Spring Polaroids 2019 | Live Lovely Polaroids

I have always loved Polaroid photography. As a kid I admired my grandparent’s polaroid albums and when I had the opportunity to see a Polaroid being taken, I loved how it would develop in front of my eyes. With my affinity for photography from an early age, it didn’t surprise anyone when I saved up to buy a Polaroid 600 camera when I was sixteen. I saved up all my pennies for packs of film and would ask for film as birthday gifts. One of my parents was away in rehab for a couple months during my senior year and I used my Polaroid camera as a way to express myself to and capture the people and places in my life that were meaningful to me at the time. I was alone, but I did not feel lonely when I had the ability to create something. I continued to use Polaroid in college and stock piled as much film as I could from Target when Polaroid announced it was going out of business. When a company known as the Impossible Project started recreating the film I would save up for it. Now, Polaroid is back and doing well so I recently made the decision to upgrade to the Polaroid I Type camera because the film is less expensive and the camera is rechargeable, meaning that the film no longer requires a battery pack making it more eco friendly.

What I love most about Polaroid photography is that it captures a feeling and a representation of a memory. It is perfectly imperfect. People have asked me, “If you just want snapshots why not use your phone?,” or, “Why would you bother using Polaroid when you have a great camera?” And indeed, if I am just looking to make a quick snap to keep an image as a memory I will use my phone. If I want to create an amazing and sharp photograph I will not use anything other than my Fujifilm X Pro 2. It is when I want to capture a feeling of a place, an event, or a person that I find myself returning to Polaroid.

As a professional wedding photographer and as a photojournalist student turned lifestyle and travel blogger, it is my goal to create amazing imagery for my clients, my blog, and for social media. With so much pressure to get “the shot,” I longed to simplify things like in the time of my Polaroids. There is a beauty to Polaroid that cannot be replicated with digital photography. I also wanted to have more fun with my photography again and posting to social media like Instagram. I wanted to worry less about having a “perfect feed,” and instead focus on creating art and beauty from the world around me.

These are my Spring Polaroids.

I bought the I-Type Polaroid camera the night before our flight to Arizona in May. I tried to find the 600 film, but could only find film for the new camera so I did some thinking and decided to go for it. I dinged the face of my new camera while rock climbing to Devil’s Bridge in Sedona shortly after the picture above was taken. No matter how protective you are of your cameras, they will get scratched and hit while working with them. I was beating myself up about it, but then I decided that at least I got that first scratch out of the way and I wouldn’t be worried about being too precious about it from then on. The same thing happened to my Fuji. It’s only a matter of time so might as well get it out of the way first thing I suppose.

With flash then without flash. This cactus picture might be my favorite so far. I learned how to use the self-timer feature on the new I Type camera this spring at this daffodil field. It doesn’t make any sound so I wasn’t ready when it went off.