Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Tips for Taking Photos with Instax Mini! 1. take good care of the camera i.e it shouldn’t be jostled or dropped because THE LENS circle thing WILL FALL OFF. You can stick it back on but there’s always a little risk involved, the first time the lens fell off I nearly got a heart attack. 2. never, ever take a photo in sucky lighting (ex. Our house which is lighted purely by incandescent lamps) In fact limit indoor photos unless it’s an extremely special/candid moment that can’t be replaced. Don’t lie to yourself and think “it’ll turn out good anyway” Nuh uh 3. Always pay attention to the dial and turn it. I’ve had photos come out as yellowish blanks because someone forgot to turn the dial 4. do not play around with the dial and think you can judge what setting is best for the weather…the camera really is most accurate. 5. Try to wear light colored clothing. Not white because the flash will react badly. Not dark/black clothing because the background of the picture (ESPECIALLY if indoors) darkens naturally and you can “Fade” into the background. 6. Selfies are always best with natural light. If not, and you’re taking a selfie with a friend, remember that the person holding the camera (and therefore closest to it) is more likely to get a little bit whited out (not a lot, but a little) than the other person. 7. The lens can hold a surprising amount of space/number of people in one photo. This means that if for example, you’re taking a photo of a big group of people, you don’t have to back up as much as you think. If you do their faces will have less focus. Don’t be afraid to close up a little bit. (referring here to horizontal photos of course) 8. The camera can take very nice photos both vertically and horizontally. Vertically is better for portraits and closeups and is very flexible. Horizontal, however, can get you a beautiful “slice of life” feel, when you want to focus not only on the people but the background and scenery. 9. The paper/material the photo is printed on is thick, white, and has a little space under the photo itself for you to write something. ALWAYS write with a thin pen Sharpie. Normal pens, ballpens, ink pens whatever bleed and smudge and look plain nasty. So maybe now you’re wondering….wow, this camera has a lot of limitations. Should I seriously get it?? And my answer….YES! Yes you should. The photos just feel so incredibly real. It’s like holding that moment in your hand. It’s so different from digital photos or even printing at Walgreens. You can look at a photo over and over again, and every time notice something good and different. It’s hard to explain, but these photos are so old timey and vivid, every one of these is like a breath of fresh air. And another thing…EVERYONE loves instant cameras….I met my cousins for the first time this winter, and I honestly feel like we really bonded over this. Every time you take a new photo, everybody hovering around like “how’d it turn out??” and you get to watch it develop (extremely interesting.) It only takes a minute for the photo to develop, but a few more for the colors to really pop. So yes….Get it. Make sure to watch a couple YouTube tips/reviews/demo vids and be sparing with the pictures, they ARE pricey!!