Analogue Love: Fujifilm Instax Square SP-3 Printer
When did you last print an image of your work?
In today’s digital world, many of us continue to turn back to more analogue processes and technology.For instance, I’m writing this post on a computer, but I tend to write out my ideas in notebooks, as I have a long love of physically writing, notes, thoughts and bad poetry by hand. :)When I got my start in photography, it was all film, all the time. Whether my father’s old Nikkormat fTn to a Hasselblad to a Polaroid One Step. I worked with a lot of cameras over the years. Today we have a multitude of digital options, which often means we don’t actually print our images.When did you last do that? Print a photo? A photo of your kids, your spouse, your road trip? I can say I’ve printed images in the past few weeks!There are so many ways to print your work.Perhaps you’re thinking, why pay money for that? Or I don’t have time for that. Or I just look at everything on my i-device or computer…I’ll say this simply, give it a try. Slow down, select a few images you really love and print them, in some fashion. Then look at those prints. You will immediately feel different. You will interact with the images in a new way, linger perhaps, I know that I do.With those thoughts in mind I wanted to share a super fun way to print images, on the go.
When I’m travelling...
...or going to a wedding or a party, I take a Fujifilm Instax printer with me. And a bunch of Instax film. My love of Fujifilm Instax Film goes back quite a few years, with a camera that captured the Instax Mini prints, then an upgrade, last year to the Fujifilm SQ10 which captures, larger, square images.A long time friend here in Seattle got married in the late summer. The ceremony was a lovely blend of tradition and eclectic concepts. When I asked what I could get her as a gift, she asked simply for me to capture some images, of the day and provide some instant prints. Which I was more than happy to do. I captured some truly awesome moments, representative of them and their crazy love for one another. And I was able to provide them mementos, which will last for years.This is one example of moments in time where being able to provide a print, quickly, is so wonderful. I’ll often do this when travelling, providing someone a print of them, if I was able to capture an awesome portrait. That is something that stands out. If you don’t believe me, believe Zack, he says so here and here. ;)
About the different printers...
The current models are the Fujifilm Instax Share SP-2 (Mini film) or SP-3 (square film).The joy of the Fujifilm SP-2 or SP-3 printer is that you can print images direct from select Fujifilm cameras, or simply use their app (available for IOS or Android) and send images from your phone to the printer.My process, typically, is to wirelessly transfer select images from my Fujifilm X-T2 to my iPhone, from there do some quick edits, then send the files to the SP-3, and boom, instant print love.If you have more current Fujifilm X Series cameras (say the X-T2/3, X-T20, X100F) those should connect direct to the newer printers without issue.Pro tip: Shoot RAW + JPG so you have JPG files to send to the printer!Ok, that’s my spiel.The SP-3 Printer is about $180, the film is about $17/pack (that’s $1.7 a sheet).
A steal of a deal to make someone’s day!!
I recently took the Fujifilm Instax SP-3 out with the new, Fujifilm X-T3 camera and photographed some of the amazing fall colours at the Japanese Garden in Seattle. I wrote up an article on my experience with the Fujifilm X-T3 for Glazer's Camera, if you're curious about this new camera from Fujifilm, head this way to see the article. Full disclosure time… I own the lovely SP-1, which still works to this day (it’s four years old??). I’m super fortunate to have a Fujifilm SP-3 on loan! I love that darn thing, I’d have bought one already if I didn’t have one on loan!