Shake it like a Polaroid picture

Coney Island via Walk in NY

Sure the colors are off and the image isn’t crisp and digital… but it’s tangible. It smells. And no one can duplicate it.

On Monday I went to this press release on the future of instant photography. Polaroid film is so fascinating to me– there are so many chemicals and tiny gizmos involved that it makes your head spin.

And after you press a button you get an image. Like MAGIC. (I’m such a sucker for anything Harry Potter esque in the real world of muggles.)

Timeline of Instant Photography:

1948: First Polaroid Camera sold in Boston

1983: Polaroid has 13,402 employees, made $1.3 billion, more than 1,000 patents

2001: Polaroid files for bankruptcy (D’oh)

2008: Polaroid discontinues film production

Polaroid was in the grave…

via futurowoman

NOT! (Whew, thank goodness.)

Then–

October 2008: These guys… (and some others)

…saved the last Polaroid factory in the Netherlands. Started the Impossible Project, Invested 2.5 million EUROS (!@E!) and in 2 days, there will be black and white Polaroids for sale once more.

Granted, the packets are 18$ for 8 photos… and I am severely kicking myself for not buying up tons of film in 2008. :”( But– each photo will be so precious because everything will be so thought out and planned. Like when I was little and my mom would let me use her camera to take ONE picture of my American Girl Dolls. I dressed those dolls up for an hour and positioned them perfectly in awkward poses for an hour before I snapped that button. But it felt sooooo good.

Last Polaroid Factory in Enschede (Netherlands) via Impossible Project press kit

PS– my mom is sending me my very own Polaroid camera that I asked my grandpa for. So I gotta get some film. But I will have a camera!!! Thanks Mom 😀 … and more of these– !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!