Shot on a disposable camera: WA state basketball 2026
Published 5:15 pm Thursday, March 12, 2026
For an event as iconic as the WIAA state basketball tournament, it seemed like one of the best ways to capture the unique aspect was to see it through the lens of a disposable camera.
From the Tacoma Dome to the Yakima Valley SunDome, I took a FujiFilm quicksnap to each location and these are some of the best shots to come back.
Apart from the difficult lighting at some places, the pictures came back with some really good shots. Moody’s Film Lab in Burien was excellent to work with — I got the photos via Google drive in two days’ time.
Disposable cameras have a unique look to them. They are extremely handy, and hold a significant piece of nostalgia for most people. For me, they are connected to my childhood: going on vacation and using a disposable in a place we had never been before and not knowing exactly what photos we took.
Now I had the luxury of a fast return time. Handing the camera off and seeing what photos develop and in focus are all part of the mystery and allure of a disposable camera. In an era where technology is constantly advancing, it is nice to rewind the clock and take a new approach.
27 photos, that is all you get. There isn’t any expandable storage, no 512 gigabytes of storage. There isn’t an option to delete an out of focus photo. There is a presence of mind, staying in the moment, that a disposable camera captures. Each click of the shutter carries weight and meaning far beyond the press of a button.
Not only do I hope this strikes a chord as far as nostalgia is concerned, but I hope it serves as a way to show the value of unplugging from technology and admiring the art — because basketball is very much an artistic sport. There is a reason basketball is always compared to jazz in its free flowing and improvisational roots.
From layups to three-pointers and crossover dribbles, basketball has a flow and a rhythm that sticks out. There is a difficulty to shooting that type of motion when handcuffed by the constraints of a disposable camera.
But these are the best shots of the weekend from the disposable.
