Polanoid

If you haven't seen it yet, there is a cool site called Polanoid that is dedicated to all things Polaroid and is amassing a database of old polaroids posted by fans of instant photography worldwide.

They have a ton of different images to browse, from more traditional portraits or landscapes or tourist souvenir shots, to more artistic images like this one titled "The Same Deep Water As You".

It is definitely inspiring, and motivated me to dig into some old albums and unearth a few shots from back in my own Polaroid-taking days. 

Here is a street shot of the old Cicero Lounge in what was purportedly a mobbed-up neighborhood on Chicago's western fringe, taken sometime back in the early 1980's. The picture cannot possibly convey how cold it was standing outside on that blustery winter day!

And here is a photo I call "Too Fast" which is a typical portrait of my oldest son, who hated having his picture taken and was lightening quick, so most of my attempts ended up feeling like deliberately arty compositions like this one.

And here is one that seems appropriately black and white, as it carries a lot of nostalgia and sadness for me: a picture of the late director Anthony Minghella talking with the unit publicist Larry Kaplan while production designer Roy Walker looks on, taken during the New York City portion of the production of The Talented Mister Ripley in the summer of 1999.

There really is something unique about the polaroid image that makes it distinct from regular 35mm film or today's digital snaps. If you share my sensibility on this topic, you won't go wrong by checking out and joining up to the Polanoid polaroid project!

william

Comments

[margaret oomen]

to this day polaroids are my mom's preferred picture taking technology and the grandchildren and great grandchildren love to "shake it, shake it".

[Marguerite Horberg]

where can you find film? D. shot hundreds of polaroids it was his favorite metier- I have loads including one of you and baby miro