foreword When a New York Times reporter asked Albert Einstein to comment upon one of his books, Einstein replied, "What I have to say about this book can be found inside the book." Unlike erudite texts aimed at academics, or handbooks that bombard the senses with visuals, Plastic Cameras: Toying with Creativity has as foundation the spirited voice of its author, photographer and plastic-camera evangelist, Michelle Bates. As for this New York-born, Seattle resident's unquenchable enthusiasm while leading the tour of the low-tech world--if at times it seems over the top, this can be forgiven. View it as a concession to the energy that drives her--that of the importance of play as a vital ingredient of both culture and creativity. Once seduced by the unexpected delights of affordable, uncomplicated camera equipment, there's usually no forsaking it. Think of high-tech versus low-tech as the difference between piloting a jet aircraft and hang gliding: There can be times for both. Bates had a 35 mm camera in college and still uses both film and digital Nikons for certain assignments, but it was a Holga plastic camera, in 1991, that unleashed her passion for photography: Ultimately it led her away from