For the Love of Polaroids

In the age of photographic advancements there is little room for imperfection. To take a picture with imperfections can be deemed as unprofessional by some. The market makes it easy for high resolution cameras to be purchased for a fraction of what they once retailed for. Cellphones have cameras that not only produce high definition images but video as well. A picture from an iPhone can be blown up to poster sizes without losing much of its quality. When great quality for images is the standard why would anyone want to steer away from this?

I like to believe that images taken are better held than seen on a screen. What do I mean by this? I like to believe that everyone has 500 - 1000 pictures in their phone, yet only a small percentage of those get printed. It is not to say that these images do not hold any importance but printing them has not been a priority. We have given way to high def cameras and done away with printed images. When an images is printed it becomes a physical object one can see, hold, feel, appreciate, hang, gift, store, collage, catalogue, and so on. For years I have heard this question be posed, “If your house catches on fire what would you save?” Everyone always says pictures. Yet what does this answer mean when no one prints pictures anymore and where are we as a society when we are not printing our memories as we once did?

I pose these questions because understanding them can give a better insight as to what we value as society. Digging deeper to this question I find out what I, as an individual and an artist, value. I have come to terms that I do not value the best quality of camera nor the best quality of image nor the best anything. I love the limitations. As of recent I have become a proponent of the imperfect. It is a stand I am taking against the barriers that hold back the artist from the art. We are fortunate to have every tool at our disposal to create whatever it is we want, yet some don’t because we believe we need the best to create the best.

The polaroid camera, when paired next to a digital camera, is imperfect. The images are small, the color is muddy, the cameras are cheap, the flash is harsh, the film is inconsistent, capturing motion is limiting, and the list can go on and on. Yet what the polaroid, with its many limitations and imperfections, does is produce a physical product in real time. This is magical. Everything is instant and waiting is a burden. Time slows down every time a polaroid camera is used, a picture is taken, and the images pops out and the images turns from white to color. Adults and child alike stare with amazement. I have witnesses this on my photoshoots. I can spend hours at a photoshoot yet what people want is not those digital images but the polaroid prints. It’s as if the digital is for the persona and the polaroid image is for the person.

What does this whole post mean and what weight do my words hold? I don’t quite know. Maybe it’s just something I had to get off my chest.