ODE TO THE DISPOSABLE CAMERA
The Resurgence of Disposable Cameras
I started using disposable cameras about a year ago when my laptop broke and I could not edit my photos anymore - a friend of mine slammed it shut on accident and it cracked the screen, leaving me with half a working screen. The fix was costly and my laptop still worked, so I decided that I would deal with a limited screen. Once I realized I couldn’t edit my photographs anymore, however, changed things quickly. I looked into purchasing a polaroid camera, but the upfront cost of the camera was a little too high for me, not even counting the cost of the film.
That’s when I decided I would start using disposable cameras. They were more cost effective than a polaroid camera, and I was excited. With a limited number of photos on each camera, I would have to be selective in taking pictures.
I am not the only person who is using disposable cameras again - this article published in August in the Los Angeles Times, titled “Disposable cameras: A ’90s favorite makes a comeback among millennials and Gen Z,” explains one cause of this resurgence: nostalgia. Younger generations are yearning for a time that seems to have been easier, a time with less interconnectedness that the internet and social media gives us. When I got my first set of film developed and I was sharing it with my friends, my one friend said something that stuck with me:
“These look just like the photos of my parents from their college days that I see in their old photo albums.”
WORD COUNT: 881
VALUE ADDED: LA Times Article Link90's Vintage Photo Editing Video, GiGi Hadid's Instagram Link, Photos
REFERENCES:
Babin, B. and Harris, E. (2014). Consumer Behavior. 6th ed. Stamford, USA: Cengage Learning.
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Hadid, G [@gisposables]. (2019, October 15). DV + JL at Donatella’s in Milano. MFW Versace SS20 Show afterparty. Retrieved from https://www.instagram.com/p/B3ph5fbBU4N/
Spillman, S. (2019, August 27). Disposable cameras: A '90s favorite makes a comeback among millennials and Gen Z. Retrieved from https://www.latimes.com/lifestyle/story/2019-08-26/disposable-cameras-make-a-comeback-among-millennials.
Zo, E. [Edward Zo]. (2018, July). How I Edit My Instagram Pics | 90's Vintage Retro Filter + Apps [Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KR-z8V6pZ2U
Many of us are longing for that time when whatever photo was taken is that single photo - no editing out what we see as flaws, no readjusting angles so we look taller, no fixing hair between shots. Photos taken on polaroids and film are frozen moments, capturing exactly who we are in that second.
Social media has played a large role in the resurgence of disposable cameras. Seeing a photo from a disposable camera on your Instagram or Facebook feed catches your eye - it is over exposed with brighter colors and just a little bit grainy. It is just noticeably different from the other photos you see.
For the people that can’t get their hands on a disposable camera (or don’t want to wait to have the photos developed), don’t fear! There are countless videos online that will walk you through the editing process. The video to the right here is one example - actor Edward Zo posted this video in July of 2018, providing a step by step guide in how he makes his photos look like they were taken on a disposable camera.
She created a second Instagram account to post pictures she has taken on her disposable camera, cheekily called @gisposable (you can stalk her second account here.) Gigi Hadid, as part of an aspirational group for many up-and-coming models and influencers, is adding to the hype of disposable cameras each time she posts a new pic - especially when she posts her behind the scenes photos snapped at after parties and fashion weeks across the globe.
The screenshot on the left is a photo posted to her account of Jennifer Lopez and Donatella Versace at Donatella's afterparty during Milan Fashion Week.
Gigi Hadid, a famous model, is even a part of the surge of disposable camera fans.
Along with the authenticity of how the photos look, there is an experiential value in disposable cameras.
There is an experience that exists when using a disposable camera: seeing someone pulling out a real camera rather than a phone, everyone crowding around each other to fit into the frame, the flash of the camera, the click of the shutter. Disposable cameras involve not only the photographer but their subject, creating an experience.
At the Notre Dame v. Michigan football game, I brought one of my disposables to a parent tailgate. The response when I pulled it out of my raincoat was incredible.
“I haven’t seen one of those in ages!”
“Yo, take a picture of me and your dad!”
“When you get them developed will you send them to me?”
The parents were all shocked that I was carrying a disposable camera - they were surprised that drugstores still sell them, let alone develop the film. All the college kids wanted to be in pictures with the parents. One dad was not as pleased at the sight of me holding a disposable camera, however. My dad, in typical dad fashion, commented on how it would still be more cost effective for me to take photos on my phone or camera and just not edit them rather than purchase disposable cameras and pay to have the film developed - he sees no utilitarian value in them. He’s right, but disposable cameras now have a hedonic value to me and I think it’s worth it. While taking photos on disposable cameras provide me with instant gratification, I also am long-term oriented: I have been compiling all of the prints in a photo album for the future.
Either way, I will continue to be a part of the resurgence of disposable cameras and I will update the photo gallery as soon as I get my prints back - I have two rolls of film being developed currently!
