If you have ever thought of traveling to Malta, I’m sure you imagine the following: sunshine, sea, and landmarks. However, although the landmarks were in place, the weather in Malta was untypical for the island nation. Most of my days in Malta were cloudy; on the few occasions the sun came out, I didn’t have my Polaroid Impulse AF. Therefore, shooting polaroids of top Malta highlights turned out to be challenging.
I decided to remain focused on the positive side of things. The last time I had the Impulse AF with me, I was on a sunny Greek island. Even though I prefer clear skies, the gloomy weather meant I could experiment with the Polaroid Impulse in less optimal conditions. Moreover, I could also observe the flash’s performance. The Impulse’s flash is always on, and you cannot override it. Would it be able to expose correctly?
The evening before visiting Malta, I cleaned the rollers and packed a Polaroid 600 film in my backpack. I must admit that I had some doubts. But I thought of trying and seeing what would happen. Then, early in the morning, I went to the airport, and when I landed in Malta, I saw dark clouds over Valletta.
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What’s on the Polaroid Diaries: Malta highlights
In this polaroid edition, you’ll see the 8 photos I shot in Malta with the Impulse AF. I always regret not having more films with me, and Malta was no exception. Despite the weather, the small country has plenty of places to see, and I wish I had more films in my bag. However, in order to keep expenses down, I decided to travel to Malta with only one pack of 600 film.
Before starting with the Polaroid Impulse AF images, I’ll add a short notice: if it’s your first time on this travel blog, at the bottom of this post, you’ll find my settings for this polaroid diary. Although the Impulse AF is more or less a point-and-shoot camera, I believe adding some tips might help fellow instant photographers.
So, let’s start now with the polaroids and the Malta highlights taken with the Impulse AF.
Polaroid Diaries: Malta highlights with the Impulse AF
It didn’t take more than twenty minutes to reach Hotel Castille in Valletta. Hotel Castille is located in the city’s heart, close to the Upper Barakka Gardens and the Lift. I was excited to be in Malta for the first time, and I thought of shooting a polaroid of the view from my room. It’s probably the sunniest polaroid I took on the journey. The statue you see is dedicated to Gorg Borg Olivier, a former prime minister of the country.
On the first day in Malta, I decided to explore Valletta and visit the Three Cities. You can reach the Three Cities by boat from Valletta’s Grand Harbor in fifteen minutes. Birgu, Senglea, and Cospicua are today Valletta’s suburbs, and wandering through the narrow streets is a pleasant experience. However, the clouds appeared straight after stepping foot at the Three Cities, and the beautiful colors would seem rather bland on a polaroid. Instead, I decided to take a photo of a kinetic statue called “The Maltese Harbour Boat.”
The following day, I decided to visit an iconic location outside Valletta. I stopped at the fishing village of Marsaxlokk. This place with the strange name proved to be a Malta highlight. Its main attraction is its picturesque bay, which is full of traditional fishing boats. The so-called luzzus are colorful boats, and the most beautiful of them feature a pair of painted eyes. The bay of Marsaxlokk is an absolute must-see in Malta, and walking along the waterfront is an unforgettable experience. Here’s how Marsaxlokk looks in a polaroid photo.
Valletta wasn’t always the capital of Malta. For hundreds of years, the country’s capital city was Mdina. Mdina is just a short drive from Valletta, and its nickname is Silent City. Indeed, after losing its capital status, Mdina saw its population decrease. Nowadays, Mdina is home to just 300 people; however, the city is beautiful and also has a great viewpoint. It’s one of the most interesting places and deserves a place in your Malta itinerary. Here’s a polaroid from Mdina.
After shooting half of the film on Malta’s main island, I decided to keep the rest for Gozo. Malta’s sister island offers a rawer experience. Gozo feels significantly quieter, and it’s ideal for a relaxing vacation if you’re a nature lover. I traveled extensively through Gozo, and that’s where I shot the remaining four photos you’ll see in this polaroid diary.
One of my first stops was at Ggantija Temples. That’s the oldest temple complex in the world, and although the photo doesn’t do justice, I decided to share it. After all, there’s no guarantee that polaroids will always work, and it’s part of the game to shoot uninteresting images. However, Ggantija Temples are impressive and definitely belong to Malta’s landmarks. So, here’s the picture.
One of Malta’s most famous attractions doesn’t exist anymore. The Azure Window collapsed during a storm it’s arch is long gone. Nevertheless, it was a natural landmark of Malta, and although it’s not in place anymore, I wanted to visit its location. The surrounding area is beautiful, consisting of rough cliffs and an open sea. As you can imagine, I had to take a photo with the Polaroid Impulse AF.
In Gozo, you’ll also see an iconic church. The Ta’ Pinu Basilica lies literally in the middle of nowhere, but you can see it from a great distance. It’s a serene location, and it deserves a stop. The vast space around and its impressive interior will fascinate you even if you’re non-religious. I decided to shoot a polaroid not straight outside but from a few hundred meters away. The reason was that I wanted to have a picture including a bit of the landscape.
Finally, I saved the last photo of my film for the place I knew it’d fascinate me the most. I still daydream of returning to the Cittadella, the fortified city in Victoria. It’s a stunning location on top of a hill and guarantees a memorable walk. The site was the acropolis of ancient Gaulos, but it was converted into a castle during the Middle Ages. The Cathedral of the Assumption is the most iconic building and dates back to 1711. Despite the heavy clouds, I knew I should shoot this diary’s last polaroid.
My Polaroid Impulse AF settings for this diary
It was the second time I went on a journey with the Polaroid Impulse AF. The first time, I decided to keep the exposure wheel in the middle, and this had nothing to do with the harsh sun. The reason was that I wanted to figure out if the camera was functioning properly and if it could expose correctly.
This time though, I decided to keep the exposure wheel in the middle for another reason: I wanted to see how the camera would behave on cloudy days. Despite feeling tempted to lighten some scenes, I kept the wheel in the middle.
It turned out to be a good idea. Most photos look good, and I only wonder what the Ta’ Pinu Basilica and the Cathedral of the Assumption would look if I moved towards “lighten.” Still, I find the images satisfying, and I don’t regret it.
As you probably know, the Polaroid Impulse AF uses Sonar Autofocus. The camera focuses using sound waves from the golden ring in the front; therefore, there’s not much to do from your side regarding focusing. Nevertheless, I think all the photos are sharp enough -actually, I find the sharpness impressive for an old camera.
I also want to add a couple of lines about the flash. The days I shot Malta’s landmarks were dark. Shooting landscape photos with a polaroid camera is challenging, and the way Impulse AF handled the scenes is impressive. The camera’s metering worked fine, and I think the images are balanced. For a camera that doesn’t offer flash override, I think the results are great. Once again, the Polaroid Impulse AF exceeded my expectations.
Finally, that’s not a setting but something I always add at the bottom of my Polaroid Diaries. Apart from adding a +20 in sharpness for web optimization, the Malta polaroids you saw above have no touches in post-processing. In my opinion, polaroids should always look like polaroids, and I don’t want them to become a boring Instagram feed.
And that’s it with the 22nd edition of the Polaroid Diaries featuring Malta highlights taken with the Polaroid Impulse AF. Don’t forget to subscribe to the mailing list below if you want to see more polaroids, camera reviews, and tips. And check out my Polaroid Zines.
*You can buy the newest (and freshest) films and Polaroid cameras directly at Polaroid’s official websites.*
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**If there’s no availability in the official stores, search for second-hand Impulse AF cameras on Amazon.
More Polaroids: The complete Polaroid diaries
Polaroid Camera reviews: My Now+ review, Polaroid Sun 660 review & Polaroid OneStep+ review
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Last Updated on January 7, 2023 by George Pavlopoulos