An App Gives Fresh Life to the Disposable Camera, But Its Soul Is Lacking
If you love the disposable camera, then this new app could be for you.
If you’ve laid your hands on a disposable camera, then you’ll know they’re a lot of fun. There was a time when they would be high on the list of vacation accessories, as families and friends wanted a physical pictorial record of the time they shared together. Of course, with the rise of digital, film cameras got pushed to the side. A resurgence did see classic analog cameras make their way back to the mainstream, but the once loved disposable camera wasn’t among that crowd until now, as a company aims to pour new light on a once much-loved travel accessory.
Indisposable Brings the Disposable Camera
Indisposable is a new company founded by Kyle Rothwell. The concept is simple: make photos with a disposable camera, send them to Indisposable, and the company will upload your images to an app that you keep on your smartphone. It’s a new approach to an old school concept.
On the topic of his concept, Rothwell wrote:
“We were instantly hooked [to the disposable camera] and this hobby continued for us until the pandemic began. But we noticed that a lot of labs only did prints or gave you images on CDs. We wanted to take the simplicity a step further and have the images be sent right to your phone.”
Personally speaking, I don’t care how a person makes their photos. It can be on film, digital, wet plate; as long as the photos are good, that’s all that matters. But I do care about experiences. And no matter what digital does, it can never compare to the experience of using a disposable camera.
It’s the beauty of the unknown that makes the use of a disposable camera so charming. Are the photos going to come out okay? Did I hit the shutter at the right time? The feeling of anticipation that comes from this experience provides users with great feelings (and a little bit of anxiety). Beyond that, the disposable camera promotes delayed gratification. We’re so here and now in 2021 that we’re losing our ability to wait for something patiently.
We want the photos now. We want to upload them now. And we want feedback now. All this immediacy isn’t good for the mind, and a disposable camera helps fight against these toxic expectations we’ve become accustomed to.
The Best Part Is Missing
I understand why Indisposable has decided to offer the images digitally. It goes with society’s current state, where people store photos on their smartphones and have them ready to upload to social media. But for me, the best part of the disposable camera experience is the photographs.
In my opinion, getting a physical image is way more rewarding than having to look at it on a tiny screen. A physical photo brings the scene to life; it’s the soul of the film photography body. And it releases the endorphins that come with holding something in your hands. If you offer me a film camera without the photos, I’m not sure you’d have my interest. But then again, I’m closer to 40 than I am to 20, so maybe I’m too stuck in my ways.
If, however, I’m a late teen or in my twenties, I’m all over this app. It allows me to feel retro, have fun with a product from the past, and still have the digital experience I’m used to. And at the very least, being the age I am now, if I get to see more people using film, pushing their boundaries, and having fun, then as a lover of photography, that makes me very happy indeed.