What is it about the old-fashioned Polaroid camera that holds such sway in this megapixel age?
It’s a decidedly lo-fi tool of the photographic trade, a kitschy relic of the Ford-era photo album. If you were born between 1970 and 1980, there’s a decent chance your first photograph was taken on Polaroid film.
Sadly, the days of the Polaroid instant photo are winding to a close.
Polaroid recently announced it would stop making instant film, and it expects to run out of stock completely by 2009. The company will focus on digital cameras, printers and TVs.
“We’re trying to reinvent Polaroid so it lives on for the next 30 to 40 years,” Polaroid President Tom Beaudoin told The Associated Press.
It’s an ignominious end for an art form that had gotten a second shot at life. In the past couple of years, more Polaroid enthusiasts had begun scanning their favorite shots and sharing them with the world via Flickr and other photo-sharing Web sites.
D.C. gossip blog wonkette.com recently sent videographer Liz Glover to cover the New Hampshire primaries with a pink and green Barbie instant camera (left), which she used to snap images of Ron Paul and Dennis Kucinich.
“It’s quite a conversation piece,” Glover said.
Music blog gorillavsbear.blogspot.com hit last year’s Austin City Limits Music Festival with a Polaroid and now has a gallery of indie-rock luminaries Cat Power, M.I.A. and members of Spoon, Wilco and Arcade Fire.
“We’re sort of obsessed with the medium now,” said Gorilla vs. Bear’s Chris Cantalini, who lives in Dallas. “Sort of a change of pace and a throwback when everyone else is using digital. We now have four different Polaroid cameras that we tote around to shows.”
The death of Polaroid photography isn’t entirely unexpected, considering the high price of instant film in an era when a single digital flash card can hold thousands of photos. Still, it stings for those who view a Polaroid photo as a unique, spontaneous creation.
“It’s one of a kind,” said Polaroid artist Allen Hampton, 25, of Tampa, “so it’s almost like a sculpture.”
How to make your squares hip
How can you make the most of the time you have left with your Polaroid? Here are some tips to get you started.
— Get a camera. The most common style is Polaroid’s 600 series, which takes 3.5- by 4.2-inch photos in the format shown here. These cameras cost between $40 and $70 but can be found on sale for less. A 10-photo cartridge of film costs around $15. You also can find vintage models, such as the popular SX-70, on eBay. But you’d better hurry. Once they’re gone, they’re gone.
— Find your range. Most Polaroid cameras have a minimum distance. If you don’t adhere to it, your subjects will appear blurry.
— The sun is your friend. Natural light brings out the best in Polaroid cameras.
— Be careful indoors. Fluorescent lights can make a Polaroid photo look yellow.
— Use fun backgrounds. If your subject is standing in front of a concrete wall, your Polaroid may look like an arrest mug shot.
— Do not “shake it like a Polaroid picture.” OutKast was wrong: Shaking modern Polaroids won’t help them develop faster but it can warp the photo and cause spots on the film.
— Display them with care. Exposure to direct sunlight damages all photos, including Polaroids.
— Be spontaneous.
