Smile for the Polaroid! 3

Me and my three brothers – one of the Polaroid photos that was used for Mom and Dad’s Christmas cards.

We’ve probably all had the experience of trying to take a photo of a group of people, and getting them all to SMILE at the same time. It can be a challenge! Especially with kids.

Every year in December, my Mom and Dad took photos of my brothers and me for their annual Christmas card. Mom would get us into position and try to make us laugh, while Dad manned the camera. A Polaroid camera. Shoot the picture, pull out the photo, and then wait for it to develop – all while trying to keep four kids in their positions and not goof around. Nope. That one didn’t turn out, one brother is crossing his eyes at another brother. Repeat. Over and over. Many times. Usually after at least 2 full packs of film (10 photos per pack), there was at least one photo with all four of us kids smiling (or at least sort of smiling).

Dad’s Polaroid Camera (not for sale)

When we were kids, digital cameras were just coming on to the market. We didn’t have a digital camera, so having an instant Polaroid photo sure made the Christmas photo process easier! Can you image how difficult this would have been with a film camera and having to wait to have your film developed, only to find out none of the photos turned out, so you had to do it all over again? I was thankful for that Polaroid camera (shown here), and I am sure my parents were, too!

Polaroid cameras are still very popular today, and I love that you can still buy film for the vintage models. Here are some clever ways to use a Polaroid camera.

Uses for a Polaroid Camera

• Use a Polaroid camera at your next party – a fun way to capture your guests having a good time, and you can send the prints home with your guests.
• Take photos of your favorite places, flowers, pets, or your kids and create a photo wall of Polaroid prints. Attach the prints to your wall in a grid pattern using poster putty (such as Blu-Tack) or artist tape. You can place the prints in any order you like – by colors, by location, by subject. Use a level, if needed, to keep your prints straight. Continue adding prints to your photo wall over time, and you’ll have an impressive display!
• Create a unique set of alphabet flashcards for your kids. Take a photo of a common object that starts with each letter of the alphabet (i.e., an apple for letter A, etc.). Write the letter in upper- and lower-case on the note area of the photo, and you’ll have a fun deck of flashcards.
• Share your Polaroid pictures on Polanoid! Polanoid is trying to build the largest collection of Polaroids in the world. Take a look at the archives, then add your own photos to the collection.

Did You Know?

• Edwin H. Land was the founder of Polaroid (I always wondered why the cameras were called a “Land Camera”, now I know why).
• The first Polaroid Land Camera was released in 1948.
• There are many varieties of the Polaroid camera that were manufactured over the years (I especially loved my Polaroid iZone camera).
• The Polaroid company has a very interesting history! You can see a historical timeline at Polaroid History.

Have you ever used a Polaroid camera? What creative uses can you think of for using an instant camera?

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