World Toy Camera Day
Dig up a toy camera to join the world in taking the silliest, lowest quality pictures imaginable and sharing the blurry, grainy joy with the world.
Tap into nostalgia and analog photography trends by positioning vintage toy cameras and film supplies as collectible art tools for creative professionals and hobbyists.
- Share user-generated toy camera photos on social media with #WTCD to build community around lo-fi aesthetics
- Partner with vintage camera retailers and eBay sellers to promote toy camera collections and film stock during the third Sunday of October
- Feature artist spotlights and gallery exhibitions of Lomography work to drive traffic to museums and cultural institutions
- Create a 'worst photo wins' contest encouraging followers to submit blurry, grainy images for engagement and UGC
World Toy Camera Day is the yearly event that honors the ridiculous photo-taking capacity of outdated toy cameras. Becky Ramotowski’s idea for establishing World Toy Camera Day was inspired by Pinhole Photography Day, because she believed that, quite frankly, there just were not enough terrible nostalgic pictures on the internet.
To that end, the founder of the day dedicated an entire website to the 120 and Polaroid film, low-fidelity, blurry picture-spewing cameras. Diana and Holga cameras are flagship mediocre toy cameras that are featured extensively on the website in the hope of urging amateur photographers to share their amazingly poor-quality creations.
Those who have a love for photography and the delightful style of pictures that come specifically from analogue equipment will just love taking some time to celebrate World Toy Camera Day!
Take Some Photos with a Toy Camera
To celebrate World Toy Camera Day, perhaps it is time to search your children’s room for that run-down Brownie toy camera which has witnessed enough silliness to last it a lifetime. Then, head out and take photos from dawn to dusk so that just maybe, just maybe, it will be possible to have one discernible composition to share with the folks online. A Facebook page was set up specifically for World Toy Camera Day where it has been possible to post photos taken by toy cameras. In addition, the flickr photo hosting website has also hosted photos for the day with the tag WTCD.
Check Out Toy Camera and Photo Displays
Many artists have become interested in the work they can create with the use of toy cameras. Perhaps World Toy Camera Day would be a good time to visit an art gallery or museum that has a display of Lomography photos. For those who are interested, it might also be fun to check out some different camera museums to take a look at the way cameras and photography have evolved over the years.
Start a Toy Camera Collection
One fun way to celebrate World Toy Camera Day might be to start, or add to, a collection of vintage or antique toy cameras. Online auction options such as eBay might be a good place to begin searching, as well as from antique stores, estate sales or other types of antique dealers. Use these toy cameras to take photos and then develop the film to reveal a variety of interesting and unique pieces of art!
Get to Know Other Toy Camera Enthusiasts
World Toy Camera Day offers a fun opportunity to get to know other folks who are interested in the photographs that can be made with toy cameras. Check online to see if a local library, community center, or other location will be hosting any events or gatherings in celebration of World Toy Camera Day.