Four Is More

The refound love for analogue photography started earlier this year when I found a strange, little, cheap-ass camera made of the worst of plastics. It was equipped with a series of lenses, fit for a tarantula. A closer inspection revealed two things: it had four lenses and the word “sport” was printed on it. I’m not a big fan of active sports, but I reasoned that pressing the shutter and turning the loading wheel would not be excessive exercise. I loved the low techness of the thing. So I decided to give it a go. It was 80 cents; not a huge amount. I took it home and then forgot all about it.

Later this year, before going on vacation, I remembered my ‘sports camera’ and packed it. In a Chinese store in Spain, I bought a film and started making pics with it. Since then, I filled two more rolls, one in Paris and one around the house. I still haven’t made up my mind if I like the gimmicky side of the operation (it smacks of hipness!) and the purpose of four exposures on one photograph escapes me somewhat; although it should capture some sort of ‘action’ with it. But again: it is the lack of sophistication and rough & ready side (this time the strange colours are not due to old film, but because the camera is a piece of junk) that wins me over.