Happy weekend!
This will be a bit of a long read but I hope you enjoy it. 😊
The first time I heard "Look What You Made Me Do" I thought it was an interesting song. At that point (2017) it had been a while since Taylor Swift released music (or had been seen in the public eye) and her new sound was very different from what I had previously heard from her on the radio. But I loved it.
As I started eventually listening to the Reputation tracks on YouTube (all of which I really liked), I also noticed a series of "The Making Of..." videos. These were intimate videos (all shot with TS's phone from the looks of it) which showed the writing and recording process that Taylor Swift had gone through in making her new album.
To me these videos were a huge game-changer because: A) I had never before seen a singer take their fans into their world that much, and B) it was really cool to see parts of the songwriting process. I started looking at other interviews and videos where Taylor Swift talked about the songwriting process and this made me really respect her as a singer, writer, and as a storyteller.
Read more after the jump:
The timing is pretty interesting because it was only in July 2018 that I discovered that instant cameras were gaining popularity again. It was only a couple of months later that I got an Instax Mini 9. I do remember seeing advertisements for the Taylor Swift SQ6, but at that point I was still in the process of figuring out my Mini 9 and not quite as passionate about trying different cameras as I am now.
The Taylor Swift edition of the SQ6 features a newspaper pattern that is similar to the Reputation album. The back of the camera features a reproduction of Taylor Swift's autograph:
Because this camera was released 3 years ago it's actually a little difficult to find right now. I was really lucky because I was able to get the last one available at B & H Photo. Even then - a day after I placed my order I saw that it was listed as "discontinued" on their website so I wasn't sure if I would get the camera after all. At the time of my purchase the camera was still available at Walmart, but now the only place I see it on is eBay.
Although the Taylor Swift edition is not widely available anymore, beyond its aesthetic it's actually the same as the other SQ6 cameras available on the market right now. Every SQ6 camera uses Instax Square Film and has modes/features such as:
Automatic Exposure Control. This is for normal photography. The camera will automatically adjust the exposure of the photo depending on the surroundings.
Selfie / Macro Mode. These seem the same to me because the distance between the lens and the subject is 30cm - 50cm for both modes. The only difference I see is that in macro mode you would be looking through the viewfinder (and adjusting the position of the camera slightly) while in selfie mode you would be looking at the small mirror by the frontal lens. I would still recommend using the separate modes depending on what you're shooting, but I'll do some experimenting and make a post if I find more distinction between the two.
Ultimately, the biggest game-changer between the SQ6 and the Mini 9 is that the SQ6 doesn't need a separate close-up lens for selfies and for macro shots.
Landscape Mode. Choose this setting if you're shooting subjects at distances of 2m - infinity.
Double Exposure. Unlike the Mini 9 where you can only do double exposures "manually," the SQ6 has this mode if you want to layer two photos on top of one another.
Lighten/Darken Modes. The SQ6 allows you to manually adjust the brightness of your photos. The lighten setting is great especially if you're using a colour filter indoors.
Flash Suppress. This is another big game-changer for the SQ6. Unlike the Mini 9, where flash will go off every time you take a photo, the SQ6 allows you to turn off flash. This is best used in places where flash is not allowed or if you're taking photos in a brightly-lit area.
Self-Timer. The SQ6 is actually the first instant camera I own that has a self-timer. I doubt I'll be using the self-timer often but it's a nice feature to have.
If you're someone who prefers a simple point and shoot camera, you might like the Instax Square SQ1 that Fujifilm released last year. It only has two modes - auto exposure and selfie mode.
An instruction booklet comes with every SQ6 camera. These booklets may seem really long but everything you need to know about how to operate the camera is listed in the first 12 pages. Reading the camera instructions is always very important!
Every SQ6 camera also comes with two CR2 lithium batteries and three colour filters (orange, purple, green) that you can fit on top of the camera's flash lampface. The Taylor Swift edition comes with two additional items - a camera strap and a film case that is perfect for storing square photos.
The film case I got has a dent in it, but I don't mind this - I'm just happy that I have something other than film cartridges to store photos in when I'm on the go! Plus, I doubt that I could get it replaced given the limited availability of this camera.
The last thing I'd like to mention is that a lot of camera cases for the SQ6 (and for many instant cameras in general) cover up the pattern of the camera. To prevent this, I ended up getting a clear case for my SQ6. The downside is that this case has no cover for the retractable lens, but I'll try to figure something out.
All in all, I've been loving my SQ6 camera! The square photo format is unusual for me but I love the size. I'm happy to support Taylor Swift and it's also kind of neat to have a camera that I guess can be considered rare at this point.
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What do you think of the Taylor Swift SQ6?
Let me know in the comments below!
Thank you for reading! 💚🐍
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