Trying a Paper Shoot Camera for the First Time

“Can this paper camera actually take photos?”

That was probably the question I heard most often that day, alongside “Wow!” and “That looks unusual!” These were people’s first reactions to holding a Paper Shoot camera—a little digital camera with a film-inspired look and an approach to design that considers the environment.

The delight of trying a Paper Shoot camera for the first time.

Curiosity quickly turned into surprise. People could hardly believe that such a small camera could capture photographs with so much character and feeling.

While I was photographing the people around me, a man came over and asked to try it. I showed him the basics: a small rectangular viewfinder to frame the shot, a shutter button, and a simple shooting experience.

Before the TEDxĐaKao Countdown event.

He told me that photography was about connecting with people and the stories behind the pictures. The experience mattered, too: the curiosity, the enjoyment, and the process of capturing a happy moment—or something fleeting you suddenly wanted to keep.

A bright smile captured with Paper Shoot.

Paper Shoot reminded him of photographing with a film camera. He recalled a time before instant previews, when he could not check every photograph on an LCD screen or immediately adjust its colors in an app.

Taking a picture could feel like a game of chance. Sometimes the exposure and framing came together beautifully; sometimes the image was overexposed or the composition missed the mark. Developing film cost money, too, and a disappointing roll could feel particularly painful.

Yet the uncertainty was part of what kept him taking pictures. Every frame felt worth considering. That mixture of anticipation, surprise, and appreciation was something he had missed.

A moment shared among friends.

As technology advanced, digital cameras and smartphones changed our relationship with photography. Screens made it possible to review a picture immediately, adjust the next shot, and try again. That convenience brought new possibilities, while also changing the sense of anticipation.

Trying Paper Shoot for the first time, he described a feeling of nostalgia within a digital camera. Without a screen to check, he was curious about the photographs he had just taken.

Later, as I looked through his pictures to send them to him, I noticed something lovely. That day, the Paper Shoot camera had helped strangers connect. People passed it around, photographed one another, and found a reason to start talking. The initial awkwardness gave way to smiles and a simple invitation: “Let me take a photo of you!”

Although I am younger, I understood what he meant. I love the process of taking photographs and the connections that happen along the way. For me, there is pleasure in slowing down, choosing a moment, and waiting to see what I have captured.

Film photography carries a certain gentleness and patience, with a little emotion woven into the experience. My affection for it reaches beyond a passing trend. Paper Shoot gives me another way to enjoy that spirit through a digital camera, while encouraging me to think more carefully about the things I choose.

Here is a little invitation to discover it for yourself: explore Paper Shoot Vietnam.