Capturing Nostalgia
We’ve become obsessed with documenting and doctoring our lives – taking hundreds of photos at a single event just to get ‘the right one’. One. Maybe two. And even then the perfect image is often vigorously edited before posting to social media pages. So you’ll imagine my surprise when I saw a polaroid camera with the guest book at my uncle’s wedding.
Before photography was invented in the 1800’s, there were painted portraits. After all, photography is an art form. Our deep rooted desire to harness a moment – an image – when the moment has passed has always been prevalent in society. Just now we can capture any image we choose in a matter of seconds with the phones that are glued to our pockets. But that doesn’t mean that the ‘memory’ won’t be altered. Many painted portraits would only be created in the best image, ignoring anything that the model did not wish to be reminded of or that the artist chooses to ignore. This has evolved into photoshopping and adding filters to images taken on our smartphones.
85% of all photos are taken with smartphones, which isn’t surprising when you’re constantly asked for pixelated proof of your holiday rather than recalling the events or when you are seeing someone new and your friends ask for photos before asking ‘so what are they like?’ Many of these photos are uploaded in social media rather than being printed out to keep in a photo album – instead of bringing out the photo album once every blue moon, we have developed the habit to share mountains of images online to the world. In a way they have gone back to how many portraits are displayed – for the public to view at their leisure.
But with Polaroid cameras making a comeback in recent years with the rise of other vintage trends, the photography game is changing. What I love about Polaroid photos is that they can’t be edited…easily. You have the physical image that not only captures the moment but you can also hold close to your heart and in your hands. Imagine. Being able to hold a memory between your fingertips.
Here’s to hoping that with the rise of the Polaroid camera, people’s view of themselves might improve. If we break the standard of editing an image to perfection – sometimes to the point that it is unrecognisable to the original image – we can learn to love ourselves more. My parents used to have a Polaroid camera when I was a child and we still have loads of blurred images or ones that many would delete nowadays. Since getting a new Polaroid camera, I still feel chained to take a ‘perfect’ picture and not waste the film. If I take a couple dozen rubbish photos on my phone… oh well, but if I take a few dozen rubbish ones on my camera, I need to be mindful of how much film I have left. There are physical limitations to capturing the perfect photo but the memory that encapsulates the image will always be the same, whether the photo is blurred or edited digitally.
When choosing a Polaroid camera, there are mainly two different types – the mini version and the standard version. The standard uses I-Type film which is slightly more expensive but produces the nostalgic size you might be familiar with.
This glorious colour combo on Urban Outfitters is definitely a win!
The Mini series however is the perfect size to slip your favourite image in behind your phone case.
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