There has been a huge resurgence in instant photography and kids and tweens are taking retro photos in huge numbers. My three girls aged 12,11 and 11 were delighted when the Instax Mini 11 arrived through the post last week and couldn’t wait to try it out.
With phones producing better and better photos with every upgrade, why would the Instax mini cause such excitement with its retro photos?
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Apparently it’s all about words like vintage, retro and authenticity.
Retro Appeal – The Instax mini takes pictures that have a vintage aesthetic appealing to the kids from a generation to whom this is novel. They love the charm of analog and retro technologies, and the unique square-shaped instant prints; even the unpredictability of the results have a ‘vintage’ appeal.
Tangible and Immediate Results – In an increasingly digital world, where most photos are taken and stored on smart phones or social media platforms, the Instax mini offers a different experience. The instant prints can be held and shared immediately causing huge amusement when they aren’t perfect and can’t be changed.
Authenticity and Creativity – You need to be more deliberate when taking instant pics. With a limited number of shots available in each pack of film, you need to consider composition, lighting, and subject carefully before taking a picture. This inspires creativity and encourages kids to be more intentional with their shots, resulting in a unique and personal photographic style. It can also obviously result in empty shots, blurred shot and those that are just white – but that’s part of the fun.
Novelty and Fun: Instant cameras offer a fun and interactive experience. Waiting for the image to develop and seeing the final print is exciting and my kids loved seeing them come out of the camera and wondering if they’d taken a good one!
The instant picture is something novel in the digital world.
My three used their new instant camera to document Eurovision. We hosted a party with flags and themed food and they loved taking pictures of the party. There was a little frustration at the beginning of the evening when the photos didn’t turn out quite as they expected but they kept going and we’ve got some great ones from the night pinned up on the fridge.
The really new thing about this instant camera is the ability to take selfies too. With a perfectly positioned mirror you can see the pictures you are going to take. It’s a really fun addition.
It’s really really easy to use too. Twist to turn on. Twist further to enter Close-up mode. Twist to turn off. That’s it, lesson over. Your instant prints are ready in just five seconds.
So that’s it the appeal of instant cameras lies in their ability to provide a unique, tactile, and creative photographic experience that stands out in the digital age.
Why not try them over at Very they have a huge range of cameras.
Karen Beddow founded Mini Travellers in 2014 while doing what she loves most...going on holiday!
Mini Travellers is for parents looking for holiday ideas, destination reviews, days out and things to do with the kids. We also have family travel tips, activity ideas and all other things family holiday related. Take a look at some of our latest reviews for holidays and day trips in the UK.