In the last year or so instant film cameras have been making a comeback. Taking high definition photos on the newest iPhone, or on a professional camera, has become inevitably mainstream.

Now don’t get me wrong, instant film cameras are slowly making their way to the mainstream spectrum – how could they not? They’re adorable! But until that day comes, I’ll be filling my walls with all of my visible memories.

Polaroid pictures bring us joy. Whether you take them at a wedding, a concert, or just messing around with friends, you are freezing a good moment in time into a 3x2 inch photograph. OK, yes, iPhone’s can capture some decent candid photos with the help of burst – but with instant film, you only have one shot. With instant film, you are catching exactly what you see in that exact moment in time, in which you were laughing, smiling, or even watching from afar.

There are endless possibilities of things you can take pictures of with an instant film camera. The moment you get to grip one of these cameras in your own hands is easy, but also hard to explain. Only holding up to around blank 10 film, you have a sense of uncertainty on what is worth taking snapping photos of, but also have the urgency to hold a freshly printed photo in your hands. And let me tell you, as cliché as it sounds – you can never go wrong with a few scenery shots, a picture to carry of your dog or cat, an image of your favorite food, or a candid of you and your best friends up to no good.

Along with great memories and adventures comes the aftermath of longing to go back to those moments in time. Polaroid films are easy to pin on the wall, hang from a string of lights, or even tuck away in a book, meaning they are never hard to find or look back on. The nostalgia that overcomes you as you stumble across a film from last summer break might bring back the smell of the ocean, the laughter of your two best friends out of the frame, and the feeling of the sun beating on your body. Nostalgia may creep upon you as you decide which film to display along your desk or shelf months later. Do you pick the photos you took on a trip to the mountains – that make you feel at home, and bring back the smell of the wilderness, or the photos from that one costume party on Halloween – that make you shake your head smiling, and make you wish that you could go back and relive that night with your friends once more?

As we have grown up we have learned to appreciate the nature of photographs more. Once we grew up and started looking back on photos from our childhood and beyond, we began to realize that photos hold memories and even feelings of the past. Pictures can make you giggle - remember that classic baby in the bathtub shot? While some pictures can make us thankful – having pictures with grandpa makes us remember all the good times we had while he was still here.

There are less “act like you love each other” guilt trips when mom takes a close up of you and your sister at Christmas, and rarely anymore “why do we have to take another picture?” whines.

Moving away from home, especially if you are living far away from friends and family, can be tough at times, but having a collection of printed memories can make the transition a little easier. The film tacked beside your bed of your mom and dad might spark a conversation with your roommate about each other’s families, which often helps when you are missing someone - to talk about them! Or maybe you need a good laugh, so you shuffle through the film you took while camping for your first time with friends – quite a scary, but comical sight.

A box of blank film has so many promising memories to be captured in the future. Instant film doesn’t just take a snapshot for us to look back on and reminisce, but they remind us to take in these moments in life while we are still living them.