four note friday 2.37 | Photovoice and the Charmera?
Last weekend, and unbeknownst to me at the time, I fell prey to the viral keychain camera sensation know as the Kodak Charmera (charm-camera). While taking a lap around Target, as one does, I saw a peculiar and new-to-me item in the camera section. I am not Gen Z, and I have little awareness of viral trends. Yet this alluring item called to me immediately from the shelf. It beckoned. Upon examining the (blind) box—and the price—I knew I had to make this impulse purchase.
I remained unbothered about it.
Actually, I am quite delighted about it.
This little piece of tech has turned out to be a ton of fun. Since making the initial purchase last weekend, I quickly realized I would also need to purchase a mini SD card and a mini SD card reader. So, my initial $35 purchase of the camera quickly escalated. I bought the mini SD card (64 GB) for around $25 and the card reader for around $10. To get the camera fully up and running and be able to download and share the photographs, I spent a total of $70. Still very much worth it for the fun factor alone. Also, you may be able to download the images directly from the camera to a phone, tablet, or laptop through USB-C to USB-C cord, but I have played around with that option (yet). The Charmera charges via a USB-C port.
Yesterday was a highlight. I brought the camera to a student event, and we all swooned over it. I, well, we, took a bunch of photos during the event, and I cannot wait to share the results with them when I send my regular weekly email on Sunday. One of my students even purchased one on the spot during the event. That right there is analog virality. And I cannot wait for the student's assessment of their new Charmera.
While I could write about how the Charmera works and all its functionality, YouTube is the best place to learn more. I highly recommend taking in a few videos there, like this one.
A few highlights in the meantime. The Charmera has a view screen on the back, which is super helpful for getting the shots you want. In addition, it also has a bunch of fun built-in filters. Lastly, it also shoots video! There is quite a LOT to like about this little camera. There are two versions, or lines, currently available: the 1987 edition (original) and the Millennium edition (new). More on all that here. And you can collect them all! The blind box marketing is quite genius.
This post is not sponsored, by the way, but I am not above it. Looking at you, Kodak!
As soon as I saw the thing at Target, I, of course, started imagining the efficacy of these micro cameras within photovoice projects. In this week's light and airy post, I consider the questions we might ask ourselves about whether these cameras could be useful within a photovoice project.
Will the project benefit from a bit of novelty and fun?
As always, it is important to connect with participants involved in the study about how they'd prefer to create images. Consider whether the project might become more fun with a bit of novelty. Adding this option to the menu of camera options for participants to select from is one potential way to gauge interest.
While the Charmera is fun and novel, it is almost too small to use with ease. While I love it, not everyone will. In fact, I can even see if becoming burdensome and frustrating to folks. Still in the honeymoon phase with my Charmera, my tolerance for technical difficulties is sky high. And that may change when the honeymoon is over.
Will the budget support the Charmera?
To make the Charmera fully operational, a mini SD is needed. That said, it would cost $60 to provide one participant with a camera and an SD card. Budgetary constraints must be taken into consideration.
Multiple mini SD card readers are not necessary—and the included cord (USB to USB-C could work to transfer the photograph files) may be able to do the same job. No Bluetooth functionality for the Charmera. [If that is necessary, consider the Instax Pal as an alternative.] One mini SD cards reader or cord will do, but having just one could create a bottleneck in the file transfer process.
Will the people involved resonate with the Charmera?
The Charmera seems to be a hit among the Gen Z demographic, yet as a card carrying Gen Xer, I could play around with the thing all day long. Again, connecting with participants on their camera preferences is key. Give them all the information and options (menu items) you reasonably can, they let them decide. While I would love to use the Charmera as a participant in a project, not everyone would!
We also need to think about accessibility and inclusion. The Charmera will not be user-friendly for folks with low vision. Furthermore, I cannot emphasize enough how small this camera is. That said, the Charmera will not be accessible to folks with fine motor disabilities. All these considerations need to be taken into account.
Will the photograph quality and aesthetics work for the project overall?
What kind of photographs does the project require in order to meet its aims? Are there reasons why you might need high quality, crystal clear images? For example, if the work relies on documentary imagery to communicate physical realities, the Charmera might not be a good project option. Furthermore, if you need to enlarge your images for high resolution printing, again, this camera is not a good option.
I shot the above image yesterday while spending time with students. AND WE MADE ART! I kid. But, actually, the quality is not all that bad. For some projects, the keychain camera's novel aesthetic could be a feature instead of a bug. And I think the Charmera would work well for many of the projects I've facilitated.
Are you sold? I would love to hear your thoughts and experiences. I have not yet scoured the academic journal databases for mentions of the Charmera + photovoice, but if you or anyone you know has used or is using this little camera within a photovoice project, let me know! It's now found a permanent home in my photovoice toolkit.
🥹 Thanks for spending a moment with me this Friday.
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Thanks for being here.
Warmly,
Mandy
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