Did you start out with a Polaroid camera? Was it special to you?
By spalladino
@spalladino (17891)
United States
December 8, 2008 12:31pm CST
I put this discussion in Life because for some of us who are a bit older, getting our own Polaroid camera was a rite of passage...a step towards adulthood. When I got mine I thought I was a real big shot! I was going to be the next great photographer, with instant gratification at my figertips as I watched my creations appear before me. I went through packs of film taking pictures of everything and everyone for quite a long time in kid time.
When I became a mom I gave my kids that same kind of camera...that is until my youngest, who is 8 years younger than her closest sibling, came along. By the time she was camera ready digital cameras were affordable and that's what she craved.
Now, Polaroid is discontinuing it's instant film. I think I'm going to dig up my old camera and see if I can still find film for it. Or see if either of my older daughters still have theirs packed away somewhere. It may be old fashioned and outdated but I want my grandchildren to experience the awe of watching a photo they took magically appear while holding it in their hands. I don't care what anyone says, I think that's one of the coolest things in the world! 
1 person likes this
6 responses
@sunnflr (2767)
• United States
8 Dec 08
I remember my mom and dad having one and it was cool watching the pictures come out. I had a regular film camera after getting married, and then we got our own polaroid. We never really used it much, but as a kid it was cool to watch the film process.
1 person likes this
@alyssakenzie (462)
• United States
9 Dec 08
It was one of my best days when my parents gave me my polaroid camera. I will never forget how excited I was that day. I used my all the time for years to come and it will probably be my favorite camera of all time no matter what new fancy ones come out. I still have mine packed away and you have made me want to get it out again. Thanks
@creativedreamweaver (7297)
• United States
8 Dec 08
Oh do I remember Poloroid Instant cameras. My mom had one, and it gave her so much joy. She loved taking photos with it. She even let me try it. It was the first camera I ever used. She later gave me her Brownie camera to use as my own. I loved it too. It's too bad about them discontinuing the film, but no hard to believe. With nearly everything digital now I imagine there will be other companies that follow in the future (like the old 110 film).
@ZephyrSun (7381)
• United States
8 Dec 08
No I never had one. I didn't have a camera until my first child was born and it was 35mm. I liked the instant picture when I was a child but, I like the ability now of being able to delete bad pictures 
@Opal26 (17679)
• United States
9 Dec 08
Hey spalladino! I still have my Polaroid camera and how dare
they stop making the film! That is the only camera I can work!
I love that camera! It is the coolest camera around! Now I
have to go buy a digital camera and I know I will never figure
out how to download it to the computer and do all that stuff!
I can barely work any camera and take decent pictures. Oh
why do they want to discontinue that wonderful film? I used
to love to take pictures of my cats when they would do something
silly and be able to look at the pictures right away! I am so
disappointed now!
@chameleonsdream (1230)
• United States
8 Dec 08
Remember the Snapper? It came in different colors - I was 13 or 14 when I got mine - a white one. It was a pretty big deal in our family, too, since my dad worked for Kodak - delivering developed film to stores! (I still remember the horrible company car that he drove - bright Kodak yellow with red pinstriping). If those things caught on, according to him, his company would go out of business. It's 35 years later... when Kodak closed down its courier division, he and the guys that he worked with got together, bought the facilities and the cars, and took over the company. He worked for it until he retired a few years ago. My sister-in-law stepped in and worked with and for him for years, too - and it's still going strong. Lots of people still like to have their film developed in a lab and delivered.
But I agree with you - watching the pictures develop is a special kind of magic that you just don't get from digital cameras. I'll bet my mother still has mine hanging around somewhere.
