TtV

I came across some unusual photos on flickr.com and did a bit of research about how these interesting photos were taken. The technique is called “TtV photography” and there are several groups on Flickr dedicated to these photos. The most popular is at: http://www.flickr.com/groups/throughtheviewfinder/

So, what is TtV? TtV stands for “Through the Viewfinder” and is defined as taking a picture of any subject through the viewfinder of any camera with another camera. Photos are typically taken with a digital camera through the viewfinder of an old film camera. What I really like about these photos is the vintage look including blur, dirt, and scratches, which is all part of the charm.

As a child, I remember my parents had an old Kodak Brownie camera, the kind of cameras that strap around your neck, you’d hold it close against your stomach and look down into the camera. The photos are even different from how they would look through these old cameras, since you are actually looking through the viewfinder and not the lens. Sadly, my parent’s old Brownie was long gone, so I picked up a Kodak Duaflex II on eBay for $3.99 (plus $5 shipping). The Duaflex is similar to a Brownie and also commonly used for TtV photos. Then I used some black poster board to make a box contraption, which is needed to block the light and reflections.

Now I’m ready to try some TtV photographs! Will post some photos soon. Everything old is new again!