Alice Catherine

I thought I’d start start the week with a little ‘life lately’ style post – I got a new polaroid camera for Christmas which I actually ended up returning, so I thought this would be the perfect way to offer up my mini review…

I had wanted a new polaroid camera for a few reasons. I love the ‘instant’ element of being able to hold a memory in your hands, mere moments after it’s been formed. I also love the fact it encourages me to create content that I can stick on the fridge, or pop into frames around the flat – even just having them scattered across our coffee table for people to look through. It’s a form of tangible documentation that I don’t quite get from curating on my blog. I sometimes worry that because I create content at such a fast pace, I forget to just look back and cherish the different memories from various trips and events etc. I guess what I’m trying to say is that a polaroid camera seemed like something that would encourage me to slow down every now and then – to find the perfectly imperfect frame, to take the shot, and to wait for it to develop in my pocket… (no matter how badly it turns out). For me, it’s a similar joy to shooting a roll of film and dropping it off at the developers. A certain feeling of capturing a moment in time that can’t be altered and will always be just the way it is… 

Christmas day came and Sam kindly gifted me the Polaroid Onestep+ camera – having used various vintage polaroid cameras over the years, I was certain that this would be the best in term of quality, and I really love the way it looks too. However, a couple of packets of film down over the Christmas break and I started to feel a bit frustrated with it. Only a couple of images per packet of film were coming out clear enough to even tell what they were, and nearly all of them had a pink haze to them. I know they are meant to be imperfect/vintage looking and all that jazz, but these images weren’t even fit for sticking on the fridge. Anyway, long story short, I played around with all the settings and I just wasn’t enjoying the camera (or the expensive film that was being wasted). We decided to send it back and get one of the Fujifilm Instax Squares that I’d heard good things about. For the amount of times I was going to use this sort of camera, I just wanted something sturdy that would leave me with a nice image at the end of it…

The Fujifilm Instax camera arrived on New Years Eve and we quickly shot a few images of me in this amazing Alexa Chung Polka dot dress before we left to meet with friends. They develop super quickly and pretty much turn out perfect every time! I know that’s not always the point with this style of camera, and I do value imperfections in photography, but by ‘perfect’ I just mean relatively clear images that I’m pleased with when I turn them over again!

I’ve been reaching for it loads over the past couple of weeks – especially with it being so dark and gloomy outside. I’ve been rediscovering the simple joy of just documenting the everyday, often mundane things. The Fujifilm also has a selfie mode which meant I could get the below snaps of my new prescription glasses last week (the pictures nobody needed). I usually get my eyes tested in Boots, but then take my prescription elsewhere to see where has the best deals on in terms of designer frames. Vision Express always seem to be my best bet if you’re in the Manchester area or have one close to you at home. I purchased these tortoiseshell Gucci frames and then received a free Ray-ban Hexagonal pair that I really love. I wanted a chunky pair like this for everyday, and then a thinner/gold metal frame that would sit a bit lighter for the evening time. I’m a bad glasses wearer and don’t wear them nearly half as much as I should, so finding frames that make me feel confident is really half the battle…

I also got the below beanie hat for six english pounds in the Urban Outfitters sale on my stroll back through town! The only January sale related purchase that I’ve made so far, and I’m pretty pleased with how cosy it’s been keeping my head…

Photographs taken on a Polaroid Onestep+ & Fujifilm Instax Square 

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