Polaroiding?

I’ve always been drawn to the quiet magic of old Polaroid SX-70 film—the way it softens reality just enough to feel like a memory the moment it’s made. A few friends of mine still swear by their vintage Polaroids, treating them less like cameras and more like companions. Watching them work definitely pushed me to try capturing that same feeling digitally.

So I took a shot—no pun intended—at building a fully custom VSCO recipe to echo that look. I started with the M5 preset as a foundation, but that was really just the beginning. From there, it turned into a slow process of dialing things in—nudging exposure, reshaping tones through HSL, easing skin tones into something more natural, and letting the highlights and shadows fall into that slightly imperfect, almost dreamlike balance Polaroid is known for.

It’s not a perfect replica—and honestly, I don’t think it should be. But it’s quickly become one of my favorite tools for experimenting and chasing a certain mood. I’ve found that contrast is where a lot of the magic happens, especially when shooting in bright sunlight. A small adjustment there can really bring the whole image together.

Take a look when you get a chance—I’d genuinely love to hear what you think. And if you’re curious about the exact adjustments, feel free to reach out here, or on Instagram @gregschmigel. I appreciate you stopping by. —Greg