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In an age where we can point and shoot our phone cameras hundreds of times a day, rifle back through our images and select the best ones to share on social media, it seems surprising that real film even exists anymore. Further, with their white frames and off-colour, blurred images, it seems even more surprising that Polaroid photography is still popular. Why won’t the Polaroid perish? And is it just the hipsters keeping instant cameras going? Let’s find out…
On 26th November 1948, the first ever Polaroid camera was sold for $89.95 USD in Boston, Massachusetts: the Model 95 Land camera. This revolutionary design offered almost-instant gratification in a world where the internet, digital cameras and smartphones didn’t exist. So it’s no surprise that Polaroid sold their millionth camera by 1956. However, it’s safe to say that technology has moved on since then; digital cameras have been in common use for well over two decades now. So why do many still reach for their clunky, old-school instant cameras to capture certain moments? We asked around the Verve head office to find out.
Most people don’t print their digital images. They message them, use them as phone wallpapers and post them to social media… but most go unprinted. A Polaroid print offers a physical souvenir of your experience, and there’s an undeniable old-school charm to that. In a world where everything lives on a screen and disappears into a camera roll of thousands, holding an actual photo in your hands feels properly special. In the same way that vinyl records, vintage bikes and analogue gear have come back into fashion, it seems nostalgia will continue to shape what we buy for the foreseeable future.
Watching a print develop in front of your eyes is a truly fascinating experience: this is something many people pine for in this digital age. Part of the allure is the uncertainty behind how the image will turn out. Then, when you hold it in your hands, you feel like you’ve produced something unique: a special, one-off image to truly capture that moment in time.
David Hockney, English artist and photographer, is known for his Polaroid Composites.
Firstly, Polaroid photography is expensive. Although you can pick up a perfectly good instant camera for under $100 (Fujifilm Instax remains the go-to for most people), the film is pretty pricey – you could be looking at paying around $2 per shot. To earn even more street cred, you could hunt down a refurbished Polaroid 600, which can be found online for anywhere from $130 to $300. However, your per-shot cost could rocket up to $6.
Aside from the difference in cost, the accessibility and creative scope that digital cameras provide just can’t be ignored. An instant print isn’t customisable once you’ve taken it, whereas with a digital image, that’s just the beginning. So it seems instant photos might be best saved for savouring special moments or displaying in fun, creative ways around the home. Try posting them on the fridge with funky magnets, clipping them onto twine and hanging them around the room, or sticking them on the wall in different shapes.
To bridge the gap between these two worlds, plenty of companies now offer hybrid options: something that matches the versatility of a digital camera whilst keeping the magic of a Polaroid-style print. From portable photo printers to zero-ink paper technology, the best of both worlds is genuinely within reach.
Verve Portraits offers many types of finishes on our artworks, including illustrations and retro Polaroid styles. Check out our gallery now.
Written by: Laura Jones
Polaroid photography offers a unique and nostalgic experience, producing instant, physical prints that feel personal and meaningful. However, it can be expensive, with each photo costing significantly more than digital shots. Unlike digital photography, images cannot be edited after they are taken, and there is less flexibility overall. For this reason, many people use Polaroid cameras for special moments while relying on digital photography for everyday use.
