Vintage Toy Cameras: United Colors

http://www.flickr.com/photos/gotreadgo/15927660/

I am so excited. I got a nice Lubitel some time ago, took my first photos with the Smena 8M, and have an Actionsampler following me like a loyal dog. I really want to try them all out, see what I can do with them, learn about their specifics, their flaws, get to know their charms.

The problem is, there is not much action going on with temperatures like those in Sofia these days. All I can think of is a cold shower. And a glass of water. And another... The last thing I want is running around town with three cameras. The workload in the office these days hasn't helped much as well. The weekend is going to be even hotter, so I will be staying inside, curtains and windows closed.

Shorts. Icecream. A good book.

Again there won't be outside shooting... Luckily, Lomo has thought of us sufferers in place like Sofia-in-July, those few poor souls that have to make sure the city keeps going while everybody else is swimming and wondering whether to have fish for dinner or whether to have fish for dinner. Cameras like the new generation Holga, the Actionsampler flash, or the Colorsplash, are all very good at indoor photography. They have got great flashes. The Colorsplash has been especially well domesticated and after heavy training is now behaving well in even the smallest apartments. And is doing sow in low, as well as very h-i-g-h temperatures. So finally there is something our friends partying on the beach can be jealous about as well.

The Colorsplash, its creators say, is a philosophy. What philosophy exaclty nobody seems to know. Perhaps the Philosophy of United Colors. The photos I have seen this little gem take indicate that this may be one of the more interesting additions to the rich collection of cameras that Lomography is already offering. Beautiful portraits with a glow of red or blue. Yellow rooms. And even colorful landscapes, building, bridges.

The outside of the camera is atypical in a sense that it does not look like the how-manieth toy camera (for the record, I adore toy cameras). Instead, it has a very sleek, design that reminds me of the sixties. It would not look bad in a separate room of a Museum of Modern Art. With 12 tiny color gels and a color wheel the camera literally bursts with possibilities. A flick of the wrist is all that's required to choose between filters. Even a pretty boring white flash is a possibility (in case you are out of inspiration, or breath). All in all, I believe this is the perfect for a long creative day of inside shooting, with the curtains closed. The perfect tool to shoot your friends at inside parties too. It would even work great for pool and beach parties - but don't tell anyone...

In short: the Colorsplash is here & now.