Since I started the 365 Project a few days ago, I thought maybe I’d use this space as a medium for that journey (mostly). It might be an interesting record of a year in imagery and photo technology. And on that note, I’m waiting impatiently for the results of the Impossible Project. What’s that all about? Well, if you are over 30, you remember the Polaroid instant camera. They were magical. Instead of sending your film out for developing and waiting for days to get them back, you could shake and wait a few moments and see the image appear before your eyes.
But as photography was revolutionized by the digital age, people stopped buying film and film companies began to discontinue their products. In 2008, Polaroid closed its film plant in the Netherlands and it looked like the medium was dead. Fuji plans to shut down their production this year. But there are still proponents of the old medium and a group got together and started the Impossible Project. Their goal? To buy the equipment from Polaroid and develop a new instant film product that can be used in existing Polaroid cameras. Since 1972, instant film has been produced using the same “recipe” but many of the components are no longer available, so the Impossible Project has worked to create a new, modern recipe that utilizes available components, and they are almost there. According to the press, they will begin to sell instant film sometime this year.
There is something priceless about a Polaroid image. I love the digital era, but there is something too perfect about all the images I am seeing now. Everything is tack sharp, such clear representations of the world around us. It makes we look for the unusual shot, the less perfect one, and I think that’s why I bought a Holga recently, and why I just bought a little Minox yesterday. I miss the unpredictability of film.
Will I buy a Polaroid? Well, I did always want one….so… probably…. nothing is impossible….
Bored? Here’s a cute little App available for Mac or Windows that enables you to take and develop a digital Polaroid like the one above. It’s called Poladroid It’s fun because you can let the image develop along and stop it at any point…kinda like the film of old..still magic and unpredictable, but not quite so hands on. Enjoy!