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Old School Polaroid Photography- My tips and tricks

 

Exercise caution when handling your film

One of the first things they tell you when you get an instant camera is to be careful with the film- this is important because there are indeed a raft of ways you can ruin it. You should keep your polaroids out of direct sunlight, humid conditions and store them away where they won’t be affected by temperature fluctuations. When you handle polaroids, hold them by their corners with clean hands. Oil and dirt from your fingers can damage or smudge the photos, especially if they’re still developing. Before storing them, you should let your images dry for several weeks. Over time, polaroids fade naturally To lengthen their lifespan, it is advised that you keep them in the fridge. Odd as this sounds, it’s meant to lock in colour, contrast and detail for an extended period of time by ensuring the film chemistry remains stable.

 

Keep in mind that perfection is an illusion and unrealistic

I had started off with expectations as to how my photos should look and was always disappointed when they came out significantly different. I was so concerned with being a good photographer that I almost felt insulted by the lack of turnout. From time to time, I still struggle when a picture I have high hopes for falls flat. I have a perfectionist streak and am not satisfied with a photo being good enough when it could be just right. Taking the perfect photo with a polaroid camera isn’t the most realistic, however. You’re working with old technology that simply doesn’t allow for high definition, high clarity photos. Some shots turn out blurry, other times the colours are off. Occasionally, you may even end up with a blank polaroid- overexposure is a real problem! These points aside, old school polaroid photography is a lost art and can be a lot of fun. There’s a real charm to it once you get past the fact that not every shot will turn out as you imagine.

If Polaroid Photography is beginning to disappoint and bore you, consider taking creative license and changing the narrative. In a content creators world, there are no rules or guidelines designed to box you in and stifle your talents and imagination. Why not consider how your subject might appear from a different angle? Most of us have go to poses in front of the camera. Being behind the camera is no different. You likely have a preferred angle, mode or setting that achieves a certain look. Resist the urge to follow your instincts. Pay attention only to the most standard of photographic principles and wing the rest. Try crouching down low, or alternatively, elevate yourself. Stand on a wall or a chair. Consider the position of dominance or submission that you are in and build a narrative through a series of photographs. Standing in front of a subject and pressing the shutter button won’t always achieve the results you so wish for.

 

Be selective with what you photograph

Instax cameras are not at all expensive and for one main reason- they make their money from film purchases rather than the camera itself. I have the Instax Mini Nine in baby blue and was only set back around ninety dollars. I was thrilled at this cheap price but stunned to realise that a twenty pack of film costs around thirty dollars. Yes, you read that right. I used to take photos of anything and everything that I thought had the potential to turn out well. I wasn’t thinking about whether or not it was worth the picture and subsequently chewed through a lot of film without any real results. I didn’t get many high quality shots- just a whole lot of subpar flower pictures I’d snapped on a whim.

Generally, landscape shots, interiors, portraits and the like make for good photos. What won’t work is photographing sunsets, sunrises, close ups and anything with small details or poor lighting. Natural light is your best friend- always be selective when using flash! This can brighten your photos but makes them look washed out sometimes. You may need to change up your angles or avoid taking photos at certain times of day or in some locations. I’ve heard that a great setting to use is HiKey as it achieves a soft look in your photos. It’s meant to work particularly well indoors and gets rid of annoying dark spots and shadows.

 

Take your time in framing a shot and stand at a suitable distance

I find that when I give little thought to what I’m taking a photo of, I get sloppy. I might capture a bad angle or include something that I was trying to miss into a photo. A perfect example of this is the time I visited a beach in Melbourne and saw the most amazing vintage car. It was the stuff of dreams. The photo didn’t turn out so well however- in my excitement, I’d neglected to frame the shot properly and captured a bin. The lighting wasn’t great also. Disappointed, I decided to throw the photo out. As you may have deduced, it doesn’t pay off to be impulsive!

What’s also worth considering is the distance you stand at when taking a polaroid. The Instax Mini Nine has a minimum focus distance of fifty centimetres- this is sufficient for taking a selfie at arm’s length. For shots up close and personal however, you’ll want to clip on the supplied close up adaptor which allows you to shoot between 35 and 50 centimetres. A blurry photo could be the result of any number of factors- camera shake, lack of proper lighting or the lens being too close to the subject. On the other hand, standing too far away from your subject will see you achieve a similar, unsatisfactory result. Polaroids are credit card sized, after all. A subject photographed in this way will be imperceptible. There is a delicate balance you need to strike distance wise.

 

Don’t assume the default settings are correct- always double check and adjust them accordingly

For the longest time, I simply assumed that the camera knew best. The way Instax works is through an adjustable dial that allows you to choose how much light you want the camera to let in when you shoot. It does make an initial guess at your lighting conditions using sensors but I’ve found it to be off sometimes. If you think the light meter is inaccurate, use your best judgement and make a guess as to what conditions suit your photo. If you choose the full sun setting, for example, the camera will let in very little light so as to avoid overexposure. If you choose cloudy, more light will be let in so it doesn’t turn out too dark. Better still, try deactivating flash and make use of natural light. Even indoors, this technique will yield better results when it comes to contrast and subject definition. Experimentation is key!maryam-e1555487221288

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  2. What a timely post! Have been meaning to update my ‘Polaroid wall’ and I found my camera the other day too – will have a look for the film today. I’ve also got a baby blue one but I think mines one of the older ones. Still, definitely in love with it and it’s a timeless gift I’ll hold onto 😍

    Great to know more about the settings, must check mine out. Thanks for sharing Maryam 😊 enjoy snapping more photos! x

    Reply

    • Oh, Polaroid walls! How fun. Such a great way to keep memories close and in sight. I’d love to start a Polaroid wall but prefer to hang up bigger prints. They are much more visible that way. I like to keep my Polaroid prints for when I journal or scrapbook! New idea for you x

      Thanks for reading Chels! Glad you enjoyed the post 🙂

      Reply

      • I had the thought the other night of dedicating a plain scrapbook to just my Polaroids so will explore that – Pinterest at the ready haha. Love the idea! Thanks for your thoughtful comments and chats 😊 keep up the great posts girl x

      • You are too good to me! I love interacting with you all. The internet can be such a great, wholesome place with a community like I have here on WordPress. Have fun with your scrapbooking! Pinterest is an absolute haven of inspiration if you ask me. Lots of pictures to print out or get ideas from!

  4. Lovely tips! Do you have an authentic Polaroid? I’ve recently been considering purchasing one, or a camera like it. Do you have any recommendations? Thank you. 🙂

    Reply

  7. I have been on edge about buying the Instax camera for a really long time ONLY because the film is so expensive!!!! How do you decide which is a polaroid worthy moment and which isn’t? 😛
    Great tips! 🙂

    Reply

    • I totally understand your reservations! There are a few things to weigh up but I love using my Polaroid on holiday. It’s an easy, tangible way to capture moments while on the go. Sometimes you don’t want an ultra complex, expensive camera that requires set up and is chunky to lug around!

      Another consideration would be how much you plan to use your camera. If you are serious about photography and use it as much as your phone camera than I’d look to invest in something else.

      A Polaroid worthy moment is whatever sticks out to you. If a scene strikes you as particularly beautiful, inspiring or holds meaning, why not capture it and make it everlasting?

      Lots of love to you! What are your plans for this week? Hope you are well lovely x

      Reply

    • Oh, that sounds exciting! I’ve done some photography using a canon camera in visual arts but that’s about it. Nothing formal as such. I did consider taking interior design alongside a photography course but figured the two overlap anyway.

      Glad you found this information to be spot on Olivia! Hope you are well. What are your plans for this week? x

      Reply

  9. Oh, thank you for your tips. My sister is also into polaroid and I will share your tips with her. At the start, she was frustrated with how her photos were looking and now she is starting to get the hang of it and enjoy more. Thank you!

    Reply

    • Oh, not a problem! I’m happy to hear your sister will benefit from this post too. It can certainly be discouraging at the start but there are little rules to photography in terms of what makes a picture beautiful. It’s very personal work and that’s why content creation is so diverse!

      Thank you for reading. Hope you are well! 🙂

      Reply

  11. Love this! I used to be obsessed with my polaroid when I was younger but I haven’t used it for years now, I always love going back and looking at the old photos I took tough! X

    Reply

    • Haha, I hear you on that! It can be a phase sometimes but I like to pick up my Polaroid when I go on holiday. A quick, tangible way to capture memories on the go.

      How are you doing Chloe? What are your plans this week? x

      Reply

      • I’m okay thank you lovely! Getting by. England is going back into a 4 week lockdown as of Thursday so I have absolutely no plans at all considering we’re not allowed to leave our houses haha. Hope you’re keeping well and staying safe .xx

      • Oh yes, that’s right. I’ve heard! I’m sure a lot of people have very mixed emotions on this. Another wave of covid rocked england I’m guessing?

        Here in Sydney we had about a day covid free and then our streak was lost.

      • Something like that – a lot of people not following the rules and our PM doesn’t seem to know what he’s doing either so, a great combination!

  13. Wow, this was all very interesting. Not many people have enough patience or skill to have the same talent as you have with polaroids. It looks like you have to take quite a few things into consideration like the frame and making sure to keep the film out of sunlight. It really is surprising that the film is that expensive! I can relate to having a perfectionist streak. I like digital sketching and it can sometimes take me forever until I feel like a drawing looks the way that I want it to.

    Reply

    • Digital sketching must be fun! I know some creative types who design logos, blog graphics and hand letter quotes using their digital sketch pads. I agree that it would be harder in some respects- getting the shading and details right, for instance. At least you don’t have to keep going in with a rubber though and risk ruining the page or making a hole in it!

      Polaroid photography is just something I do on the side every so often. There are quite a few considerations to be made throughout the process but it’s just a matter of trial and error ☺️

      Thank you for reading and your kind words love! x

      Reply
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