20 Ultimate Ways To Use A Disposable Camera

A top 20 list of didn’t-know-you-could-do-that ways to hack, whack, and make the most of a disposable camera! (Find the full guide here!)

Smack extra exposures out of it

1) Charge your flash (most disposables have a button for this.)

2) Hold camera in one hand, and SMACK! it down onto the palm of your other hand (lens facing out.)

3) The flash will fire, and you may get a double exposure, too!

Tie your camera to a bench

Jay Carlson tied a disposable camera to a bench with a sign asking people to take photos. You can see the results here. Makes for a fun collaborative photo project!

Make 3D photos with two disposable cameras

3D images are made by taking two photos at the same time from slightly different angles.

So, if you tape your disposables together just right, you can use them to make a whole roll of 3D pictures for under $15! Find a how-to here.

Use lens & flash filters for colorful photos

Hold color filters in front of your disposable’s flash or lens for photos with an extra splash of color.

Make your own filters!

Because disposable camera lenses are so small, its easy to make DIY filters on the cheap.

Try using colored marker on packing tape, coloring directly onto your lens, using your sunglasses or soda bottles. Here's a guide full of ideas.

Make fisheye photos with phone lenses

Phone lenses are the perfect size for disposable cameras! Stick the magnetic ring that comes with these phone lenses to your disposable’s lens. Then, attach the fisheye lens to your disposable anytime you want to take a fisheye photo.

Damage your film

Thomas Anderson / Via Flickr: senoranderson

Photographer Thomas Anderson got these beautiful results just from throwing his disposable camera into a pool.

Try leaving your disposable in the freezer, the hottest place you can find, or even poking tiny holes in your camera to intentionally cause light leaks! Check out this damaged film group on Flickr for inspiration.

Damage the lens

Thomas Anderson / Via Flickr: senoranderson

This dreamy photo (by Thomas Anderson) was made by scratching up the edges of a disposable lens with a hot screwdriver!

Other fun methods: Scratching your lens with steel wool or sandpaper, painting over it with nail polish, or even taking it off and flipping it around backwards! This Flickr group has even more examples.

Send your camera on a world tour

Matthew McVickar / Via Flickr: matthewmcvickar

In Matthew McVickar’s disposable camera project, he packed up his camera with special instructions for mail carriers to take pics with it along the way, then developed the results! Check out the Camera Mail group on Flickr.

More amazing ideas!

DIY Photography / Via diyphotography.net

Make it an all-terrain camera. Try using several ziplock bags or any clear water/dustproof wrap and duct tape to seal up your disposable.

Make your disposable re-loadable!

The disposable flash slave. Craft your own flash slave for a fraction of the price.

Make a DIY ringflash with the flashes from 4 disposable cameras!

Turn your disposable camera into a time capsule. Snap photos of your life now, get them developed months or even years later.

Participate in a disposable camera exchange. Try an online group to swap cameras with people around the world.

Take part in the Disposable Memory project.

Make a strobe light from a disposable flash.

Remove a disposable lens to make a macro phone lens.

Make a high speed flash.

Let the film expire for pretty color shifts.