Get Started With Instant Photography

When most people think back to the days of instant photography, they remember the days of bulky Polaroid cameras and generally low-quality snapshots. They feel, perhaps, a twinge of nostalgia and think of the Polaroids they have stashed somewhere from back in the day, but then the feeling is gone.

Instant photography has, for the most part, been considered dead since Polaroid stopped producing instant film in 2008, but what many people don't realize is that instant photography can be a unique form of art, and it's making a comeback. If you open your eyes and look, you'll discover that instant photography is alive and well in little corners of the artistic community, and for a small initial investment, you too can help bring back part of history.

Steps

  1. Acquire a camera. The kind of camera you buy and how much you spend depends mostly on what kind of instant photography you choose to pursue. You can look for a real Polaroid camera, or you can look into newer attempts to bring back instant photography:
    • Old Polaroid cameras are fairly easy to come across at garage sales, antique shops, and websites like eBay, and can be very cheap if you know where to look. You or someone you know may even have one stashed in their garage somewhere that they'll be happy to give you for free. Just ask around. Don't worry too much about the age or model of of the camera... most likely, you can find film for it somewhere. Polaroid cameras tend to be tough and survive remarkably well even when left in storage for years (or decades), but if you're not sure if yours still works, try taking it to a reputable camera store... believe it or not, there are still places that can examine and/or fix Polaroid cameras.
    • Alternatively, you can explore more "modern" instant photography. In an effort to keep instant film alive after Polaroid stopped producing it, Fujifilm created the Fujifilm Instax and Instax mini, which take instant business card-sized photos in a similar manner to the older cameras. The cameras themselves are about the same size as the older cameras, but they have a much different look to them and are held more upright, like modern cameras.
    • Eventually, Polaroid realized the error of its ways and tried to compensate with the Polaroid 300, another newer instant camera. These cameras generally cost more than the older, traditional Polaroid cameras, but their smaller size and sleeker design makes them easier to use and carry with you.
  2. Look for film. Depending on the model of camera you ended up with, this can vary in difficulty and price. Be warned that serious Polaroid photographers often spend thousands of dollars a year on film. While well worth it, if this isn't an Finance Investment Property you're prepared for, you will want to proceed with caution.
    • Finding film for Fujifilm Instax and Polaroid 300 cameras is easy. It's fairly cheap and can easily be purchased from Fuji or Polaroid directly, or from other stores and websites. Large stores like Walmart even sell Fuji Instax, making the newer instant photography the much more convenient route.
    • For those willing to shell out a little more money and expend a little more effort to experience the real deal, real Polaroid film is still out there. Unfortunately, most of it is expired, as it was last manufactured in 2008, and it can be hard to find it for a good price. However, if the film has been stored well, it may still work even if it's a little outdated. If you know anyone who might've had a Polaroid camera at one point and could still have some film, it's best to ask around first. If that fails, try websites like Buy Art on eBay and Amazon. You may have to shell out a bit of money and take some risks to find some film that actually works, but when you do, it'll be worth it in the end. if you find a seller with a lot of usable film at a decent price, go ahead and buy them out. Deals like that can be hard to come by.
    • Alternatively, The Impossible Project is a great option for aspiring Polaroid photographers.[1] Made up of a team of former Polaroid employees, the Impossible team set out to re-create instant film from scratch, and is currently producing black and white and color film for various types of cameras at an affordable price.
    • Load your camera. For most models of Polaroid cameras, this is a fairly simple procedure. Carefully open the film pack to remove the Load a Polaroid Spectra System Instant Film Camera, which contains the film and the battery. Open the camera's film compartment. Without touching or removing the dark slide (the black piece of paper/plastic on top of the cartridge that keeps the film underneath from being exposed to light), carefully push the film into the compartment. When it is in as far as it will go, close the film compartment. The darkslide should eject automatically. You are now ready to take pictures.
  3. Get out and take pictures. Especially if you've been into shooting digital or even film SLRs, shooting a Polaroid camera should be a liberating experience. You press one button and a picture pops out... most cameras have an exposure compensation dial, but that's about it for controls to fiddle with. When taking Polaroid pictures, there are only a few things to keep in mind:
    • Polaroid film needs to shielded from light to develop well. This is especially true for Impossible Project films, which take about three minutes to develop completely instead of the 90 seconds or so of real Polaroid film. The first few seconds after the picture is ejected are crucial. As soon as the picture is ejected from the camera, turn it over and/or shield it with your hand and cover it with something or get it to a dark room. If you're shooting outside in bright sunlight, look into techniques for quickly covering the film with a darkslide to protect it when it's ejected.
      • If you're using Impossible Project film, make sure you check to see how long it takes to develop and how sensitive it is to light. Most of their older black and white films take around three minutes, but newer color films can take as long as 10. They also continue to develop and change slightly for days after the picture is initially developed, so don't be alarmed if your picture doesn't look like much at first.
  4. Accept the limitations of instant photography. You shouldn't expect the sharpness and color quality that you're used to from other kinds of cameras. Remember, Polaroid cameras were mainly used to take quick, mediocre Create a 'Polaroid' Snapshot With Poladroid of people, mostly as cheap mementos, not works of art. The goal of good Polaroid photography is to use the varying fuzziness and color distortion of the photos to your advantage, shooting large, colorful, subjects with a lot of light contrast for best results.
    • In general, you want to be at least a few feet away from your subject when shooting. Even though many cameras have a "close up lens", it's still only effective within a foot or two of a subject, and your picture will probably be even blurrier than it would've been otherwise.
  5. Be Committed to Your Artwork. Look for groups and photography websites devoted to Polaroid photography and get your work noticed. The Impossible Project also allows users who purchase their film to post example photos to their galleries. Good instant photography is still somewhat rare, but it always impressive. Share photos and tips with others, and be proud of yourself for being a pioneer in the movement to revive instant photography.



Tips

  • Avoid taking pictures in extremely cold or hot conditions, as instant film works best at normal temperatures.
  • Save your dark slides. They can come in handy for covering your pictures when shooting outside, and can also be collectible (The Impossible Project makes a point of creating darkslides that are worth keeping).
  • In addition to trying to create real art, it can be a fun and nostalgic experience to use Polaroid cameras for what they were originally intended: taking quick snapshots of family and friends. Real Polaroid shots always look good in scrapbooks and will always surprise your friends.
  • Fuji still makes new film for the Packfilm type cameras and have no signs of stopping in the near future.
  • Store your Polaroids in a safe, dry environment to keep them safe and prevent them from degrading in quality over time.
  • The First kind of Polaroid camera is the Roll-film type, this includes the 95, 100, 700, and similar cameras. Film for these cameras are not available anymore. Another type is the Packfilm type. These cameras were made from 1963 (Model 100 Automatic) to 1974 (Model 450). There are also manual versions such as the 180. These cameras used the retired Polaroid 100 instant peel-apart film, but can now use the same type of film made new by Fuji. This includes Fujifilm FP-100c (color) , FP-100b and FP-3000b (black and white). These films are often available at camera stores for 10 dollars for a pack of 10 exposures. Another type is the SX-70 model, these are arguably the most popular Polaroid cameras which were made from 1972 to the 1980s. Film for these cameras is available through the Impossible Project, but is rather expensive when compared to the Fujifilm made for Pack cameras. The two final types are the 600 and Spectra models, which are easier to find. Impossible Project also makes film for these two models.
  • "Lifting" Polaroids is a great way to preserve them and offers a new way to present your artwork.

Warnings

  • Serious Polaroid photography, while rewarding and exciting, can be expensive, especially as real Polaroid film becomes harder and harder to find. Before getting addicted to your Polaroid camera, make sure you can afford the film.

Things You'll Need

  • Polaroid or similar instant camera
  • Instant film
  • Cover for developing film away from light

Related Articles

  • Buy Old Polaroid Cameras
  • Load a Polaroid 600 Camera
  • Scratch Polaroid Art
  • Use a Polaroid One Step Camera
  • Load a Polaroid Spectra System Instant Film Camera
  • Create a Collage of Polaroids Using Photoshop CS5

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ http://www.the-impossible-project.com/
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