Instax Mini 8 Take 2 (A Day at the Beach)

     I wrote a few months ago about my experiences with the Instax Mini 8 on my trip to Europe and how I was ultimately not impressed enough to keep the camera. The results were very inconsistent, more than half of the photos were disappointing and while there were a handful of fun photos that felt fun and "vintage," it seemed like the better way to spend my money would be on film for my film slr camera. I did note in that post that I did like some of the photos and wouldn't mind trying it again to be sure before I wrote it off entirely. Well the opportunity arose when I saw the camera steeply discounted to the point that I was willing to buy it. It is in pink this time, which is cute but I miss the yellow. I had a trip to the beach coming up and it was the perfect opportunity to give the Instax Mini 8 another chance.
     There were a few things I loved about it this time. First I loved that I could take it into the water with me and not feel like the world was over if I dropped it. While I toted my dSLR along to the beach, there were certain limitations with how far I was willing to walk into the ocean before I felt like there was a chance it would get wet. I seriously need a waterproof case. The other thing that I really loved is that the slightly blurry images and softer colors feel like they were just meant for the beach! Also, my girls and their cousins absolutely loved the instant satisfaction that comes with holding the photo in your hand right after it was taken. Because the experience was so much better we will definitely be keeping the camera and pulling it out each time we go on vacation, to keep the experience more unique and meaningful.
     I don't know how much of the improvement has to do with me having more experience with the camera, or if the first camera was really not working. The different light modes seemed to work better this time, although I have come to the conclusion that there are just some lighting situations that the camera doesn't do. Situations with low contrast end up not so great, as well as sometimes bright lighting situations.
      I LOVE the pictures that I captured with the Instax 8 on this trip. Some of them more so than the photos that I took with my fancy camera. My absolute favorites are the first two images here. The first because it captures the personalities of both of my daughters perfectly. My youngest digs right into the sand and has a lovely, and very sandy time each time we visit the beach. My older daughter is in love with the water and the sun. While she wasn't the main subject of the photo, I love that she ended up visible in the background. The second photo, of my oldest daughter boogie boarding is also perfect because the blur helped capture the motion that naturally goes along with the activity.