It’s a strange phenomenon: as soon as people get a Polaroid picture in their hands, they inevitably start shaking and waving as if the photo in their hand was glowing. A behavior that has never been learned, and yet is familiar to almost everyone. But what is the reason for this, and above all – does it work?
Shaking instant images has a long history
In the beginning was the Peel-Apart Film. In this type of instant photography, two layers interspersed with different chemicals were pressed together. When the image with the superimposed layers came out of the camera, the camera was shaken. Only then were the layers separated again. And indeed: the shaking and waving helped to dry the photo. But even at that time it was not at all necessary to shake the pictures.
Modern Polaroid Cameras do not like shaking
The final end to the shaking came in the 70s with the newly developed film formats of Polaroid. With these photos, the photo was now at no time exposed to the outside, so nothing had to be dried. On the contrary: in the meantime, Polaroid has pointed out several times that shaking can even damage the photo. This can cause bubbles or blur colors. In addition, it can cause unwanted creases in the photo. Instead, it is recommended to leave the photo on a flat surface after removing it from the camera.
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The origin of shaking
But why has this actually unnecessary behaviour since the 70s become accepted worldwide? There are two possible explanations. One is popular culture. The image of the shaken Polaroid is still transported in films and series. On the other hand, OutKast probably also have their share in the survival of this “urban myth”:
VIDEO: OutKast – Hey Ya! (“Shake it like a Polaroid Picture”)
