Can You Still Develop Old Disposable Cameras?

Last Updated: June 12, 2024

Not too long ago, we had a big ‘clean-up’ day at our house. Like a lot of people, we had collected too much clutter and needed to purge our house of all of the junk and random things that were just laying around, collecting dust. None of us were looking forward to it. I ended up being assigned the oh-so-much super fun role of cleaning out the random draws in our house. As I went through the seemingly endless odds and ins we had for some reason decided to save over the years, I made a discovery! A discovery that immediately ended my drawer duties, much to my wife’s frustration. In one of the drawers, tucked away for over 15 years, I found 6 disposable cameras! I had no idea they were there! My wife barely remembered putting them in the draw, but now could not remember what was on the cameras. For a photography and film nerd like myself, finding old disposable cameras or old film is like finding a treasure chest. Who knows what memories and images could have been taken. I was beyond excited!

Many of you have come across old disposable cameras as you’ve cleaned. Maybe they were yours, or maybe they belonged to one of your kids, or maybe another family member, but regardless, once they are found the question arises: “Can you develop old disposable cameras?”

Can You Still Develop Old Disposable Cameras?

The short and simple answer is yes, you can still develop them! The real question is, will we get any viewable images out of our old disposable cameras? And to answer that question, we’re going to have to consider a number of factors.

What can damage photographic film?

How film works is nothing short of a miracle. Silver bromide and dyes and other layers are applied to a thin film that when it works together are light sensitive and can even display color! There are so many chemical and physical aspects to film, but we don’t want to get too deep here. Let’s discuss the big issues. Heat is one of the biggest things that can damage the film. I’ve developed disposable cameras that have lived in the trunk of a person’s car for several years. Let me tell you, those images were a disaster. The images I was able to salvage had extremely distorted colors and the worst graininess I’ve ever seen. Most of the contrast was washed away also. The images reminded me of being a kid in the 1980s trying to get reception on a certain TV station only to be able to barely get a signal. You could tell there was something there, but not clearly enough to have usable to viewable images.

Besides heat, moisture can have a huge effect on the film. It is possible that moisture in the form of condensation can build up on the inside of the canister even (inside of the disposable camera). Moisture inside of the canister can damage the emulsion or cause abnormal effects with the film itself. Heat and moisture are the enemies of exposed film! But there are ways to battle heat and moisture. Exposed film has two more enemies that cannot be prevented.

One of those enemies is gamma radiation. Gamma radiation is all around us, causing issues all the time, but the older undeveloped film gets, the more it is affected by gamma radiation. According to Kodak, gamma radiation has an effect on the image effectiveness of the film, but it mostly increases the appearance of grain and fog in the image. The older the film gets, the grainier it is going to become. I’ve developed some films that are 20 to 30 years old and have terrible amounts of grain that really begin to distract from the image.

The other issue that drastically affects older undeveloped disposable cameras is the natural order of the energy and the chemistry that makes the film work. Essentially capturing photons in the form of electrons in silver-bromide, during the development process those molecules are transformed into fixed silver which creates an image. Until the film is developed, you actually don’t have an image on the film. Rather, it is a latent image made up of captured energy. And like all prisoners, that energy just wants to escape. Over long periods of time enough can escape to really degrade the quality of your image.

How I can slow this natural decay?

Storing your Disposable Cameras in the fridge helps! Keeping the film cold prevents those electrons from breaking free and making a run for it. But even cold storage will not delay decay for long. Most exposed films need to be developed within 6 months of shooting. Any time after 6 months, your images are going to start to break down. Now, don’t get me wrong, this is a very slow process. Disposable cameras that are 2 years old won’t be that bad. Disposable cameras that are 22 years old however will begin to look kinda bad. And to add to the issues, most manufacturers were not putting the best quality film in disposable cameras in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Kodak Disposable Cameras and Fuji Disposable Cameras generally hold up ok. But store brands and other off brands do not. And if you purchased cameras that were refurbished in china (most Etsy wedding cameras are of this type), those go really fast because they use really really a low-quality film stock.

The bottom line is if you want the best possible images from your disposable camera, store them in a cool dry place and get them developed as soon as possible!

What will the Images from My Old Disposable Camera Look Like?

So ok, you didn’t do any of the things above and you’re like us and have had these disposable cameras just sitting in a draw for years needing to be developed. What are your images going to look like?

The pictures from your old disposable camera are more than likely going to exhibit three traits. The first trait is decreased contrast. Your image will appear flatter with a less noticeable difference between the highlights and the shadow.

Definitely a lot of grain and distorted colors here!

Strong magenta shifts are very common in old disposable cameras

The second trait you will notice is distorted color. Your final images will have color shifts. Some of which can be easily fixed but some are impossible to restore without extremely detailed work. A way to work around this is to develop your old disposable cameras as black and white images. While you lose the color (which is distorted probably anyways) you can salvage some of the image quality. You can ask the lab to process your disposable camera as black and white if you’re worried!

The third trait is graininess. And oh my goodness do old disposable cameras get grainy. Combine that with the first two issues and you can end up with a mess of an image.

If you take a look at your negatives, you will also notice some pretty severe curling and brittleness. There is also a good chance that the negatives will be substantially darker than fresh film.

Is it worth getting old disposable cameras developed?

Absolutely! The images on those disposable cameras may be beautiful reminders of the past, holding precious moments, the faces of friends and family or special events that you have long forgotten. But you shouldn’t wait to get them developed! The sooner you get the processed, the better. The decay is only going to get worse!

Where can I go to get old disposable cameras developed?

There are actually a number of places that will develop your old disposable cameras. While you can take them to a drop-off location like CVS or Walmart, they may not provide your older film with the special care it needs. We could recommend using one of the higher-quality mail-in services that exist. Check out our post on Where do I go to get my Disposable Cameras Developed?

If you’re looking for a quality and customer service-centered photo lab for your old disposable cameras, then our photo lab may be exactly what you are looking for! We develop hundreds of disposable cameras every month, both new and old! Click HERE to get started!

Finding Treasure on an Old Disposable Camera

How do you get images off of an old disposable camera? That’s easy, you get them developed, which is exactly what I did when I found those cameras. On those 6 cameras were images of our grown son, and family that had passed away from a big family birthday party we had had. As I carefully developed and scanned the images I couldn’t help but well up with tears of joy at the smiling faces I saw, some of them I haven’t seen in years. My adult son’s little kid face, my grandfather’s amazing smile, my dad’s goofy grin. All images I immediately treasured, which had been almost completely forgotten about if my wife hadn’t made me clean up the drawers.

I shared all of those images with my family. We laughed and cried together. If you find old disposable cameras, remember that the cameras are disposable, but the memories inside are not!

Also, check out this great Kodak resource on storing and handling unprocessed film!

Kodak Reveals a New Disposable Camera with Professional Black and White Film!

The only frustrating thing about Disposable Cameras for me is their lack of variety. You can choose between Kodak and Fuji and you just get a low-grade color negative film in both. Or, if you want black and white, Ilford has a disposable camera out there. Really the only option you have is what film speed do you buy.

Now Kodak Alaris is upping the game with the announcement of a new black and white disposable camera! Not only is it black and white, but it comes loaded with Kodak Tri-X 400! Which just happens to be my absolute favorite black and white film.

The newly announce Kodak Professional Black and White Disposable Camera with Tri-X 400 film

Disposable cameras (also now called single use cameras) are so much fun and so convenient, but they do have their weaknesses. Two main weaknesses to be exact. The first is the low quality plastic lens. While these have gotten remarkable better over the years, a plastic lens is just never goin to give you the sharpness a glass lens will. There’s no way to fix this unless you’re will to pay a lot more for the disposable camera, which at the point, you might as well just buy a used point-and-shoot. The second drawback to disposable cameras is that the film that goes into them is really low-end film. Don’t get me wrong, it works fine and helps to provide the disposable camera aesthetic that we’ve all come to love. But I always think to myself, what if these single use cameras came with slightly better film?

A Disposable Camera with Professional Film

Kodak has seen the trend and has decided to invest more in the disposable camera market by offering a camera with one of their professional films, namely Tri-X 400. While the lens is still plastic, I’m convinced the marriage of the single use camera format with this black and white film will produce some amazing results. I cannot wait to get my hands on one!

The camera itself has a basic disposable camera set-up. Each camera comes in a plastic body with an automatically recharging flash powered by a AA battery. The camera body is nothing new and appears to be very similar to Kodak Max Flash disposable camera.

The 35mm film inside is Kodak extremely popular Tri-X 400 which is a high-speed panchromatic film that works great in low light and bright sunlight. Tri-X400 has a wide latitude and great in all sorts of situations. Color negative 35mm film often really struggle in low light and also has a tendency to desaturate in bright sunlight. Consumers will have a lot more luck capturing images at events with varied lighting, such as weddings and concert. The only sacrifice if the color.

Kodak Tri-X 400 is one of my personal favorite film stocks. I keep boxes of it on hand in several formats at all times. I’ve used it in a variety of lighting situations and events and I have never been disappointed.

Where can I get Kodak Disposable Cameras Developed?

When it comes to their color negative single use cameras, almost anywhere! You can actually read more about getting your disposable cameras developed HERE in our article “Where can I get My Disposable Camera Developed”. But this camera uses black and white film, so you will need to make sure that the place you are sending your camera can process this film!

The good news is that our lab can process these black and white disposable cameras for you! Just click this link to our Disposable Camera Processing to get started.

Technical information about the Kodak Professional 400TX Single Use Camera

If you’re looking for more technical information, here are two documents from Kodak that should help you find the answers you’re looking for. This PDF is an FAQ you can download with lots of common questions and answers directly from Kodak. This PDF is the Kodak Tri-X 320 and 400 film technical data.

Where Can I Buy the Kodak Black and White Disposable Camera?

If you’re looking to buy a Kodak Professional 400TX Single Use Camera, they’re coming soon! But sadly, they aren’t out yet. We will be watching daily as we can wait to buy a few ourselves and we will update this information as soon as they become available!

Polaroid Christmas Gift Guide 2021

Whether you’re shopping for that person who has everything or your niece or nephew or grandchild and you want to get them something to inspire them, you should definitely consider getting them a Polaroid as a Christmas gift.

Do Polaroid Cameras Make Good Gifts?

The short answer is absolutely! Well, absolutely for almost everyone. They are a one size fits all kind of gift and creates a wow and ooooh factor that yet another sweater or gift card just don’t have. From pre-teens to 80 year olds, polaroid cameras are easy to use and fun to use! All you have to do is point and shoot and you’re creating great images and memories to last a life time. Giving a Polaroid camera as a gift can inspire the creativity of the recipient, especially with some of the newer cameras with bluetooth connectivity! It’s a creative gift and a tech gift, all wrapped up into one great present!

Which Polaroid Camera Should I Buy?

It depends. There are a few great models out there this holiday season for you to consider. When shopping, you need to take into account the following:

• What features does the Polaroid camera have?

• How much does it cost?

• What type of Polaroid film does it use?

• Is this type of Polaroid film available at a local store or does it have to be ordered online?

• How much does the film cost?

Let’s take a look at some of the holiday offerings from Polaroid and find the answers to each!

Polaroid Now+ Starter Set

The Polaroid Now+ Starter Kit in Black

The Polaroid Now+ is one of the newest and most feature rich instant cameras out there! It comes with basic features like autofocus and a rechargeable battery, but also includes Bluetooth connectivity and a dedicated app to help you control your device! The app affords you the ability to use the camera to do a wide variety of creative shots. You can also choose between colors! You can get a Polaroid Now+ in white, black, and blue-grey. Getting the starter set is a great idea for a Christmas gift because it includes three packs of Polaroid I-Type film (2 color packs and 1 black and white).

Here are the Tech Specs:

The Polaroid Now+ Starter Set contents:
1 x Polaroid Now+ camera
+ 2 packs of Polaroid Color i-Type Film
+ 1 pack of Polaroid B&W i-Type Film

Camera:
Dimensions: 5.9 in / 150.16 mm (L) x 4.4 in / 112.2 mm (W) x 3.8 in / 95.48 mm (H)
Weight: 457 grams (without film pack)

Battery: lithium-ion battery (UN3481)

Outer shell: Polycarbonate + ABS plastics
Lenses: Polycarbonate resin

Shutter system:
1/200 - 1sec. (Camera only)
1/200 - 30 sec. and Bulb mode (App Mode)

Focal length:
Standard Lens: 102.35 mm (40mm/35 equivalent)
Close-up Lens: 94.96 mm (35mm/35 equivalent)

Field of view:
Horizontal 40°, vertical 41°

Flash system:
Auto-Adjust Output Vacuum discharge tube strobe system

Lens filter kit, USB charging cable and Neck strap included
Tripod mount on base of camera

Polaroid Now Starter Set

The Polaroid Now Starter Set in White

The Polaroid Now instant camera has a very similar form factor when compared to the Now+, it has the same basic layout and even uses the same Polaroid I-Type film. It’s even got a similar autofocus system and a rechargeable battery like the Now+. But what it doesn’t have is Bluetooth connectivity and app control from your phone. This is still a really solid camera and many people don’t actually need or will use the creative features included in the Bluetooth Now+. It does have a timer and will take double exposures so there are still some creative features included. But overall the Polaroid Now is a solid instant camera with basic features that will work great for most of the people you might be buying for. And again, buying the starter kit is a great idea because it comes with 3 packs of Polaroid I-Type film (2 color and 1 b&w) so that when the recipient opens the box they can immediately charge their camera and get to shooting!

Here are the tech specs for the Polaroid Now:

The Polaroid Now Starter Set contents:
1 x Polaroid Now camera
+ 2 packs of Polaroid Color i-Type Film
+ 1 pack of Polaroid B&W i-Type Film

Camera:
Dimensions: 3.7 × 4.4 × 5.9 in (94 x 112.2 x 150.2 mm)
Weight: 0.95 lbs (434 grams) (without film pack)
Battery: High performance lithium-ion battery (750mAh), rechargeable via USB
Outer shell: Polycarbonate + ABS plastics
Lenses: Optical grade Polycarbonate and Acrylic lenses, coated
Shutter system: Custom design, using precision step motor for shutter
Autofocus system via 2 fixed focus zones 0.55m-1.3m, 0.6m-infinity
Focal length
Close-up (lens 1) 94.96 mm
Distance (lens 2) 102.35 mm
Field of view
41 degrees vertical, 40 degrees horizontal
Flash system
Vacuum discharge tube storage
Neck Strap and USB charging cable included

Polaroid Go Starter Set

The New Polaroid Go Starter Kit

The Polaroid format has been around for years and is very familiar to everyone. We’ve all seen the classic square image with the white boarders in person and depicted in movies and graphics. The Polaroid Go departs from that very classic Polaroid format and gives us an entirely new format in a smaller size and is perfect for kids and teens looking to get into instant photography. Besides being smaller, the Polaroid Go and the film it uses are also much cheaper! The price alone might be enough to make you choose this starter set. The camera has similar double exposure and timer features as the Polaroid Now, but lacks the dual lens autofocus. This simpler camera is aimed at a market where portability and fun on the go are important. The size of the image it produces is closer to a Fuji Instax than a Polaroid, but its unmistakably Polaroid!

Like the other starter sets, the Polaroid Go Starter Set comes with film, 16 exposures of Polaroid Go Film. Unlike the other sets, the 16 pictures are part of just one pack of film and the only option you have is color.

Here are the specs for the Polaroid Go:

Technical Specifications

The Polaroid Go Starter Set contents:
1 x Polaroid Go camera
+ 1 Polaroid Go Color Film Double Pack


Camera:
Pocket-sized Analog Instant Camera
Dimensions: 5.9 x 3.3 x 2.4 in (105 mm x 83.9 mm x 61.5 mm)
Weight: 0.53 lbs (242 grams) (without film pack)
Color: White

Battery: High performance lithium-ion battery, 750mAh, 3.7V nominal Voltage, 2.7Wh, rechargeable via USB.
15-pack battery life

Outer shell: Polycarbonate + ABS plastics

Lenses: Polycarbonate resin
Shutter speed: 1/125-1sec
Aperture: f/12 and f/52
Focal length: 34 mm (35 mm equivalent)

Field of view: Diagonal 65.1°, Horizontal 48.1°, Vertical 49.1 degrees

Automatic flash (with override)
Flash system: Vacuum discharge tube storage

Packaging contents:
Polaroid Go camera
USB charging cable
Wrist strap
Quick Start Guide
Safety & Compliance Booklet

Compatible only with Polaroid Go film

Polaroid Film as a Gift

When you’re having fun and snapping photos, it takes literally no time at all to shoot up a pack of 8 Polaroid pictures. If you know someone that already has a Polaroid camera, getting them some Polaroid film is a great idea! Packs cost around $15 each and you can purchase them directly from Polaroid by CLICKING HERE or you can find other places to buy Polaroid film by checking out our earlier blog post HERE.

Make sure you know what film to buy, or at least which camera you are buying for. New Polaroid cameras, vintage Polaroid cameras, and the Polaroid Go all take different types of film. Polaroid’s I-Type film is similar to their 600 film but it does not have a battery pack like the 600 film does. So you can use I-Type film and 600 film in a newer camera, (Impossible I-1, Polaroid Now, Polaroid Now+, Polaroid OneStep2, etc). But if you’re buying for a vintage camera, you can only use Polaroid 600 film. If the person your are buying for has an SX-70, you can only buy SX-70 type film.

The best place to check compatibility is to go right to the source! CLICK HERE to go directly to Polaroid’s guide on camera and film compatibility.

Polaroid Starter Packs are a Great Place to Start Holiday Gift Shopping

If you’d like to browse Polaroid’s catalog and you’d like to SAVE 15% - CLICK HERE to sign up to get an exclusive coupon code offered only through Shutter Junkies! With shortages and supply chain issues, it would be best to order your starter sets early so you can get them in time for the Holidays/Christmas Season.

Should I Get Disposable Cameras for My Wedding?

Weddings have so much potential for creativity and fun! And one of the best ways to make a wedding amazing is to make it interactive. Games, dancing, toasts, even the wedding cake are part of an interactive event. But the wedding photography still remains somewhat exclusive. Sure, you can use your phone, but it’s not really something that you can share with the happy couple. At least, not easily…

This has led a lot of couples to choose disposable cameras for their wedding. Everyone can grab a camera and document the event from their own perspective! In theory, it’s an amazing and fun idea, but we have to ask ourselves - is it a good idea to have disposable cameras at your wedding? Let’s look at the pros and cons of having disposable cameras and figure out if they are the best choice for you!

Wedding Disposable Cameras: The Good

There are so many good reasons to have disposable cameras at your wedding. While this list is not exhaustive, it does give you an idea of how having disposable cameras available for guests at your wedding might be a great idea!

Disposable Cameras are fun!

Cameras are fun, but there’s just something about a disposable camera that brings out the best and sometimes worst (in a good way) in people. Their simplicity means that anyone can pick up a disposable camera and start shooting. Everyone can be a photographer and it can inspire some people to create some really cute and fun poses while making great memories for you and your spouse. Plus, having disposable cameras available just seems to really liven up the reception crowd! The fun factor of a disposable camera is a major pro when considering whether or not to buy disposable cameras for your wedding.

Disposable Cameras are Cheap!

I’ve seen couples try to use instant cameras at their weddings. Fuji Instax and Polaroid cameras can range from $60 to $120 each and then you have to purchase the film which roughly costs between $ and $3 per photo depending on which format you are using. Couples choosing to go with instant cameras at their weddings often discover that people have to wait around to have a turn and they can burn through a lot of film really quickly. Disposable cameras range between $10 and $20 per camera many times (though you can buy them in bulk cheaper) and come with 27 exposures. You’re getting the camera and the film at a fraction of the cost of instant.

Disposable Cameras are Easy to Use!

A shutter button, a flash charge button, and a winding wheel are all that make up a disposable camera. You charge the flash, press the shutter release, and then wind the film to the next stop and that’s it! If you buy regular consumer disposable cameras for your wedding, you’ll find the instructions are even printed right on the camera. If you purchase decorative cameras from Etsy or Amazon, those may be covered up, but the cameras are still ridiculously easy to use!

Disposable Cameras are Super Durable

Let’s be honest, many of your guests are going to be feeling pretty good once the open bar starts pouring at your reception. You wouldn’t want them handing your Instax or Polaroid cameras in that condition. One drop could send your $100 investment right into the trash when the camera breaks. While disposable cameras are cheap, they are surprisingly durable thanks to the extremely simple design and their plastic lens. You can drop them repeatedly and often the only thing that might happen is the flash stops working. Which doesn’t render the camera completely useless, merely limited in its function.

Disposable cameras are easy to buy

Cheap, durable, and they are still EVERYWHERE! Walmart, Target, and many pharmacies still carry disposable cameras. And you can easily purchase them online! Amazon carries them as well as Etsy and many other online retailers. If you’re looking for info on where you can buy a disposable camera, check out THIS ARTICLE.

You can also check out our Disposable Camera Packages for Weddings! We offer disposable camera packages in 5, 10 or even 20 and the price includes developing and digital delivery through an online gallery. All of our wedding disposable camera packages come with brand-new Kodak cameras loaded with the best film for shooting in darker areas like reception halls or at night. Of course, you should still always use your flash!

Wedding Disposable Cameras: The Bad

While there are a lot of pros to having disposable cameras at your wedding, there are a few things you should be aware of. The good news is that being aware of them can make your disposable camera experience much more enjoyable! Here are the things you should watch out for:

Your Guests may get crazy

I recently developed, processed, and scanned disposable camera film for a customer who had used these disposable cameras at a wedding. While there were many many amazing photos of family and friends, one particular individual decided to walk around and take photos of everyone’s crotches. He even snapped photos under the table. It was an entire roll, 27 exposures, of crotch shots. The customer/bride was extremely upset. I doubt any of those photos made it into the wedding album!

There may be a lot of Finger Photos…

Because you are looking through a viewfinder on a disposable camera, you aren’t actually seeing what is coming through the lens. Combine that with the smooth design (no protruding lens) of a disposable camera and you’re going to end up with a lot of people’s fingers drifting into the picture. I process a lot of wedding disposable cameras and I see a lot of fingers in pictures. Well, you can’t really tell it’s a finger, just a skin-colored blurry blob on the right side of the frame. Fortunately, many of the images can be cropped down to get rid of the finger, but sometimes, it just takes up too much of the image.

To Flash or Not to Flash

The biggest issue I see with disposable cameras that come back from weddings is that the images are always very very dark. People forget to activate the flash button or fail to understand that it has to be pushed each time you’re about to use the camera in most cases. The dark nature of most reception halls makes the flash absolutely necessary and even then, you have to understand that the flash is only good for so many feet. When indoors at the reception, guests should use the flash every single time! When outdoors and in the shade, there’s a good chance you should still use the flash. For most disposable cameras, the only time that you absolutely do not need the flash is when your subject is standing in very bright daylight. So if you have the opportunity to inform through an announcement or making a sign or whatever, make sure your guests know about using the flash!

Without flash…

With flash…

The Cost of Developing

Many couples come back from their honeymoon and discover a large box filled with all of the disposables they had at their wedding and are often sticker-shocked when they discover the cost of developing! Film processing prices are on the rise to get your film processed and scanned could cost as much as $20 or more per roll. When you have 20 or 30 cameras, that adds up to a lot of money and is a somewhat hidden cost and problematic for many who choose to use disposable cameras.

The good news is that WE PROCESS DISPOSABLE CAMERAS! We can develop, scan, process, and even print your images for you at an extremely reasonable price! We provide special care for our wedding customers and give extra attention to detail and image processing to make sure your images turn out beautifully! For orders of 30 cameras and up we even offer a special bulk discount! Message us to find out more!

Is it a good idea to have disposable cameras at my wedding?

While you have to weigh the pros and cons of wedding disposable cameras and consider your guests and your budget, we think it’s a fantastic idea to use such fun and interactive media at your wedding. Communicate with your guests and assume they have no idea how to use a disposable camera. You can use social media to hype the presence of disposable cameras while using it to inform your guests how to properly use the cameras. And, don’t forget to budget for the cost of developing your disposables. We have a new product offering coming soon that will allow for you to buy a package of cameras AND includes developing/scanning/prints!

Wedding Albums: Are They Really Necessary?

Pexels.com

We live in the golden age of digitalization. So it only makes sense that most of what was physical before are now finding their way to the digital world. This includes wedding photos and albums. 

Nowadays, most brides and grooms prefer receiving digital copies of their wedding photos. Not just because these files are more compact and portable than physical albums, but they are also much easier to share and brag about on social media. 

So, this begs the question:

Are wedding albums really necessary in 2021 and beyond? 

The answer is, well, it depends. 

Let’s take a look at a couple of factors that may influence a couple’s decision to get a wedding album for their special day. 

Professional- vs Consumer-Grade Wedding Albums

There are two main types of wedding albums available for soon-to-be-married couples — and these are your professional- and consumer-grade wedding albums.

Consumer-grade wedding albums are often made of low-end materials, which is why they aren’t the best option if you’re looking for high-value and high-quality printouts. They often use a default album design for every client and lack personalization options across the board. 

If you don’t want your wedding album looking generic and common, working with professional-grade producers is your best option. They offer customizable album designs and layouts that fit the preferences of each client/couple. Additionally, you get to enjoy high-quality images printed on premium materials. 

Pricing and Budgeting

One more thing about digital wedding photos that make them so attractive is that they are more cost-effective than traditional printed albums. 

Printed albums require a couple to shell out at least $500 to $800 on top of their photographer’s fee, which normally costs around $1000 to $2000, depending on the photographer’s level of expertise. 

Some couples may not like the idea of spending a couple of extra hundred dollars for a wedding album. However, others may find a way to fit the costs into their overall budget. 

Hard Drive Failure and Physical Backups

Hard drive failures happen every day, and when they do, hundreds even thousands of pieces of data are lost or damaged in the process. You can read dozens of stories on the internet of people wishing they had a physical copy of lost memories they stored on their phone or computer. 

Albums can act as a sort of physical backup for precious memories and milestones. Physical printed photos can last more than a lifetime and can be an incredibly “romantic” way of passing down memories to future generations. There’s something about the feeling of paper in your hands that makes you feel more connected to the photos you’re looking at. 

You can’t duplicate that feeling by handing your grandchildren a thumb drive. 

If you want something you can physically pass down as an heirloom to your grandkids, then a wedding album is a great choice.

Professional Photography

Weddings are already one of the biggest investments you will ever make in your life (apart from buying a home and getting a mortgage). Might as well go all out on this area of your wedding budget and hire someone who will make you, your spouse, and your guests all look good in your wedding photos. 

While we have nothing against hiring novice or amateur photographers, there is value in hiring a professional to capture the moments of your special day. 

A wedding album should be more than just a collection of photos compiled in one book. 

Professional photographers can work with you in designing your album. They can help you decide on a theme, a color scheme, as well as costumes — if you’re aiming for that vibe and feel. 

So, Are Wedding Albums Necessary?

While wedding albums are nice to have, they technically aren’t necessary, especially if you don’t have the extra resources to spend. As we said, wedding albums aren’t the cheapest memorabilia. They cost anywhere between $500 to $800 dollars, and those are just the numbers before adding the editing, layout, and designing fees.

You don’t want your wedding day to be the reason you go into debt, after all. 

If you’re only feeling pressured to get a wedding album because it’s the current “trend,” it’s probably best to sit that one out. As long as you have a solid backup plan in place for your wedding photos, you should be fine without a wedding album. 

On the flip side, if you have the budget for a professional-grade wedding album that is shot and designed by an expert photographer, then you should definitely consider getting one. 

Not only is it a great way to look back on important events and memories, but it also ensures that you have a high-quality backup to pass on to future generations — in case your files get lost in the cloud or your device’s hard drive fails and loses your data.

We hope this article helps you with your decision on whether to get a wedding album or not!

If you’re looking for a Wedding Photographer that will fill your wedding album with absolutely beautiful images, CLICK HERE to see our work and find out more!

by Sophia Young - Sophia Young Content Studio

Are there any Cheap Lightroom Presets that are any Good?

When I first started off in photography and was figuring out how to use Lightroom, it was obviously that I needed to get my hands on some good presets to help me speed up my workflow. I scoured the internet but anything I could find that was free, was honestly awful. I wasn’t a very good photographer, but I knew what looked good and what didn’t. So I finally gave up on free Lightroom presets and started to search for cheap or at least affordable Lightroom presets. But at the time, there just weren’t very many of those either! I finally gave up and started working on my own presets. It was a process that took a lot of time and effort. But fortunately, things have changed and there are some decent cheap Lightroom presets out there that you can use to help you give a boost to the look of your photos and speed up your post-processing workflow!

The BEST Affordable Lightroom Preset on the Market

Normally, I would do more of an in-depth discussion, but who’s got the time for that? By pure accident, I came across a set of presets by a company called Exposure Empire and after checking out all that they have to offer, they aren’t bad at all! In fact, they are actually pretty good! And for the price, you just can’t beat what they have to offer. Lots of different styles and packs, lots to choose from and all reasonably priced! For a limited time, they are offering their entire bundle for just $29! That’s right - $29 for an entire bundle of Lightroom Presets that you can use!

So if you’re seriously wanting to take your photography to the next level and speed up your process, you can do it for only $29 with these great presets from Exposure Empire. Click the button below to check out their page and order your bundle today before this offer ends!

Get a Free Disposable Camera!

It’s time for our September Give-A-Way and this month, we are giving away a FREE DISPOSABLE CAMERA! And it’s not just any old disposable!

The Ilford Ilfocolor Rapid Retro Edition Disposable Camera

I was able to get my hands on two of these hard to find cameras and they were just delivered! I intend to do a photoshoot and review with one and the other will go to one lucky winner along with free processing and scanning. All you have to do is sign up by clicking the button below and enter to win!

While Ilford is world renown for their black and white film, this color film camera with its 1980’s packaging looks like a fun way to play with and experience Ilford’s dive into color disposable cameras. The film inside is rated at ISO 400 so this is definitely a camera you want to use outside with plenty of light. We will be shooting the camera we are keeping for tests in a variety of situations to see how if fares!

Contest Details

The winner will be selected from individuals who have signed up by providing their email address. Winners will be drawn at random on October 1st, 2021 and will be notified by email. The winner will then have to provide shipping information as well as instagram and must agree to be featured/mentioned on Shutter Junkies social media to receive the prize.

Is Lomography 800 Color Negative Film Worth Using?

Lomography is the company that actually got me into film photography. I loved the lo-fi and super creative look their cameras and films provided. Back when they were just getting going here in the United States, I was a huge fan and bought Lomography 35mm film almost exclusively for several years before I branched out to the other big brands like Kodak, Ilford, and Fuji.

For the most part, many of their films were just ok and for the price, they just were always as consistent as the big name brands of 35mm film out there. As time went on I found myself using less and less of their film. But during the pandemic, I found myself with a lot of free time and getting bored of my usual film stocks so I decided to order a bunch of Lomography 800 film in 35mm, 120, and 110. 800 ISO film is great because you can shoot indoors, outdoors and everything in between. But does the Lomography 800 film give you consistent and reliable results? Is the Lomography 800 color negative film worth using?

The Characteristics of Lomography 800 Film

Lomography 800 film offers a great dynamic range and a nice grain structure to give you a really versatile film stock. I’ve used this film stock in the past, but hadn’t shot any in several years. I was pleasantly surprised once I started looking at the results I was getting. I had previously thought the film to be good but this latest batch of film really surprised me. I shot this film indoors, outdoors, in bright light, in the dark, with a flash and I kept getting really good results. The film does behave differently in the various situations and you really have to play with it and learn how to use it. Kodak Portra 400, another favorite film stock of mine, is very similar, but I have found that I really do not like a lot of the results of Portra, but I do love Lomography 800 in all of its different reactions.

Beyond the very flexible dynamic range and really nice grain structure when shot at box speed, the film produces really nice subdued color tones in softer light and shade. Brighter lights and flashes bring out a little more punch and contrast. Knowing this and becoming familiar with how the film reacts will give you a lot of ability to control how your images turn out.

Lomography 800 Film is Amazing for Portraits

If there’s one area I feel like this film stock excels, its in portraits. I love the look of skin tones with this film! Regardless of your model’s skin color or characteristics, this film renders skin tones beautifully. While I’ve gotten good results shooting land scapes and city scenes with Lomography 800, I just love using it most when I’m working with a model, getting shots that focus on them. Couple this film with a fast lens for some amazing bokeh and the colors really blend nicely. Whether its neutral skin tones or your splashing color on the subject, this film really does an amazing job.

Is Lomography 800 Color Negative Film Worth Using?

Absolutely! Lomography has a lot of good film stocks out there, but if you’re looking for one film to buy, I can’t recommend the Lomography Lomo 800 film enough. You can use it in almost any situation, lighting condition, and with any camera. It gives you a lot of flexibility and control, once you’re familiar with the film. Lomography also makes it in 35mm and 120 so it will fit whatever camera you’re using. Get a few rolls and find out for yourself how awesome this film is!

Click the link below to order Lomography 800 film from Amazon!

New Land Camera Could Bring New Life to Your Old Polaroid

Once Fuji Film announced they were stopping production on FP-100C and FP-3000B peel-apart film, I was heartbroken. Not only was one of my favorite instant film formats going away, but so was my ability to use some of my favorite Polaroid Cameras. Exclusively designed for peel-apart film, these cameras instantly became dust magnets once my film reserves ran out.

Polaroid Peel-Apart Film Cameras

The Polaroid Land Cameras have been around for a long time. There were four generations of the folding colorpack film cameras produced. There were 100, 200, 300, and 400 series cameras produced over the years. While we don’t have time to go through the details of these wonderful devices here, we will come back and revisit them in a future post! Theses cameras are bigger, collapsable range finders, very simple to use and as fun as they are simple.

The only issue with continuing to use these camera is that the batteries are no longer produced. A very simple modification with a new small battery pack is an easy fix for that problem however!

We’ve written in the past about the difficulty in getting film for these cameras. You can read about finding peel-apart film (both Fuji FP-100C and OneInstant Film from Supersense) by CLICKING HERE.

But this post isn’t about peel-apart pack film. Nopeel-apart pack film this is about an entirely different approach to bringing life to those old Polaroid Pack-Film Land Cameras using the new integral film from Polaroid!

What is NewLandCamera?

I was browsing Facebook, wasting time the other day and I came across a post that grabbed my attention. It was nothing more than a picture and a name: NewLandCamera. I couldn’t click fast enough to find out more. It started with just a Facebook page, then I went through their Instagram, and now they’re website is up! NewLandCamera is a company that is focused on the ‘Rebirth of Land Cameras’. My inner fan-boy of the Land Camera leapt with joy. I continued to investigate!

NewLandCamera has designed and is refining a 3D printed device that works with 100-400 series Polaroid Land Cameras and enables them to use Polaroid integral films (I-Type, 600, and SX-70). It appears to be a manual process, meaning that you snap your photo and then have to manually crank the film out. But I’m not upset about this as peel-apart film was also completely manual with having to grab the tabs and pull.

Are you ready to shoot with your Land Camera again? I know I am!

How Can I Find Out More about NewLandCamera?

The easiest way is to head to their website and sign-up for their news letter. They are also actively posting to their social media accounts so make sure you follow them on Facebook and Instagram.

All of the photos here were snagged from their social media and there will definitely be more coming! We will also post any updates that NewLandCamera releases as we eagerly await the release of their adapters!

Where Can I Buy Peel-Apart Film?

The minute Fuji announced they would be discontinuing FP-100C peel-apart film for older polaroid cameras, then film began to fly off of the shelves. The Fuji made film which sold for around $20 per pack was often sold out at the normal places and prices began to increase as people were trying to buy up as much as they could to use or horde and sell later at a ridiculous profit. But because so many people purchased and held on to sell later, even years down the road it is still possible to find the Fuji film in color and black and white. You can even still occasionally find some very expired Polaroid peel-apart film. You also currently have then option to purchase some of the new One Instant pack film from Supersense.

If you’re looking for some film to shoot, here’s a break down of where you can still find Peel-Apart film for Polaroid cameras and what you can expect to pay as well as what you need to watch out for.

Where Can I Buy Peel-Apart Film for my Polaroid Camera?

ONE INSTANT by Supersense

Supersense is a great little group of creative individuals working hard to keep peel-apart film alive. I love their passion and ingenuity, but product isn’t quite the peel-apart film that we are used to. It requires a lot more care and concern when loading and the results are not as uniform as the mass produced FP-100C or even expired Polaroid film packs. With only one shot per paper pack, you have to be a little more careful when loading and you get less of a run and shoot experience. And at almost $40 for three exposures, ONE INSTANT is not the most affordable option for taking instant photos, but it is at least fresh chemistry and it works! And the guys are Supersense are a really great group of creative individuals, so you should definitely go support their efforts.

You can head on over to Supersense’s website to buy a few packs today if you want to give ONE INSTANT a try. CLICK HERE to go to their site.

You can actually purchase Fuji pack film from Supersense as well. They have the best and most consistent stock. The price is also reasonable considering that the film packs are in good shape. You can shop their store HERE.

Buy Fuji FP-100C on Ebay

eBay has been a good place to find Fuji FP-100C for years. The prices have fluctuated but have mostly settled. You can expect to pay at least $66.00 for a single pack of expired Fuji FP-100C. The newer (aka the later the expiration date) the film, the high the cost. You can also purchase bundles of film packs. When purchasing film from eBay, you want to make sure and find some that has been stored in a refrigerator. The liquid chemicals will dry out over time but keeping them cool keeps them from drying out. Most packs of FP-100C sell in the range of $75-$100 per pack.

Buy Polaroid Peel-Apart Film on eBay

Finding actually usable Polaroid pack film on eBay is quite a challenge. Most of the film out there has expiration dates in the 80’s or 90’s. Pricing starts in the low $20’s but that’s in unknown condition. Polaroid film, even when its expired is amazing as long as the chemicals aren’t dried up. I love it even more than the Fuji pack film.

At this point in time, buying Polaroid film is a gamble, but if you can find some that works, its an amazing experience! I’ve bought several packs on eBay, only to have a few work. But the results were well worth it.

Buy Fuji Peel-Apart Film on Amazon

While there used to be a large selection of Fuji FP-100C film on Amazon, it seems that the supply has mostly dried up. At the time of posting only one listing remains at a cost of $828.00 for 5 packs. Listings only appear occasionally so if you’re interested in picking up some real Fuji FP100C, this is your chance! CLICK HERE to go to the listing and place your order!

Buy Peel-Apart Film on Craigslist

Several people have had some luck finding Fuji film on Craigslist. The chances of finding it on your first look are slim, but if you check consistently you have a better chance of finding some for sale. The film used to be listed quite frequently but again, as supplies are being exhausted, they listings are disappearing.

Looking for Peel-Apart Film at Garage Sales

This is even a longer shot than Craigslist, but some people have found some really major scores. This is literally as difficult as looking for a needle in a haystack, but if you find some, its usually cheap!

You Can Still Buy Pull-Apart Film, But…

Your options are definitely limited and what options do exist out there are expensive. If you have the opportunity to pick up a pack of film, its definitely an experience like nothing else polaroid. The manual process of shooting, pulling, waiting, and then peeling, dealing with the sticky chemicals and discovering the beautiful image you’ve capture, its something every instant photographer needs to experience at least once before all of the film is gone!

If you own a Polaroid Land Camera and want to still find a way to use it, New Land Camera is working on an integral film back for Land Cameras. CLICK HERE to read more about the work they are doing!

Don’t forget to check out our other article discussing if Polaroid would be bringing pull-apart film back by clicking HERE!