For the last couple of months {actually, much longer} I’ve been noticing a resurgence of Polaroid photos – artistic Polaroids. EVERYWHERE. And honestly, I like it. It ads a vintage feel to almost any subject matter and a depth that you don’t see as much in digital photography.
But mostly {speaking from my past}, Polaroids make me cringe. I spent countless hours with Polaroids trying to position my head in a way that wouldn’t make me look like I was looking into a doorknob when being photographed head-on by one.
Why? Because I used to be an actor. Okay, I never made it to full-fledged actor but I went on many auditions {and did a hand-full of commercials and other random bit parts} and anyone who is auditioning for something knows that someone {male or female} is going to come up to you while waiting to be “seen” and ask you to stand against the wall and snap a Polaroid of you – then rip it out of the camera, staple it to your size sheet and hand it to you. {even though you bring a professional head shot in with you and the casting director has one in their possession as well – it may all be digital now but not when I was acting} Not only was it embarrassing to pose for a Polaroid in front of the rest of your competition, you KNEW it was going to turn out HORRENDOUS. If a Polaroid came out half-good, it was going to be a great audition!
{I digress}
I assumed the resurgence of the Polaroid was the latest 1970’s – 1980’s trend that has emerged in all things design and a Polaroid depicts just that gritty feeling that comes with the trend. {I also thought and still think that people have been using the frame of the Pola and digitally inserting their regular photos into it and calling it a Pola}
Just today, I went to a friend’s blog {ok, my sis’ friend}and her photo a day has now become Polaroid a day.
So I decided to do a little research and found out that on February 8, 2008, Polaroid announced that they are discontinuing production of all Polaroid cameras and film to focus on the digital market.
This must have sent Polaroid photographers and artists into spasms knowing that they could no longer buy film for their cameras in the very near future. Polaroid claims they have enough film to continue selling through 2009 but that’s it! {and you know what that means? Higher prices}
No more Polaroid film – ever? How sad really. Can another company be smart enough {or just have to rights to?} start making a comparable version of the film? I hope so. besides, they would make a killing. Savepolaroid.com is trying to do something about it.
