World Toy Camera Day (October 20th, 2024)

Before the time when cameras were part of every smartphone, they were expensive and highly technical pieces of equipment. Because of this, some manufacturers created a cheap version of cameras that were fully functional and offered the ability to take photographs with minimal attention to technical details and without important features such as special lenses. 

These were often called “toy cameras” and this simple use of analogue photography, along with special film, was originally made popular in the 1960s and 1970s. This style of photography was eventually referred to as Lomography and it has been an artistic pursuit since the early 1990s. Indulge in some nostalgia and have some fun celebrating World Toy Camera Day!

History of World Toy Camera Day

World Toy Camera Day is the yearly event that honors the ridiculous photo-taking capacity of outdated toy cameras.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!

How to Celebrate World Toy Camera Day

Take a step back into the past by celebrating the world of simple analogue photography that is honored on World Toy Camera Day! Get involved with observing the day by having fun with some of these ideas and activities:

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.