You’ve decided to use disposable wedding cameras? Here are some tips and advice for making the most out of them!
First of all, you should try to coordinate the color and pattern of the camera to go along with your wedding colors. There are so many options to choose from today, in addition to designing your own cameras by having them custom made! You can even have the bride and grooms photos, names, and wedding date imprinted right on the camera if you like!
There are also different types of disposable wedding cameras to choose from:
15 or 27 Exposure
You can choose either 15 exposures or 27 exposures. Choose 27 exposure if you are not on a strict budget so you can capture as many candids as you can, or if you are looking to save some money, the 15 exposure cameras would be an excellent choice.
Black & White or Color
The most popular choice is color film, which is typically more affordable. Choosing color film is a great choice for capturing beautiful color from your flowers and outdoor scenery. Black and white film is typically more expensive. If you would like an old fashioned look, black and white film has a sort of classic look to it.
Camera Speed
Most disposable cameras come with 400 speed film. The higher the number, the faster the film reacts to light. The correct speed film for any given picture depends on two major factors: action and light.
100 speed bright sunlight, outdoor shots
200 speed indoor with the flash, partly sunny outdoor and shots that will be enlarged
400 speed all-around general usage
800 speed fast action, low light
400 speed works well in almost any situation.
Flash or no Flash
Most disposable cameras today come with a flash. It is a safe bet to choose cameras with a flash because you will be assured there will be efficient lighting at all times. Even if your wedding is a daytime wedding outdoors, there is always a chance of it being cloudy, or a situation where the lighting just isn’t right.
Digital
If you’re thinking about purchasing Digital Disposable cameras for your wedding, you should consider the following positive and negative features.
The positives: Along with your prints you usually receive your photos on disc for free so you can e-mail your photos to friends and family, enlarge prints, remove red-eye, zoom and crop, and print copies of your photos right at home if you have a photo printer. You also don’t have to worry about a memory card because it is not required. An auto flash is included. And, you can delete the most recent photo taken if you don’t like how it came out.
The negatives: You can only drop off the Disposable Digital camera at a photo retailer offering the specific processing services for your brand of camera. You cannot connect the camera to your computer to download photos like a regular digital camera. Also, you can only delete the most recent photo taken.
The average cost for a disposable digital camera is $10.99-$20.99, and usually contains a flash with 25 exposures and a battery included.
35 mm or APS
35 mm is the popular medium for disposable cameras. The greatest advantage 35mm film has to offer is its popularity. It can be found just about anywhere, it can be developed by just about anywhere that develops film, and you will find the largest choice of cameras to choose from. APS is a newer format of film. Some benefits are:
Smaller: APS film is a bit smaller 35mm film, so the cameras can be smaller
Index print: after developing your film, you will get a sheet with numbered thumbnails of all your pictures. When you want a reprint or a blowup of a picture, all you have to do is reference the picture number.
Three format choices: you can choose between three different picture formats. Classic mode gives 4″ x 6″ prints, group (also called HDTV) mode produces 4″ x 7″ prints, and the panoramic mode produces 4″ x 11 ½” pictures.
APS film does cost a bit more, and it costs more to develop.
Recycled or Brand new
A recycled camera is a previously used camera that has been refilled with film and resold. As with purchasing any used product, there may be some defects. Typically the cheaper priced cameras are recycled, so you should look out for this if the prices seem to good to be true.
After choosing the type and design of your camera, you need to decide how many cameras to purchase and where and how you will place them. Typically you would purchase one camera per table of guests. Some cameras come with a “Table Tent” which is a decorative card placed beside the camera on the table. The card informs your guests about the camera and how to use it. An example of the wording would be:
“Use the camera on the table to take candid pictures of all our friends and family…the fun, the special moments, and of course those not-to-be forgotten shots. Pass the camera around, let everyone enjoy the fun. When all the pictures are taken, just leave the camera on the table.”
Using the table tent is very important since some guests, believe it or not, will not know what the camera is for.
Lastly, make sure the expiration date of the film is within your date range!
Choosing to use disposable cameras for your wedding is a wonderful idea. You will capture those candid moments through your guests eyes that you would have never seen. While on your honeymoon, you can have a friend develop the prints for you. When you arrive home, have a get together with friends and family and relive your wedding day with your photos!
About the Author:
Deb Carpenito, WeddingPhotoUSA, Google+
