Fujifilm Quick Snap 400

I recently bought a few disposable cameras for my niece to take on a trip. She’s a really good photographer and has a good digital camera, but there’s something to be said for slowing down, shooting on film, and not knowing what you’ve got until you can take the rolls in and have them developed. It’s also nice not having to worry too much about the disposable camera getting wet or stolen.

Unfortunately, part of the analog equation (combined with procrastination) failed me. I couldn’t mail the cameras to her in time through the U.S. Postal Service, so I had to go the Amazon route. That also didn’t work because my message to my sister (heads up package on the way) was way too cryptic. She didn’t know who the cameras were for and thought someone had made a mistake. All my fault.

The silver lining was that I had three Fujifilm Quick Snap 400s to play around with. I was really pleased with the results. Point, decide Yes or No on the flash, and shoot. I’ve posted some of the photos below. Clearly, the film’s color output was inconsistent, especially with skin tones depending where the flash or sun was hitting. Still, I loved the results. It might be partly psychological, but I think film is superior to digital.

The downside of course, and the reason that film photography remains the sport of serious artists and enthusiasts, is the expense. Having the rolls developed and scanned cost me $40. I can’t afford to do that on my freelancer’s non-existent salary. I go to the main photo lab in Seattle, Panda Labs, which is undoubtedly more expensive than Walgreens. But there’s a reason people use the hashtag #shootfilmstaybroke.

As always, thanks to my Capitol Hill friends who let me take their photos.