How do polaroids work?

Day 344 / 366

Polaroids are not a new invention. They have been around for almost 100 years. But they have a newfound popularity in the new age of digital photos. Modern polaroids can hold 10–20 films at a time, and you instantly get a physical photo, which is why it feels more special. But have you ever wondered how they really work?

If you have ever used one, you know the process. You take the photo, and a piece of film slowly slides out of the camera. It’s blank, to begin with, but with time you see that the image slowly develops on it.

The film is made up of layers that react with red, green, and blue light. When you take the photo, light falls through the lens and forms a latent image on the film. The film then passes through rollers as it comes out of the camera, which breaks open a packet of chemicals (called the reagent). As the film ejects out, those chemicals get evenly spread on the film and they slowly react with the layers to bring out the colours and create the final image.

Polaroids don’t do well in cold temperatures

This is the reason why your Polaroid camera might not work properly in cold temperatures. Cold not only slows down the chemical reactions, it also makes the liquid chemicals more viscous and tougher to spread.

One way to mitigate this is to keep your films warm before using them. You could carry them inside your bag or in the pocket of your jacket so that they remain at a higher temperature. Also right after the film comes out, you can place it back inside your pockets to keep it warm.

But needless to say, if you are below freezing temperatures, then the chemicals might solidify and you might never get a proper photo.