16 November 2024
With the proliferation of smart phones we are taking more photos than ever. It has been a net positive but there are small things that we’ve lost. Using disposable cameras or cameras that required film to be developed to see the photos is inconvenient, but there’s some delight in going back to your photos. I’m not hipster enough to warrant getting a film camera in 2024, but I found a free iOS app that captures this feeling: pure is a screenless camera app.
The app is dead simple. After you install it and give it permissions to the camera and your Photo Library, you’re presented with a blank screen. Clicking anywhere will take a photo. You can’t see the photo in the app but instead you must go to the Photo Library to see them. The app has some fun quirks. The photos have a vintage look. It also artificially limits you to 12 photos every 12 hours. In the last day, I’ve been using it and taking advantage of the limit to remember to go into the app to capture my life with a new filter.
I’ve attached one photo that I like as it captures a nostalgic feeling. It’s of my dog, Ripley, and my wife in the background relaxing after a long week. I’m going to keep playing around with it because I’m finding that it’s giving me a lot of joy.
