one healthy antidote to the pixelization of our world, and in recognition of the pivotal role they play in photo history.

Sure. We can have an alternative camera camera. I would like to see it be a forum where people can post photos and have "No Words" threads as well as straight discussion. People seem to have a lot of fun with that and recent experience shows that those kinds of forums get off the ground faster. The photo threads build community and that helps the discussion threads also. Most of the forums that allow image-posting seem to develop a modus operandi for keeping gratuitous look-at-my-picture posts in their places.

 

We can also have some "Alternative Camera" categories in the Gallery.

I love the idea of having an alternative camera section. It would be so much easier for those of us who are seeking images that are captured with Holgas, etc. Plus I think it would be nice because maybe people who are disinterested in this type of work can now avoid it. It seems to me that most HOlga/Diana/Lomo/etc images don't go over too well here on photo.net... I think that this site gets to be a bit pretentious and that's a shame. Alternative camera work is highly under-rated here on this site.