Doin’ It Old Skool (sorta…)

Several months ago when Polaroid announced that it would be pulling out of the instant film market that it created (a sad day for niche hobbyists everywhere) I started searching through the many boxes that are stored in our basement for my old One Step camera.  My goal is to snap pics of everyday life with the old skool instant gratification that encompassed the entire decade of the 70’s (in my mind anyway?) !  What is more synonymous with the 70’s than the many old polaroids people have.  The muted tones of the now defunct (and fabled) SX-70 film contain more memories all over the world than I could possibly imagine.

So, with Polaroid pulling out of the instant film market (no more shaking it like a Polaroid pic-turrre!) it’s time to stock up.  Several weeks ago I ran across my L.A. photographer friend, Angela Calderon’s blog and she was buying 600 Film up like it was going out of style (um, wait a sec…)  😉  I have a ton stockpiled in various internet shopping carts but worry that I’m participating in a mass hysteria feeding frenzy for a product that altho is much beloved doesn’t necessarily produce portrait quality images (not on the level of what I’m used to with my equipment that costs as much as thousands of old One Step cameras).

It may not be high art but nonetheless some memories are left better muted and slightly out of focus.  One of my most cherished of images (and quality wise it sort of sucks) that Polaroid has captured for my own family is of my newborn Lauren.  When I was in the hospital in 2001 after she was born and suffered unforeseen circumstances I was unable to see/hold her in the first few days of her life, the RNs in the nursery snapped a Polaroid pic for me that was taped to the bedrail on my bed in ICU:

Without this picture there for the several days I spent away from her (completely away from her) I may have not recovered from my own circumstances as well.  I remember gazing at her sweet face and willing myself to get out of bed and just get better.  So although I never had thought about it much before, Polaroid had a hand in keeping me on the path to stick around and be a mom for my two girls….however small the hand was, Polaroid images have been part of my life and probably will continue (until my stockpiles of film run out).

I finally FINALLY dug out my old One Step camera last night.  I was on the phone with a good friend from h.s. who I had lost touch with in the past 10 years or so and I shouted into the phone YEHHAW!!  Poor woman on the other line may have thought I lost it, getting giddy over a camera so readily found on eBay for pennies on the dollar but I was excited!  TIme to break out the stockpiles and get a little retro artsy with my found object.   Now if I could only find the ole Holga I’d be in business….

In the spirit of Polaroid, I present this next little YouTube clip.  THIS is amazing, a must watch for my Polaroi-holics out there (and even those of you who may not be):