Summer School - A Photography + Creative Podcast11 Nov 2025

The Magic of Instant Film: Professional Polaroid Photography with Ryan Shaver

Hi everyone! Today I’m talking with Bay Area photographer Ryan Shaver, who shoots exclusively on Polaroid. We get into how he built a business around instant film, what makes the medium so different to work with, and how he’s carved out a unique spot in the industry.

Meet Ryan:

Ryan Shaver is a Polaroid photographer based in the San Francisco Bay Area who stands out in the professional photography world for shooting exclusively on Polaroid. After completing his graduate research paper, Predictive Processing for Artificial Intelligence & Cognition, Ryan leaned fully into instant film as a way to preserve memories with honesty and imperfection.

In 2022, he bet that people would eventually grow tired of the overly polished look of AI-generated imagery and crave something real. He went all in on a niche few pursue due to its high costs and challenges, landing his first client within a year. Since 2023, Ryan has photographed weddings, portraits, and major corporate events — including a recent donors event at the Exploratorium — and now also serves as the Creative Director for Siempre Golden clothing brand.

Connect with Ryan:

Corporate Holiday Party Season is coming up, and Ryan is still taking bookings!

The first ten people to book a wedding package next year, if they drop the code "SUMMER", will get 10% the total negotiated package price.

Website: ⁠shaver.film

Instagram: ⁠@shaver.film

Connect with Me:

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Episoder(141)

Everything That Goes Into Photographing a Multi-Day Wedding

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10 Jun 18min