The Polaroid Project
The start of the polaroid project
If you have been paying attention, the age of instant film cameras has returned! Well in reality it never really went anywhere and probably won't for a long time. There is just something magical about holding the item you create, rather than it just existing in a sequence of digital code. We can spend all day arguing about how new forms of media replaced old forms. The fact is however, they really don't a lot of the time. They make things regularly available to people who didn't previously have access to them for whatever reason.
People still make pasta from scratch, spend hours painting with oils, and grind away in dark rooms. Are they as prevalent? No, but there are still places where people can find success in these “Dead Industries”. A lot of it is because people love knowing the work that went into creating something and knowing they have the only authentic copy.
You can buy replicas of famous paintings. You can even buy paintings that are made of all the same materials and paints, made to look completely identical to famous pieces of art. But only one of the originals exists. Andy Warhal was blasted in headlines and by art critics because he was ruining art by making it mass produced. All he did was open the door for the common man to own something attached to a famous artist.
Models: Elizabeth ‘Lizard Tentpoles’ TenWolde, Laurel Karee. Carri Fairbairn
Nostalgia, Photography & Autographs
So between nostalgia and that craving to physically hold a picture you took. Polaroids are making their way back into the mainstream. I for one am so happy that they are. I am obsessed with instant film. They give me the ability to combine two of my favorite things in a single compact contraption. Photography and autographs.
At the end of photoshoots I take a selfie with the models and other creatives on the shoot and have them autograph it. It's a fun way to get a memento of the photoshoot. The photos will go to businesses, magazines and tabloids. A lot of times I never even see the end result of my photos; it's part of being a press kit style photographer. So getting a cool little picture of “I was part of this” holds so much meaning to me.
History of Polaroid
An extraordinary fact you might not know is that Polaroid has been so renowned in the realm of instant cameras, its name alone became interchangeable with this format. A situation akin to how my grandparents refer to all smartphones as iPhones or how I call every facial tissue Kleenex - Polaroid stands for instant photography on a global scale.
Have you ever wondered how the term “Polaroid” was coined? It's actually quite simple: it originated from the name of the company that invented the first instant camera. The word itself stems from one of its core components, which is a plastic sheet layered with special chemicals designed to create instantaneous photographs without needing any film development. Therefore, Polaroid can be seen as an academic term for materials used in producing Polaroid pictures and photos!
But what makes Polaroid so special?
Evidently, the iconic Polaroid cameras and logo live on in people's nostalgia. This is evidenced by Instagram’s first app icon which was based on a classic Polaroid camera illustration. Moreover, the square photos that are so popular today were inspired by original pictures taken with those same vintage Instant-film cameras!
Photographs were formerly physical items, only present if you held a film or a print. Then it was all yours. Now we have digital information instead; your photos are saved in the computer, tablet and even phone! I myself own about one thousand pictures on my mobile device alone - quite an impressive contrast when compared to tangible images from decades ago. A material photo felt coveted while virtual files often appear transient.
By having a digital image present in numerous places, you can easily access it no matter the circumstance. Digital photos are unique due to their capability of being infinitely reproduced and rapidly sent anywhere around the world, which makes them less delicate compared to physical prints. I wouldn't say they're disposable but rather something that is not as valuable or fragile.
A digital file can never be as unique as a Polaroid. Because they are made on the spot, and crafted in the same room where its subject is found, it gives off an entirely different sensation that cannot be replicated with anything else.
Test Shots of Isaiah and Josiah, Norwich NY
Test Shots
Now, I have a collection of several different modern Polaroid cameras, and I have been experimenting with different mediums of photography and concepts for a while. With this, I have decided to do an entire photoshoot on instant film cameras. Why not? I used the following cameras to bring this to life: Polaroid Go, The Polaroid Now and the Instax Mini 40. I wanted to have a bit of variety in sizes and shapes for the photos. I think it helps show a story a bit more than looking like an Instagram news feed when laying them out. And these three cameras gave the best options in my opinion.
As any good photographer would, I made sure to test the cameras and what better way to do that than chasing my kids around the house and taking a nice brisk walk on the coldest day of the year around Norwich, NY. I also, of course, tried some self-portraits.
Test Shots of Photographer Bryan wark, 161 clinton st Studios Binghamton NY.
The Shoot
When it came time for the shoot, I rented Clinton St. Studios for the day (you can find there Instagram here). It is such a beautiful building if you are a creative looking for temporary photography studio space in Binghamton, NY it's the place to rent. I rented the space for one day to try it out and did three photoshoots with the instant film cameras. I worked with three models and we shot various styles a piece while working with the same general locations and set ups within the studio.
And the result?
Well, they speak for themselves. Unique, creative and a little bit vintage. Polaroids create a sense of nostalgia and rarity that are lost in the modern digital photography age.
So why not give it a go. Test out your own creative flare and enjoy the instant reward of a photograph that is wholly and uniquely yours.
Model: Carri Fairbairn photographed by Bryan Wark at Clinton St Studios
Model: Laurel Karee photographed by Bryan Wark at Clinton St Studios
Model: Elizabeth ‘Lizard Tentpoles’ TenWolde photographed by Bryan Wark at Clinton St Studios
