Shooting with a Kids Instant Camera: Experimental Portraits
In a world of high-resolution digital photography and perfectly polished images, there’s something incredibly refreshing about embracing imperfection. Recently, I experimented with a kids' instant camera that prints on thermal paper—yes, the same technology used for receipts. At first glance, it might seem like a toy, but its raw, unpredictable nature turned out to be a surprising tool for capturing unique portraits in my fashion and music projects.
The Camera: Embracing the Lo-Fi Aesthetic
The camera itself is simple, almost toy-like, with minimal settings and a straightforward point-and-shoot mechanism. But that's exactly what makes it special. It strips away the overthinking and forces you to focus purely on composition and emotion. The thermal prints emerge in stark black and white, with high contrast and a grainy texture that gives each image a raw, almost vintage feel. No two shots are ever truly alike—each print carries tiny imperfections that add character and uniqueness.
CHECK THIS CAMERA OUT! :)
How It Contributed to My Fashion Portraits
When shooting fashion, I’m always looking for ways to break away from convention and inject a sense of personality and edge into the images. This camera allowed me to experiment without hesitation. The thermal prints created ghostly silhouettes and high-contrast shadows that complemented bold fabrics and dramatic styling. Instead of perfection, I leaned into the unpredictability of the medium, capturing raw emotion and movement that felt genuine and unpolished—exactly what I was aiming for.
One of my favorite experiments was layering these instant prints over digital shots during the editing process, blending the lo-fi texture with high-resolution clarity. The result was a series of fashion portraits that felt tactile and cinematic, almost like stills from a dream.
Experimenting with Music Portraits
For my music clients, the instant camera brought out a gritty, underground aesthetic that matched the raw energy of their performances. The imperfections in the prints mimicked the feel of classic zines and DIY album covers from the punk and grunge eras. I found that the thermal paper’s unpredictable development gave each portrait a sense of spontaneity—like a snapshot from a wild night out, unfiltered and unapologetic.
To push the experimentation further, I started incorporating double exposures and overlays, using the thermal prints as textured layers in post-production. This process gave the final images an organic, handmade quality that digital often lacks.
Embrace the Unexpected
Using a kids' instant camera for professional projects may sound unconventional, but that’s precisely why it works. It strips away the expectations of perfection and replaces them with spontaneity, rawness, and a bit of chaos. In a time when digital photography can sometimes feel too controlled, embracing the lo-fi aesthetic of thermal prints has added a new layer of creativity to my fashion and music portraits.
If you’re looking to experiment and break away from the norm, maybe it’s time to pick up a “toy” and see what it can do.
