The ever-popular DigitalRev TV Pro Photographer Cheap Camera Challenge is back with a new host and a new victim. This time, Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer Oded Balilty, who usually shoots all over the world for the Associated Press, is challenged with shooting around Tel Aviv without his trusty DSLR, and instead, he is given a brand new toy camera.

I’m always inspired by challenges like these; with our gear-focused world, it’s nice to step back and see what someone can capture when given the absolute wrong tool for the job. The images that Balilty ends up capturing with this toy camera are honestly quite breathtaking, which just goes to show how important experience and capturing the right moment can be. A professional photographer’s images will almost always stand out among the general populace: the trained eye for light, emotion, and timing is something that must be learned through practice and not read about in a textbook. There is something refreshing about taking photos where you have to work around the shortcomings and stretch your creative skills to still create something beautiful. There is a train of thought in art where limiting yourself allows you to be more creative, and challenges like this really showcase just how true that can be. 

What do you think of the rebooted Cheap Camera Challenge? Have you ever done something like this on your own?