As I passed by the shop window it was love a first sight. I looked over the boxy shaped camera and I bought it on an impulse. This here was my very first polaroid camera and my absolute favourite to this day.
My camera is pretty simple but it has some cool features like the flash for instance. It pops up and closes away so it's easy to carry and there are two leavers on the side of the camera so you have the option to use the flash, though I was told the flash is ideal in all situations I rarely use it unless I take pictures at night. It also has a close up lens so you can take pictures as close as 60cm away.
Polaroid cameras are also powered by the film which contains a charge so there are no batteries needed. When I discovered there was no battery my mind was blown I didn't need to carry around a charger or batteries!
This camera was my baby and I use to lug it around with my Nikon for a few years. Mostly I took it to festivals or on camping trips with friends.
What I love about polaroids is the surprise!
Sure you have an idea of what your going to capture but what you get may be completely different and there are a few variables that can affect the outcome of your image from your settings, the weather, temperature and how long the film is exposed to light once the image has been taken but as you go you will get use to your camera and the better you know it the less errors will be made.
The film for these cameras can be pretty expensive and it's temperamental. I use film by the Impossible Project and even though it is instant film it can take a while to develop. The time it takes to develop varies depending on the temperature as the polaroid will take longer in cold weather. If I was away in cooler weather as soon as the polaroid was spat out of the camera I would tuck the polaroid into an inner pocket of my jacket where it was protected from light and kept warm by my body for about 45 minutes to an hour to be safe. In summer I store my new unused film in the fridge, our place would heat up during these warmer months and it can destroy or damage the film before you get the chance to use it.
We all know that line from the song Hey ya by Outcast Shake it like a polaroid picture....People please do not shake it like a polaroid picture or you can very easily damage the film and cause ink bleeds or blobs to show on your polaroids.
Above are some pictures that didn't go to plan and this can happen for a number of reasons. You might take an awesome picture and then take another only to have the second come out completely f@rked and it's just one of those things.. I think they still look cool to me its still art, accidental art.
Below I have two images to show you how temperature can affect your image. On the right I have an image with a red/orange tint. This polaroid was taken during a scorching heat wave in the Gippslands of Victoria. We were at a festival with fields full of dehydrated bodies too tired to dance in the dust and dry cow pats not ideal but the extreme heat is what caused the red/orange tint.
The polaroid on the left was taken at a festival during winter in Byron Bay. The sun was beginning to show through the clouds but it was cooler, damp and muddy all around so this made for a better picture.
If you've never owned a polaroid camera maybe your parents or grandparents have, they are a pop culture icon with an antique style. Hopefully they stay around for years to come!
Thanks for reading, until next time
Peace :)