Our tips for capturing the best summer snapshots

Polaroid film loves summer: longer days with plenty of natural light, sun-drenched afternoons at the beach, and gorgeous golden hour moments. When you’re soaking up the sun, it’s easy to forget that Polaroid film is a bit more sensitive to the heat than we are. By taking care to keep your film and Polaroid camera cool, you can be sure you’ll get better and more consistent results.

Polaroid pictures develop best between 55-82°F (13-28 °C), so if you’re planning a long day out in the sun, keep your film out of the heat until you’re ready to shoot–we like to use a cooler bag with a few ice packs inside–and keep your shots face-down away from any bright light or warm rays as they develop. Above 82°F (28°C), color photos will have a tendency to develop with a yellow/red tint. When shooting at higher temperatures, minimize the effect of heat by letting your photos develop in cooler surroundings, like an air-conditioned room, an insulated bag, or beneath a cold beverage.

Make the most of the “golden hour”—that sweet spot shortly after sunrise and before sunset. This is when the sun casts a golden glow over your subjects to give you photos full of color and contrast. If you’re more of a midday-riser, make sure the sun is behind you when you’re taking a photo so that your subject is flooded with light.

If you’ve ever shot instant film, you’ve probably heard it before: shield your photos from light! Polaroid film is sensitive to light even after it has been ejected from the camera. During these sensitive first few seconds, the film shield installed on your camera will extend on top of the photo and protect it from light.

After the first few seconds have passed, you can remove the photo from under the film shield. Your photo is still sensitive to light though, so keep it somewhere dark and dry until the development time has passed (check the back of your film pack for exact times). Per our earlier tips, if it’s hot outside, opt for somewhere cooler like an insulated bag, a shady spot, or facedown under a cool beverage.

No matter how catchy the tune is, don’t shake your photos. It can damage the development!

Stocking up on film before a flight? Remember: Keep your camera and film in your carry-on bag. When you get to security, ask to have your camera and film checked by hand—don’t send them through the X-ray machine. These machines cause a reaction in the film which ruins the color. Film that goes through the X-ray machine usually turns out cloudy and pink. Photos you have already taken (also known as exposed film) are completely unaffected by X-rays, so they will be safe in any baggage.

Even after your photo has developed, there are still tiny chemical reactions happening under the surface, so it’s important to protect your photos from light for a while. To ensure your photos last longer, store them somewhere, safe, dry, and dark for the first 30 days. Photo boxes, or even a good old shoe box work great.

After the first 30 days have passed, your photos can happily live in a photo album, or even framed. But if you do frame your photos, make sure the glass is UV protective, otherwise the light will fade the photo over time.

And that’s everything you need to know to make the most out of your summer photos! Packing what you need for a creativity-packed summer? Just to be sure, take a look through our summer collection.