Long Live Polaroid!

I just found out one of my Polaroid transfers (Bodie Junkyard Car seen to the left) has been included in a recent article all about the art of Polaroid Photography on the Etsy blog. I am very flattered and excited to be included amongst so many fine artists! (Read the full article here.)

Those of you that know me or have even just poked around in my Etsy shop, will already know that I have a love of Polaroid art. It is a thing so very near and dear to my heart that I was devastated when I learned of Polaroid declaring bankruptcy and all production of Polaroid products stopping in 2008. What will I do without my Polaroids!? I thought to myself. That was all the art that I was doing at the time and was at a loss trying to figure out what could possibly take it’s place. I momentarily considered buying up as much Polaroid film as I could afford. But the thought of saving each Polaroid for the “perfect” shot seemed to kill the spirit of what I do with my transfers. I can’t tell you how many transfers I’ve made where I was sure it would be my best yet, but they just never came out the way I wanted them to. Yet others would be a complete suprise to me with their otherworldly quality I could never have predicted. Had I thought to myself, No that shot just isn’t good enough for this precious Polaroid, I never would have discovered that unexpected treasure. The process itself cannot be stifled in such a way – there is so much more to it than what the materials lend to it. Oh definitely the Polaroids are a huge contributing factor – but it is the culmination of the materials, image, and beautiful randomness coming together to produce this miniature slice of the world in such a unique way.

I feel I cannot properly convey the strength of my feelings about Polaroid art with mere words. I hope that my love of the art and the process shines through in every piece that I create – I assure you that each one is precious to me as I am making them! At times it is hard to let them go, because they feel like they are little pieces of me. When it comes down to it though, I want everyone else to have the ability to hang them on their walls and allow themselves to be absorbed by their magic, just as I do!

There is a group of individuals working to resurect instant film and I am hopeful that they will succeed in their endeavors. It is called The Impossible Project and they are hoping that some day (very soon) they will be able to take the “Im” out of the name! There are good signs that they will pull it off, too.

I decided to stop moping about the end of Polaorid film production and prepare myself in case it really was the end of my ability to do my art. It wasn’t in the form of hording mass quantities of the film either. :) I decided to get creative about my situation. I decided to keep making transfers as long as I had the means to do so, but I also started exploring brand-new avenues for my photography. This is when I stumbled across the TtV (Through the Viewfinder) process, which many photographers have been doing for some time now. (I won’t go into the process here – that’s for another post!) More than that I came to the realization that my art wasn’t wrapped up in Polaroid transfers. I discovered that the thing I loved most about them – the randomness, the surreal/vintage quality, the layers in the process – could be applied to other techniques. So I suppose I owe a thanks – to what specifically, I’m not sure – because I learned more about my personal style as an artist, which has made me more confident as I move forward in my career as a photographer and artist.

Long live Polaorid! (Even if only in our hearts!)