Polaroid, a leading name in the world of instant film cameras, is here to make savouring your most precious memories on your phone even easier.
The company’s new ‘Lab’ is a friendly looking printer that makes turning your photo library into a physical collection as easy as one tap.
No harder than the contactless payment on your card, the Lab has you place your phone screen face down on the black plate and then poof, a polaroid is printed out.
The device re-captures a photo on your phone and optimises it for film. Unlike its camera line, you can edit the image on a dedicated app before you press the alluring bright red print button. The app also allows for the creation of collages, you can break down a photo on your phone to be printed out over various films, placing them together like a jigsaw to create a larger version of the photo.
Upon pressing the button once you’ve added your Instagram-worthy edits, the image on your phone is projected onto film and creates the photo using mirrors and lights. Though this is a modern piece of equipment, once the photo pops out, you still have to do the satisfying shake as the photo develops.
The Polaroid Lab from Polaroid Originals is described as a “miniature table top darkroom”, it’s not an entirely digital process as you may suspect, using chemistry to develop the photo, hence the shaking.
Companies like Fujifilm have also started introducing more modern developments into its retro products. It’s recent line of instant cameras allow you to hear audio from the print using your phone.
The Polaroid Lab goes on sale on October 10th for $130. It works with devices running iOS 11 or above and Android 7 or above.
