Lifestyle / Nostalgia

15 Vintage Selfie Photos That Capture Life’s Whimsical Expressions

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A bearded man with glasses takes a self-portrait in a mirror using a large format camera.
via Canva

These 15 vintage selfie photos made their attempts at capturing the brilliance that lies in the imperfectly perfect moments. The funny thing is that there really is this kind of unmistakable magic that exists within the imperfection of a picture that didn’t try to manufacture some form of cookie cutter perfection. To see this done in selfies is a whole another matter. It’s really something.

1. “My first Polaroid selfie, 1993”

Selfies. A hand with mint green nail polish holds a Polaroid photo of two young women with long, straight hair, posing closely together indoors. One woman wears a white top, the other a black top.
svettyss

The truth of the matter is that having a physical copy of a picture can make it that much more memorable.

2. Handheld selfies are funny on a Polaroid

A hand is holding a Polaroid photo of a young person with short, light brown hair and a faint mustache, wearing a blue shirt and sitting in a chair with a black-and-white headrest.
therhett17

Did you know you aren’t supposed to shake a Polaroid photo to develop it? It’s the funniest thing, but apparently that is indeed how it works.

3. He looks serious

A hand holds a Polaroid photo of a bearded man with glasses, sitting in a car. He wears a black Lincoln Tech shirt and has an intense expression. The car interior and some greenery are visible in the background.
dmdolby

It’s hard for me to take a regular selfie, so kudos for taking one with a Polaroid camera.

4. Tell your parents to take a Polaroid selfie

A Polaroid photo of a smiling person wearing a dark cap is placed on a wooden surface near a candle jar. The background includes some out-of-focus household items.
onesole

It’s a memory you can hold in your hand.

5. The most artsy Polaroid selfie ever taken

A bearded man wearing glasses and a light-colored t-shirt stands against a dark, blurred background. The image has a warm, vintage tone and a soft, out-of-focus effect.
jhdphoto

How do you even get this effect on a Polaroid?

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6. An ancient Polaroid camera

A blurry, vintage-style photo of a person with curly hair and glasses, holding a camera and a paper, reflected in a mirror with faded colors and film edges visible.
yoojay

The photo still came out great, even though he’s using a dinosaur to take it.

7. The lights from the blinds accent this photo so well

A shirtless person with curly hair stands in front of a window with blinds, holding a camera. Sunlight streams through the blinds, casting striped shadows across their face and body. The photo has a warm, vintage feel.
-1radiation

This photo was taken with a Sx-70.

8. Brad and Ed, 1998

Two young men are seen from a low angle, looking down at the camera against a light blue sky. One wears a white tank top, the other has facial hair. The image has a vintage, Polaroid-style appearance.
permaculture

They took this selfie while filming Fight Club.

9. Feeling good, looking good

A vintage Polaroid photo of a young man with curly hair, staring at the camera in a dimly lit room. "1988 SUMMER" is handwritten on the white border at the bottom of the photo.
deathakissaway

Bring back summers from the ’80s.

10. Selfie on a Polaroid 110A

A person with tattoos on their arm takes a mirror selfie with a large vintage camera, partially obscuring their face, in warm yellow lighting.
alberrture

Buying an old Polaroid and taking mirror selfies is something everyone should try.

11. A selfie on Instax Wide

A person with long hair takes a mirror selfie using a vintage camera in a hallway or bathroom, wearing a dark shirt with a small orange graphic. The background shows a door and a towel rack.
infinitedegree2

He’s taking this photo with a Polaroid 900.

12. A double exposure selfie

A Polaroid photo of two people, one facing forward and the other upside down above them. Both appear in moody, warm lighting against a dark background, creating an artistic and mysterious effect.
whereismysanity-_-

This is art in its finest form.

13. What a genius mirror selfie

A person takes a photo of their reflection in a car’s side mirror. Trees and a fence are visible in the blurred background. The photo has a pink border, and a hand is holding it in the corner.
supersassycatlassie

The composition of this photo is perfect.

14. 35th birthday selfie

A Polaroid photo of a woman in profile with dark hair in a bun, wearing a black strap top and a dangling earring, set against a light background and placed on a textured lavender surface.
queenofthepark

Polaroids are heavy, so taking a selfie can’t be easy.

15. Heath Ledger’s mirror Polaroid selfie, 1999

A black-and-white photo of a person with wavy hair, crouching and holding a vintage camera while looking into a mirror, capturing their own reflection in a relaxed, indoor setting.
jumpysignature5588

Heath Ledger loved his Polaroid camera.

16. Using a walkie-talkie antenna to take a selfie

Four smiling children pose closely together indoors; one in front wears a graphic t-shirt, another in plaid holds a small object toward the camera, while two others are partially visible behind them.
ravens_fan5220

This is the earliest version of a selfie stick, and I don’t know how to feel about that, at all.

Want to see more vintage photos?

Check out these 35 Vintage Photos of the Late ’90s, or take a look at 20 Vintage Photos Capturing 1960s Parisian Style. If you want to take a look at cars and bikes of the ’90s, check out 20 Vintage Photos of People’s Cars and Bikes in the ’90s.

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Meet the Writer


Matt Staff

Matt has spent over the last 8 years as both a writer and editor, working in Seattle and Brooklyn, where he is now based. He loves escaping the tirelessly fast pace of the “Mad Apple” that is NYC by taking walks and runs through parks where he’s able to catch up on the latest tea about society from the city’s ever chatty, always hungry, occasionally maniacal, pigeons. They always have a lot to say. When he’s not taking his urban nature strolls, or dutifully combing the deepest rabbit holes of the internet to find the content that’s worth sinking your mind’s teeth into, he’s likely holed up at a dark-lit dive bar with a new book and/or some friends, or just as easily he could be on the hunt for the next addition to his steadily growing plant family.

These days Matt’s caught up in trying to provide folks as many vivid glimpses into the days long since passed as he can, through fun and engaging collections of hand-picked vintage photos.



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