home


March 21, 2012

Fujifilm Instax!

I am beyond excited about my Fujifilm Instax! It's like a Polaroid camera, but new, and wide-format! I've had it since Christmas, but FINALLY bought film for it a few weeks ago.
Photobucket
I had been waiting for the perfect moment to use the film, or the perfect subject to capture, but yesterday I realized that any moment can be the perfect moment. So, I whipped that beheamouth of a camera out of its box, inserted the film, got really excited, and then... read the instructions. Anticlimactic, I know. But don't worry, the exciting part is coming.
Photobucket
I had no idea what to take a picture of, so I settled on the Asian paper parasol I've had forever (I don't even remember when I bought the thing), pretty stuff in nature, and my face! "You can never go wrong with paper parasols, nature, and a face," a wise woman somewhere must have said once.
Photobucket
There is nothing like seeing an image develop before your eyes. I literally stood there, holding the developing picture with both hands, really close to my face, mouth open, and eyes wide from anticipation. I'm pretty sure I looked like a crazy person, but fortunately, I was alone in my room and didn't freak anybody out.

Here are the things I learned, things that may help you in your Instax futures:

{ONE}
When your heart rate jumps to 500 beats per second because you're about to take your first instant film picture and you don't want to screw it up, realize that the first click of the button only yields a black sheet of boring plastic whose only function is to cover up the film before use. Don't fall prey to the bitter disappointment that plagued me at that very moment - now you know.

{TWO}
When in doubt, use the flash. I was hoping that my first try at Instax artistry (you only get 10 attempts per film pack) would be perfection, but like anything else in life, it didn't go according to plan. When the source of light is coming from behind your subject, with no source of light in front of your subject, use the flash, or you will end up with a frustratingly dark and useless photo that you can't re-take.

{THREE}
When you're really close to your subject, the viewfinder is extremely misleading. It looks like the subject is in the middle, when it's really in the top, far-left corner, and basically doesn't exist. Position the subject in the bottom right corner, no matter how wrong and contrary to logic it feels. The camera comes with a little attachment that is supposed to help you line up the shot correctly, but I failed - miserably. This one isn't too bad, but definitely not in the center.
Photobucket

And those are my tips! Hopefully they help, if you have the camera, or decide to get one.

I'm really wanting to visit Portland, Oregon this summer, and I think taking this camera along would make for some really cool travel/road trip type photos. Hoping it works out!

8 comments:

  1. pauldamonkeeMarch 21, 2012

    AH exciting!!! I love these photos, ah-mazing! Well, I love pretty much all of your photos ;) This really encourages me to buy some film for my Polaroid Impulse camera that I've been dying to use.

    ReplyDelete
  2. J HolbrookMarch 21, 2012

    That's awesome! I've always wanted a camera like that, but being raised in the digital age has spoiled me. I mean yes, when i was a little kid i had a plastic film camera i would play with, but back then... well, my parents paid for film!! Today it somehow seems less appealing...

    ReplyDelete
  3. oh  my gosh, they are AMAZING!  i especially love the one of the parasol and the one under it with the flowers.

    i haven't bought polaroid film in over a year because i get so worked up about needing to take the perfect picture that i end up freaking out and it just itn't worth it.  plus, i'm terrible with a fixed focus camera!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thanks!  

    Yeah, it's a really intense moment, right before you're about to take a picture you can never edit!  As far as the focus goes, I kinda don't mind if something is out of focus, it can add a cool element sometimes!

    ReplyDelete
  5. I completely know what you mean.  I even went to an art school for Photography, and they had just cut out the film photography requirement that year, which is crazy, because in the past you HAD to learn film before you moved on to digital.  

    It's really exciting though!  It forces you to be really selective about what you do and don't take a picture of, and you end up cherishing the photos you do take even more, because they're unchangeable.  

    Try it!  It's fun, but only if you accept that there WILL be photos you completely screw up, haha.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Thank you!!  You should totally buy some, and then post about it!

    ReplyDelete
  7. I love Polaroid camera!

    Love your blog, follow each  other's with GFC, bloglovin and facebook? I always follow back!Kiss
    Tati ♥ pearls Tati ♥ pearls on bloglovin Tati ♥ pearls on Facebook

    ReplyDelete
  8. What a great post! I used to use my polaroid camera in 2006-2007 and then they stopped making film! Now I get tempted to buy an instax camera but I'm still so wary that they're going to stop producing them. They are certainly worth all the trouble and look so gorgeous! x

    ReplyDelete

Got two cents to pitch in? Go for it! I adore comments!

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...