Studying abroad in college can provide you with some of the best experiences of your life. It is eye-opening to travel abroad, emerging yourself into new places, surroundings, people and a way of life.
For many of us a camera is a necessity when traveling. Whether you consciously carry around a digital SLR or unconsciously carry around a smart-phone camera, at all times we are ready to post, snap, Instagram or just save any images we want. We live in a digital world of image viewing that consists of five second long Snapchats and documented destinations with hashtags and shared posts. You would think less and less people are interested in physical photographs.
Polaroid first created instant film cameras in the 1940s, a surge in popularity during the late 70s and 80s lead us into a world of instant image making. In the early 2000s, the influx of digital cameras hit Polaroid hard, sending them into a bankruptcy twice from 2005 to 2009. However in the past five years a boom in instant cameras sales seems to be bringing Polaroid’s back at a full time high, seen everywhere from your Instagram feed to the shelves of Urban Outfitters.
What has made these cameras more popular than ever? For me, there is a sense nostalgia involved when putting in film cartridges, with comes with a childlike giddiness when the image of what you are directly standing in front of comes out of the small, plastic machine right in front of your eyes. Why should you take an instant camera abroad? Let me explain.
1. Capture the Physical Moment
I studied abroad in India my junior year. I traveled around to various cities exploring a completely new way of life. Every moment was a contradiction to my life back at school in the U.S., I was hyper aware of everything, absorbing in all the differences around me. It was a physical experience; my body and mind were present in a way that I hadn’t experienced back at Lewis & Clark College. When I would enter a new place or stop on the street because something caught my eye, I paused, spent the time it took to shuffle through my bag, took out my clunky instant camera and perfectly position the frame. Often times it could take up to five minutes to get it all done, but that was the point. Each picture turned into an experience, an experience in a physical space that I would never be in again but would now always remember.
Prayer flags at Dilli Haat market in New Delhi, India
Ghanta Bell outside a Hindu Temple in Varanasi, India.
2. No Room for Error
Much of my trip I was focused on taking pictures of my surroundings with my Polaroid, places that made me stop in my tracks. A picture on your iPhone takes a millisecond to take. You can adjust the light balance, shift your angle, and take about twenty pictures in one second. Later you can edit, filter, crop, and virtually do anything to the status of the original image. With an instant camera, there is no room for error. You can’t adjust the light (other than the use of flash), color, filter or see a preview of your photo. The best part about carrying an instant camera is the fact that you choose the moments in which you will capture. You choose and plan your shots (to an extent) because film is expensive, yet the bets part is instantly collecting the moments that are priceless with a physical memento. The excitement of waiting a few minutes to see how it turns out makes it all worth it.
A beautiful doorway protected by Ganesh in Varanasi, India.
3. Make Gifts and Collect Smiles
The best part about an instant photo is the materiality of it. Often times in India many people would come up to me wanting an instant photo taken of them or wanting to have one of mine. I gave out a lot and often interacted with local people who wanted pictures taken of them. It was a great ice breaker to meet new people and ask questions. The smiles I recieved made it worth it. Polaroids also make great postcards. You can send a few out to friends and family and give them as gifts of your experience. Many of us couldn't have studied abroad if it weren't for our family, friends and mentors so give them a gift they will always remember and keep.
Lighting Incense at the Dhamekh Stupa in Sarnath, India.
Beautiful interior of a Jain Temple in Varanasi, India
