If there’s one thing I’ve learned in the last few weeks, it’s that film cameras are back with a bang, baby! Everyone and their mother seems to be in possession of a vintage-looking camera. Disposable cameras have always been popular, especially before the beloved iPhone came to be. Memories of a school tour with a cheap, plastic camera, hoping and praying that there was actually something on the photos that came back a month later!
Recently, vintage style reloadable cameras have come way back into fashion, which is something I’m enjoying. TikTok has blown up with the trend, videos of beautiful people in the summer sun, documenting core memories with friends. Sounds good, doesn’t it? Keep reading to find tips and tricks about reloadable film cameras!
First off you’ll need a camera. There’s obviously the simple use, disposable cameras from Boots. This was all of our go-to cameras when we were younger, and some still swear by it. Handy for once-off trips or summer memories, it’s a cheap option, an easy option for many. But as it’s me writing this article, you know I’m gonna bring sustainability into this. Of course, disposable cameras are a good option, but if you think film photography might be something you’re interested in, it might be a nice idea to purchase a reloadable camera. You can find them absolutely everywhere, and you can really save your money if you do it right.
Places like Urban Outfitters sell a bunch of cameras, ranging in price from €30 to a much more expensive €130. Some even do all the work for you, and come with preloaded film, ready to use! The Lomography Simple-Use Reloadable camera does exactly this. At the much cheaper end of the scale, it is the perfect introduction to film photography.
If you want to keep film photography as a hobby there are more expensive cameras available, such as the Pentax Zoom 70-X, the Olympus Trip AF 30 or the Canon Sure Shot EX, all of which are still under €50! These cameras are from the website Retro Camera Shop, based in England, however camera shops such as Conns Cameras and The Camera Centre in Dublin stock the same genre of camera. Now that we have the camera and film sorted, time to snap away!
Okay, you’ve gotten your photos developed, they turned out amazing, now what? Where to store them? There are so many low budget options that look amazing. There’s always the general option of putting your photos into an album, or a little more boujee, a scrapbook. How boho of you!
Another personal favourite way to display film camera photos is by making a piece of statement wall décor from them! The most obvious choice to display photos is by using frames. Always a cute option, and can be jazzed up a little by using odd frames, ones that don’t match.
You can keep things classy with elegant black frames that match and leave the photos to stand out. By grabbing some hanging macrame you could very easily clip photos onto the strands and create a waterfall effect with your lovely memories. You can even buy cheap DIY macrame kits, meaning you get to learn a new skill and hang your lovely photos up! This option gives me such boho vibes!
Another idea is to grab some fairy lights, string them up across the wall and clip your photos between the bulbs. I love this idea, I think it is a gentle version of full-on macrame, but something a bit funkier than basic frames. Not that there’s anything wrong with any way you decorate your walls! So there you have it, my guide to disposable cameras, film photography and how to display your photos as a piece of statement décor! Go forth and take photos!