Disposable cameras can do a lot more than just take snapshots.
Disposable cameras actually hearken back to George Eastman's original Kodak Brownie camera of the early 1900s in that, like those early Brownies, you send your entire disposable camera to the developer for prints. The only real difference is that you got the same Brownie camera back from Kodak along with the prints. Despite their apparently limited nature, you can try a variety of things with disposable cameras that can change the way your images come out.
Instructions
1. Start thinking like a photographer with your disposable camera. Although the cameras are designed for snapshots, there's no reason you need to limit your picture taking to the humble snapshot. You will not have the shutter speed or aperture control you would on a more advanced camera, but that's OK. Just point and shoot. If you shoot rapidly, you will use up the film quicker, but you also may find you capture images you would not if you were more careful. For example, disposable cameras often appear on the tables at wedding receptions. The idea is for the guests to take snapshots of those at the table or other images they see for the bride and groom to enjoy later. Instead of lining up the guests at your table, start looking around for the unusual shot. Maybe the flower girl over in the corner pouting when everyone else is dancing and laughing. Maybe a close-up of a single flower in your table's floral display.
2. Find various colored transparent pieces of plastic and position them in front of your disposable camera's lens. Whether your camera contains black-and-white or color film, you can alter the image of reality by trying different colors in front of the lens. You may use standard photographic filters, or you may just want to use anything clear such as colored shrink wrap.
3. Use the old standby of professional photographers: petroleum jelly. Wipe it on the lens and start snapping. This will "soften" the image captured, often adding a soft glow. This works especially well if you are taking portraits, but also will work on landscape scenes and nearly any other scene at which you care to point your disposable camera.
4. Take out the film that came in the disposable camera and replace it with other types. You need to do this in total darkness to prevent exposing the film. A disposable camera's insides are basically like any other camera's innards. On one side, you have the chamber for the film cartridge and on the other is a take-up spool so you can wind the film. Open up a disposable camera you do not plan to use in normal lighting so you can get an idea of where everything is. Then, go into total darkness and put your film in, then seal it up. In this way, you can experiment with all types of film shot through that tiny plastic lens. You can shoot 3200 ISO film in very low light. You can use infrared film, too, for any eerie, other-worldly effect.
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