From the moment analog photography returned and entered a new boom period, we received a huge variety of instant cameras as well as the ability to implement all sorts of polaroid picture ideas that previous generations couldn’t even dream of. Nowadays, many photography enthusiasts and even professionals share dozens of creative ideas that show how to use old technology in new ways.
Polaroid camera kits are often supplied with colored filters that are attached to the flash and enhance photos with special effects. Usually, it’s a standard set of colors – red, yellow, and blue, but I’ve also seen green and pink filters.
Polaroid pictures can’t be edited with the help of filter apps since they exist only as physical objects without a digital version. By taking a couple of pictures in different color schemes and placing them next to each other, you can receive your own version of the famous “Shot Marilyns” by Andy Warhol.
Polaroid cameras are rarely used for landscape photos but that doesn’t mean it’s a bad idea. Yes, there are quite a few instant cameras that can take wide shots but you have to agree that few people ever thought of a polaroid picture idea that involved panoramic photography.
You can implement this idea the same way you would on your smartphone – take a picture of the left part of the landscape, move the camera to the right and take another shot, and then take a photo of the right part. Now put all three photos together to create a single panoramic picture.
You can also create a portrait photo by taking pictures to the left and right of the subject to achieve an ultrawide lens effect. Polaroid cameras don’t allow you to change lenses so this method is a great alternative.
Traditional collages comprised of digital photos have become outdated but collages made of physical polaroid photos represent some of the newer cool polaroid picture ideas that give you a lot of room for creativity.
You can create a full-length collage of a model by putting together photos of the head, body, arms, and legs. Alternatively, you can combine different body parts with the main portrait – neck, hands, hair, jewelry, and so on to create a unified arrangement.
Such photos instantly became a classic once Polaroid camera started getting popular again. You can implement this idea by taking a landscape, portrait, or any other kind of picture with your Polaroid and then taking a photo of you holding the picture with your camera or smartphone.
I’ve seen different versions of this idea, from fully blurred backgrounds behind the picture to highly-detailed backdrops that attract as much attention as the polaroid photo.
Nearly any modern instant camera made by Polaroid or other manufacturers has the classic double exposure feature. The idea behind this technique is the imposition of one image on top of another one during shooting or printing.
To achieve a double exposure effect when taking the photo, you have to enable this mode. On my Instax SQ6, it can be done by pressing a button with two small squares on top of each other. You can also check the availability of this mode by reading your camera’s manual.
The easiest double exposure polaroid camera ideas involve combining a silhouette shot with a pattern or texture of any kind. Begin by taking a silhouette photo against a well-lit backdrop like the sky or a white studio wall. The silhouette subject should be captivating – a model’s profile or their entire body. Next, you have to find a fitting pattern for the second exposure. Grass, flowers, brick walls, marble flooring – everything can work here as long as it fits your idea.
Analog photography allows you to create an alternative to digital photo manipulation by choosing one of dozens of cute polaroid ideas that tie two pictures together. It can be a couple that is holding hands or more complex compositions that involve multiple people.
By gluing together three small mirrors and turning them into a triangle, you can create a kaleidoscope alternative that will add an interesting effect to your photos. Hold the triangle close to the lens and try taking a selfie or a portrait to see how two of your “clones” also appear in the picture.
If you’re fully engaged in taking pictures with your Polaroid or other instant cameras, you probably already have a stack of photos that depict various important moments of your life. You can arrange such photos in a variety of interesting ways or even make them part of your interior. We put together an array of terrific photo display ideas that you can use for your polaroid pictures.
An entire wall covered with polaroid photos is the dream of any perfectionist. The uniform format of all polaroid pictures allows you to align dozens of photos perfectly. If you have empty wall space in your home, you can turn it into a gallery of small images that depict huge moments. I’ve seen 4x5m (13x16ft) walls that were completely covered with polaroids.
You can attach the pictures to strings and threads, glue them to the wall, or use pins. The only thing you should be careful of is accidentally damaging the wall.
The web is full of photo holders that are used for keeping your pictures vertical. Their construction is incredibly simple – it’s a piece of something that has a slot for the picture. You can make one out of anything – branches, stones, minerals, or glass.
There are a lot of DIY picture frame ideas that you can bring to life. All you need is an empty picture frame that you can purchase in any office supply or crafts store. You’ll also need a rope, some clothespins, and nails/pins that will help you attach the pictures inside the frame.
Such a light string can serve as a fantastic decoration for your room. This idea only requires some lights, a large number of clothespins, and tape/pins for attaching the lights to the wall. You can use battery-powered lights or power them from an outlet as you see fit. These golden “flames” along with the small squares that depict all your cherished moments will create an indescribable feeling of home and coziness.
Personally, I keep all my polaroid pictures in an album that allows me to describe each moment of every photo in detail. You can consider creating a DIY photo album since finding a truly high-quality album for pictures of this kind can be rather difficult.
I recommend picking albums that allow you to slide in photos without having to glue them to the page, making it possible for you to take out or rearrange pictures at any time as you see fit.
Woven and braided decorations became very widespread in recent years thanks to the increased popularity of the boho style. You can use such decorations for displaying your photos. If you know how to weave macrame, you can prepare frames for your pictures beforehand, and if you simply want to attach them to a premade decoration – do so with the help of clothespins or threads.
If you travel a lot and have a journal or simply write in a diary about everything that’s going on in your life, you can enhance both of them with visual content by gluing in your polaroid pictures. As a result, you’ll have a much easier time remembering certain moments from the past by looking at them and reading about what you felt at that time.
This is one of the best polaroid photo ideas if you’re a huge fan of traveling and want to attach the most memorable moments of your trips to a world map while captioning the country and city where the photos were taken at. Threads or thin arrows that point from the picture to the map will help all “viewers” instantly see where the photo was taken.
The most difficult task here is determining which photos are “worthy” of being put up on the wall. Picking just 1 or 2 images from a single large adventure seems like an impossible challenge, but it’s still a choice you’ll have to make.
You can purchase special frames that allow you to place the picture between two glass sheets. The background of such a frame can be made more interesting with various objects like dried flowers and leaves, or you can paint the glass to make it more artistic. Sadly, such frames can’t fit a lot of photos so you’ll have to limit yourself to just your favorite ones or buy a whole bunch of them.
This frame has a special place in my heart as I always wanted to have one in my interior but it always required a lot of space I didn’t have. It can fit 56 polaroid pictures that are placed into dedicated compartments and then covered with glass. You can put such a frame anywhere you want in the house, hang it on the wall, or simply place it on the floor.
If you have yet to buy a Polaroid or other instant camera, you can use special overlays to add frames to your digital photos before printing them. Learn how to use overlays in Photoshop and start transforming your favorite photos into polaroid pictures to add a stylish, vintage look to them.
