What In The World is a Camera Toss?

Is it worth the risk?

It's as easy as it sounds: either set your shutter timer, or simply press the shutter as you toss your camera into the air. The camera toss results can be amazing. Keep in mind, though, that you might not always catch your camera on its way back to earth. Are you willing to take that risk? If not, consider buying a camera that you won't mind breaking if you decide to take up this unusual method of photography.

Ready to start?

1. Long Exposures Make the Best Shots

To get the most out of your first camera toss, start indoors in a relatively dark room with a light source like a lamp or the TV. If you're uncertain about your ability to catch your camera after the toss, make sure it will have a soft landing spot -- maybe the bed or your sofa. Put spin on the camera as you toss it. The resulting photo might have whorls and striking lines of light. Or, the resulting photo might be dull and dark. Keep practicing, add varied light sources, and when you're ready, move outside.

2. Let the Sun Shine In

For the best camera toss in daylight, you should set your camera's exposure to something between 1/2 second and 2 seconds. If you don't have a timer, you'll have to press the shutter as you let go of the camera. Not having a timer isn't a bad thing -- it just means you'll have a shorter exposure time. Try holding your hand over the lens until you're just about to toss the camera. This helps create more fluid results.

3. Variety is the Space of Life...And Camera Toss

The motion you put on your camera toss is critical. Try variations on end-over-end, straight spinning, spinning on the lens axis -- whatever the aerodynamics of your camera allow.

4. For the Swingers in the Audience

While this doesn't strictly count as a camera toss, you can hold onto the camera by its strap and still take astonishing pictures -- try swinging or spinning the camera while you hold the strap. Limiting the risk of dropping your camera this way increases your risk of whacking yourself in the head with it, so please be careful.

5. Go Outside the Box, er, Shutter

Don't restrict yourself to digital cameras. Try a camera toss with your camcorders and camera phones.

The camera toss isn't for everyone, but if you've been looking for a grown-up way to achieve the results you used to get when you played with a Spirograph, give it a spin.