The Instant Comeback

If you are at all attentive to social media, you've heard: the instant camera is back.

I know, I know - I'm late to the party.

Ever since the Fujifilm Instax Mini 8 started popping up on my tumblr feed, I've been in deep want. And then Ariana Grande got one. And then my roommate got one. And then I was feeling left out. So I got one. And can I just say: best decision ever.

I love it! It's so much fun and it's so easy. What I want to know is why instant cameras ever went out of style in the first place. Who decided that the emergence of digital cameras meant we had to put the good ole' Polaroid on a shelf to sit and look vintage?

One of my favorite things about an instant camera is that it forces me to think about every picture I take. There are no redos. You can't delete them. Sure, you can throw them away, but, uh... I SPENT AN ENTIRE DOLLAR ON THAT. So, no. I won't be tossing any "bad" photos. And I'll be glad for that down the road. Every "bad" picture is probably a good memory. And who'd want to throw one of those away?

The memories I've caught with this camera are some of the best ones I've made during my young college career. My roommate and I use little clothes pins to hang them on a hemp string above our desk (I won't argue if you now think of us as Hipsters 1 and 2). It's a great way to add some interest to your room and give you a nice dose of happy flashbacks when you're cramming for finals. We caption and date each picture and I can't wait until I'm 47-years-old and my teenager pulls out a stack of these and I get to tell them the story behind each one. Sidenote: If my kid doesn't do this, I will be very disappointed.

There's a pretty good selection of instant cameras to choose from (check out Amazon). And not just Fujifilms - it's not commonly known as a "Polaroid" for nothing. I chose the Instax Mini 8 because I wasn't looking for anything fancy and also because the camera itself isn't too pricey - the film is where it hurts. If you buy film from a store it's usually $1 per shot. That's a lot to ask of a college kid. But if you do a little shopping around online, you can find some better deals. If you're of the artsy-hipster variety, I'd suggest the Fujifilm Instax Mini 90 Neo Classic. It's pretty rad. It also costs twice as much. But, hey. You do you.

Really, though. I'm stoked instants are back and I hope they stick around for a bit.