Polaroids: the magic of instant photography

In the spirit of “let him who is without sin cast the first stone”, I'll start with a very simple question: how many of you take at least one photo a day with your phone? Whether it's of your cat, to update your socials, to send to a friend or to take a selfie with a stranger (yes, it has happened to me, hahaha)! In short, every day, or rather all day long, we take millions of photos. Another very simple question: how many of you actually print the photos you take with your phone? Rhetorical question.

And yet, have you ever wondered how you would behave if you had a device that develops the photo instantly, but gives you only a limited number of shots?

The charm of vintage

Without further beating about the bush, questions and tricks, here is today's topic revealed! The digital instant camera. In the last couple of years it has become more and more popular, especially among young people, which shows that the charm of vintage always wins over every field, from photography to fashion to music. Easy to use: you pick it up, you shoot and you stand there watching, captivated by the magic of your photograph slowly coming out, perfectly printed, right in front of you. And it is precisely the playful side of photography that wins people over: these cameras can be really fun and creative, and can be used in a thousand ways. On that note, here are a few creative ideas on how you can use one, and if you have other suggestions, leave me a comment.

How to use polaroids creatively

Classic but with a touch of originality: a hardback photo album where you can stick your polaroids next to drawings, texts, messages and dates. You can personalise it to keep your own memories or give it to someone you love;
Have you ever thought of covering a whole wall of your room with a lovely polaroid puzzle? Arrange your memories at random, make geometric shapes or, for the more romantic, a heart;
With a pinch of creativity and precision, you can make beautiful wall clocks where each polaroid takes the place of an hour: marking every moment of your days with a memory;
Personalised invitations, unique and original! For a birthday, christening, graduation or any other kind of event.
A surprise for your boyfriend or girlfriend: a treasure hunt where each polaroid you find, besides being a memory of a moment together, is a clue to the next step;
As a souvenir photo to hand to your guests at an event: it will surely be a fun part of the evening, as well as a thoughtful way of leaving friends and family a keepsake of the day.

Kits to personalise your Polaroids

I should add, for those who don't know yet, that there are very colourful kits to personalise your polaroids. I bought one on Amazon , and I have to say I was thrilled with it! It includes a bit of everything: from the camera case to the album, stickers, plastic sleeves for the photos, coloured filters… Creative, original and customisable.

Instagram and instant photos

The first analogue instant cameras were made by Polaroid, an American multinational specialising in photography. Hence the name we commonly use today for instant photos. But there is another link, in terms of terminology (and not only), between instant photos and the social network par excellence, currently the most widely used in the world: Instagram. The name of the app is in fact a blend of the words “instant camera” and “telegram”. Its tie to the instant photo is reflected in the logo and, basically, in the very function. Instagram was born as a social network focused on immediate photography; it is a channel for sharing the shot you have taken instantly, as the name says, and you can then apply one of the available filters, which in turn recall the colour of analogue photography. Those who have used Instagram from the start will remember that at first the only shot format allowed was the square. Why? Once again, a nod to the old Polaroid, whose format was, indeed, square.

“The best ideas do not come from reason, but from a lucid, visionary madness.”
[Erasmus of Rotterdam]