The Trick is to Look Closer

Hello! Alas! It has been too long! Between midterms, illness and Florida I have not been able to write in almost a fortnight! (I’ve been reading a lot of 18th-century epistolary British literature lately). So anyway, let’s ditch those first two, eh? Midterms and illness are gross. They are the bane of humanity. And having them both at the same time? Disgusting. Sorry I’m clearly not ditching. Ditching starts… (I feel sick and I do not like school)… NOW.

SO! Florida! Went with the fam for reading week and, before you get jealous, please be aware that it was freezing. To the point where they were fearing for oranges. And thus I was fearing for my orange juice at breakfast. I wouldn’t settle for anything but freshly squeezed (I read something like that in a Judy Blume book and I actually laughed about it for a year). Anyway, remember how I said the cold kind of affected my Polaroids when I was in Germany? Well, it might have been the same situation in Florida… yes, we are back to Polaroids today, continuing my ever-difficult search for the perfect Polaroid🙂

This Christmas, someone gave me the Impossible Project’s (kind of) new Silver Frame B&W film, even though I decided to boycott IP – by the way I’m totally off that. I’M ADDICTED! The good thing about the film: it was free. The bad thing: it’s risky. I mean, silver frames? Kind of declassicifies everything Polaroid. But, the gift-giver said they had nothing else left at the store, so I inserted the pack into the camera as soon as I got to the beach, and I started shooting. Let’s take a look. Prepare to be disappointed. (WHY DO I DO THIS TO MYSELF?)

Most of these photographs are even more frustrating than those in the Germany collection, so I’m not going to write essays on the good and the bad within each because, let’s face it, the good is: they came out of the camera; the bad: they came out of the camera like this. I’m still going to name them though, because that’s fun. Also, I don’t know why my scanner is producing a glare on the left side of the frames – it’s not this way in real life!

Photo #1: Bayshore

This is called bayshore because it was of a sign that said “Bayshore.” Unfortunately the sea swept this one away, along with three of my dollars.

Photo #2: Umbrella in the Mist

Look a little closer… no, even closer… there it is! You see the umbrella! Best used to protect your camera from all the sand flying at it.

Photo #3: Standing and Floating Away

I was really looking forward to a picture of my feet in the sand, but it didn’t happen. It does look sort of cool, but I think it’s too confusing. Rule about Impossible Project film (which will likely not apply to the next 100 pictures because that’s how this works): sand and sea do not show up. Also, shoutout to my sister for taking this picture – I would have taken it of her feet, but her pants were all wrong for the vibe. But really, this picture wasn’t her fault. If anything, she made it what it was. Look at the ones I took. Hmmm. Maybe she should be the one Polaroiding here? Okay, it’s not that good:)

Photo #4: Shoes in the Sky

It’s kind of like Holes (2003). Except these are Havianas, not Clyde “Sweetfeet” Livingston’s runners. Zero was so cute. I wouldn’t have arrested him. But really, I don’t remember it being this windy!

Photo #5: The Fifth and Sixth Ones Ended Up in France

Please see Harris Burdick for an explanation. So you know though, there are two chairs in the sand, in the centre of the picture. They’re those long beach chairs that bend under you and keep your shape for the next person who will always compare their size to yours. This one goes to the lovely beach boy (is that a thing?) who let us borrow a hotel towel for the shot. Man, was the awkward conversation worth it.

WARNING: We are about to see some decent photos, including a few ex.tra.ordinary ones if I do say so myself…

Photo #6: Transportation Options

NOT BAD! Which is the best we can hope for. But really, I like it! The bike rental throws us back to the olden days where Bike Share wasn’t a thing (not complaining, but the US Bike Shares didn’t accept our credit cards so… kind of complaining. Either way, great find here!) Now, while I hated the left side of the photo at first, look closer (the trick to most of these photographs): there’s a car, speeding away! The future is leaving the present to speed back into the past. Dare: figure that out. Love this photo. P.S. Scooters available as well. And they’re the best.

Photo #7: Lifeguard on Duty

Lovely! But. A subpar Polaroid photographer/blogger once said: small font does not show up in Impossible Project photos. She was wrong. Here it is, and it’s the worst thing that any kid could ever read: “Lifeguard on Duty,” followed by all the fun things you can’t do at the beach. Look closer, and read for yourself. Fun sucker. Okay, but I’m not going to get too worked up. I really enjoy this photograph!

Photo #8: The Perfect Septagon

YYEEESSSS! A winner! See, these are the photos that keep me going, keep me coming back to IP and paying obscene prices for film. Strange that while, very often, photos don’t work out because of the sunlight, this one is actually pointed at the sun, and it’s perfect. I just don’t get it. Also see Wayside School, specifically Mrs. Jewls, for an explanation of the title. (What is it with me and YA references today? Specifically works by Lewis Sachar!) Anyway, great photo! Worth the trip to Florida! Actually. That’s why we all went. To get one decent Polaroid. It’s why I get up every morning, really.

So, that’s the end of that collection, of that run through two photos that made me cry, three that dried my tears and three that, darn it, made me start crying again. But really, what does this all mean? Why do I continue to pour my life into these photographs that on average turn out below average?

I think I know why: to not let go of something classic. Polaroids, they were all the rage. They were the way to see a memory as it was happening and the way to instantly forget all the chaos behind the camera. The white frames gave our stories outlines and the matte yellow and perfectly-speckled insides gave our pasts presents again. Polaroids were a completely unique way of storytelling and the truth is, they are gone. I’m thankful for the Impossible Project, I am; it has allowed me to hold onto something even after it left. But I have to say goodbye now. I have to put the idea that Polaroid film will be the same, out of my head. Because it will not be, and it has not been since 2008 when the Polaroid factory shut down. The truth is, I have a choice: I can hold onto my memories of Polaroid film, the ones that I couldn’t capture with photographs because really, how do you take a picture of the film pack from which your photograph is coming, and I can stop Polaroid photography altogether. Or I can adjust, mostly to the idea of constantly adjusting. I can buy less of the expensive IP film and savour the pictures I do take, trying my best to pin down this crazy Impossible Project and to be thankful for every single photo that ejects, regardless of its quality or of the memories I will have of it.

I’m just watching the segment of the Oscars where they go through the artists we lost in the last year. So you’ll probably be able to figure out that that last paragraph isn’t really about Polaroids. Take it as you will,

RJ

P.S. Back to photography for a moment, read a really great letter right here, written to the Impossible Project by a brilliant writer and photographer who lists things that are wrong with the project and also the things that keep us coming back.

My Travels Through Germany and a Pack of Polaroid Film

Guten tag!

I have spent the last week in Germany, and I return bearing gifts: the gifts of story and photography. Isn’t that frustrating when people come back from vacations and just tell you stories and show you pictures and you really don’t care? You actually care not to look and listen because frankly, you were stuck at home while they were having an international blast, and you don’t want to feed their travel-snobbery? I do understand that. But here’s the consolation regarding this specific case: the trip was frustrating for me, too. Okay, not the whole thing; actually, most of it was fab. The part that sucked: the photography. I know, you’re thinking, “well then how on earth does that make it better for me? I didn’t go to Germany AND the photos I have to look through are horrible?” *close tab* But wait!

Yes, keep reading! Because I think that we can turn all of our misery around and channel it into learning from bad photos… or appreciating the bad ones we’ve already taken.

So! Something I really wanted to do in Germany was capture some vintage-European-looking Polaroids for my search for the perfect Polaroid. I mean, I was psyched. Nothing like some beautiful old architecture to spruce up a collection of insta-photos. Well. Imagine my disappointment when I finally decided to look at them after two hours of developing (two weeks in Polaroid time!) and they’re kind of all horrific. One’s blue, one’s white, one looks like a fingerprint, one looks like a spilled milkshake… the list goes on. HORRIFIC.

Now. Before we get to the actual photos, let me clarify: I know I’m an amateur. I have no formal training in photography, I have no photography equipment (but neither did Eve Arnold…), I have never been paid to take decent photos and thus have no incentive to take decent photos (just kidding – there are other reasons to love photography). But the Impossible Project is not making it easy for me! I get that they literally have an impossible project on their hands, and I get that they’re working their hardest. (Good job!). But so am I! And I am finding these photos impossible to work with! Every bad photo I take, I think, okay, this is a lesson, e.g. no more outdoor photos. But every photo I take turns out to be a lesson! There are none that really just work; they are always teaching!

I suppose this is one way of looking at the whole project; you have to be prepared to constantly learn, because the technicians working on the film are constantly learning. But it’s difficult to remember and I wish they would get Polaroids perfect again! Anyway, I thought I would invite you into my frustration and we could look through my failed German photos together. Please enjoy. Or mope.

Photo #1: The Blurry Flight Board

The bad: Needed the title to clue you in there, didn’t you? Painful. I actually took this photo last in the collection, when I was just done with everything. You know when you’ve wasted all the film in your camera and you’re sick of it? And then you see you have one picture left and you’re just like, screw it, I’m gonna to waste this one too? That was where I was at. So I just snapped this. But then I kind of hoped it might turn out anyway. Well, turns out that small font does not show up in Impossible Project photos! Which is upsetting, because, as give-up-y as I felt, I thought this old-fashioned non-digital board would look cool. Which it does not. $5 gone.

The good: It’s tough to find any in this one. But I can try. I guess the excessive blurriness might look chaotic, which airports and train stations and bus terminals always are. I suppose you could see this as an angry traveler trying to find his/her way in a foreign country, blinded by a different language and frustrated by the sounds of his/her mode of transportation flying/chugging/driving away. There’s a lot of guessing and supposing in there. I think this photo might work better as a movie shot, where the camera is spinning and you can actually hear all the chaos behind it. But then, where’s the imagination in that?

Photo #2: The Overexposed German Restaurant 

The bad: You’re probably able to figure out what this photo is without the help of the title. As you’re probably able to figure out what is wrong with it. It was not this bright out that day. And I didn’t use my flash for any of these pictures! Yet here we are. I think the overexposure works against the old-style restaurant in really making the actual photograph look old, like it’s been stored in a cold basement for a few decades, maybe in a freezer. So at this point, I’ve decided that when the sun is out, the Polaroid camera should not be. Not as a rule, and natural light is great, but when it’s too in-your-face it really does dominate the photo.

The good: This one is actually not that horrible. To be honest, it got a lot better with time, as is common with Polaroids; when I first saw it, it was just a sun/snowstorm, no restaurant. But now, you can tell what it is. And is that all we really ask for? To be able to make out what’s happening?

Photo #3: The Fuzzy Village

The bad: Just as the title says. The fuzziness. It’s not quite blurry, as the first photo is, but look at the roofs and the windows. Their outlines are not clear, really far from it. They look like… cloth, maybe. Too fluid. Not sharp, as roof edges should be. Now, while I like the angle and it does capture the essence of the village quite nicely (at least I think so), I think it is just this that causes the fuzziness: the high angle and the long shot. I’m pretty sure you’re not supposed to take really long shots (I’m also pretty sure a lot of my Impossible Project mishaps are as a result of my failing to read the instructions), but I really think they could be great in Polaroids because they seem more unique than two faces, or just one house. They establish a specific setting. I also feel like people take more close-up Polaroids than they do long shots, so in that way, the long-shot Polaroid is also unique. But it doesn’t seem to work! I haven’t taken one picture further than 10 feet away from the subject that has actually turned out!

The good: You can still see what the long shot is doing, or at least trying to do. In spite of the fuzziness, the houses are obviously houses. And also, I think the colour of the clay roofs came out quite nicely here. Not the ones coming toward us, but the ones going perpendicular to them. It’s a dark red-orange that clarifies a horizon that the fuzzy roof outlines fail to establish.

Photo #4: The Sun Square

The bad: Same story, different Polaroid. Just like Photo #2, this is overexposed and also now blurry. It could have been really nice. European buildings in a cobblestone square under a frosty winter sky. Except all we got was the frosty winter sky. So, a similar moral: the sky should take up very little of the photo; think of it as head room in a movie shot or a different photograph. The room is not the focus, it’s the head. Or in this case, the European buildings in a cobblestone square that could have been so much quainter. On the blurriness: I think the sky also did it. Too much skylight = blurred subject.

The good: It does look European! You can see the quilt-like patterns on the buildings, and the fountain in the front definitely establishes the setting. So in this case, the depth helps clarify what’s happening in the first place.

Photo #5: The Strawberry Milkshake

The bad: Woah! Whole new league of bad photos! I will say, however, I didn’t take this one – the floor did. Someone knocked it over (it’s okay though!) and it somehow triggered itself and shot this beauty out. Very, very frustrating. You’ve got to be more careful about putting your camera on tables.

The good: Well, who doesn’t love milkshakes? And who doesn’t love strange art that takes a year to figure out? It’s a frustrating and kind of gross photo if you look at it too long, but it did it itself and I think that’s a little bit cool. It has the effortlessness I aspire to work with, I suppose.

Photo #6: Frankfurt Across the River

The bad: Not too much! That you can see, that is. After about two hours, this photo was actually teal. You could make out the clock tower, but it was all blue. I think it might have been because my camera had been out for so long in freezing weather at that point. But when I looked much later on, after I had been inside for a while, it really looked normal and even… good? So! No cold weather for Polaroids; if you must take them outside, leave the pictures inside afterwards for a few extra hours to let them warm up:) Maybe some hot chocolate? No, never mind. Don’t do that.

The good: I like how the city makes up the horizon here. I think because it’s further away, the city fades into the bright sky instead of interrupting it. This might have been an issue with the village photo, too, actually; it might not have been the long shot frustrating it so much as it was the layering, responding to the sun and sky differently at each level. But I really have never had a long-shot Polaroid work out for me until now, so that frustrates me and makes me think, there are no rules for Impossible Project photos, are there? I think that’s actually the only thing I have learned here.

Photo #7: The Greenified Mock-Lock Bridge

The bad: The colour. In this discount Pont de l’Archevêché (I actually like this bridge better because it’s not as cluttered as the one in Paris and thus seems less suffocating for those couples who choose to symbolize their love with a padlock), the colours are exquisite. Every lock seems to be a new shade, and they are beautiful together. But all of those colours come out sea-green here! I think it’s the white sky again. Also, the light is reflecting off of all the especially bright locks, making the whole thing kind of blinding. So, my advice: don’t shoot anything particularly shiny.

The good: I’ve never taken a shot this close that actually sort of captured what I was trying to capture. So this is positive. I’m not sure what the secret is. Maybe it’s in one of those padlocks. I guess I’m in for a long swim then, to find a certain key…

Alright, you’ve seen my photos. You’ve heard my complaints and you’ve listened to my advice. So then, are any of you photography geniuses? Would you be willing to give me advice, because I find that I rarely know what I’m doing? I know now what I’m NOT doing, ever again, but what am I going to do? It’s difficult to figure out. Anyway, advice would be great. Until then, however, I guess I’ll stare at these failed (but improving) Polaroids until I decide that they’re fantastic. Because that’s what we have to do when it’s $5 per photo.

Danke:)

RJ

Negative Polaroid Advice

Why, hello there!

So, in honour of the snow that is everywhere (you’ll see tomorrow for a tree and garden photo), I am doing a POLARoid post today. There’s a funnier joke in there. Give me a few weeks to locate it, and you’ll hear something better about cold photography. Now. Today’s In Search of the Perfect Polaroid picture:

What is happening in this photo? Hard to tell, isn’t it? So, it’s me and my brother surfing, because I like boards and water and Polaroids. But as I like the water I board on, I like my Polaroids clear. And this one definitely isn’t. Why is that, you ask? The shocking answer: it’s not an original Polaroid. It’s a Polaroid of a digital picture. See, I didn’t have my Polaroid with me that day surfing, but I really wanted a Polaroid of the experience. So, I settled for a picture of a picture. Ending to the story: it didn’t work out.

Okay, well, in terms of a cool vintage photo it turned out nicely, but in terms of a picture where you can actually see the subjects, it did not. So, Today’s Tip: don’t take Polaroids of pictures you already have in order to make them look cooler. Just don’t do it. While this photo might look neat because let’s face it, if you can make out a surfboard it’s a neat photo, the whole picture-of-a-picture thing is risky business. You get glares, strange colours, awkwardly blurry subjects, and awkwardly blurry memories as a result. I mean, if you’re into that kind of thing and your heart can handle the stress of wasted film, go for it. But really, you only get one shot with a Polaroid so my advice is, don’t waste it on a picture you already have. Sorry if that’s a negative way to end things. Wow, there are so many photography jokes in those last couple sentences. That is unreal.

So go take some Polaroids of real scenes, not scenes that you shot a few years ago and think look cool now, and let me know how they turn out!

RJ

P.S. Maybe you’ve never been tempted to take a Polaroid of a digital picture. In that case, I’m completely alone here. Thanks for reading anyway. However, if you have experienced this temptation and still have photos you’d like to turn into Polaroids, look at this really amazing Impossible Project product that I can’t afford; it’s called Instant Lab. It might ruin the spontaneity and risk of Polaroiding, but check it out anyway. And if you do make the purchase, can I PLEASE try it? Just for one photo?

Christmas is Coming into the Foreground!

Hello Polaroiders, it’s been too long! So, let’s jump right into this instalment of In Search of the Perfect Polaroid!

Well, seeing as it’s Halloween, I thought I’d use a picture taken last… Christmas:

Look closely at the picture; what’s special about it? Okay, a lot’s special about it, because every Polaroid is special. Like snowflakes. Hmm. There is an all too cliche but still maybe beautiful blog post in there. We’ll see. Anyway, look at the walls in the picture. How many do you see? Well, there are actually quite a few since it’s a very angular house, but there are three main ones. Layers. You see them? First, the wall with the door against it, that features the Felt Christmas Tree Calendar of Impatience. Got it? Good. Second, the wall that is attached to the main brown doorframe; from the left, it’s about a quarter of the way into the picture. Alright, ready for the third one? Squint, peak across the hallway and into the other room. See those boxes, underneath a mirror? These items are against the third wall. So! What does this mean? Well, think about it. Those three walls, what was the difference between them? Yes…? We moved further back into the house, and therefore into the picture, as we went from 1 to 3! So. That might have seen like a really drawn out exercise to pick out walls, but I think this picture is a really good demonstration of, you guessed it, foreground, mid-ground, and background!

That brings us to Today’s Tip: establish clear layers of a scene. Polaroids, we love them, but they are sometimes a little blurry and difficult to understand. Now, that fuzzy-factor is often what makes a Polaroid so cool, but you know, you want to be able to see something going on. Establishing a foreground, mid-ground and background does just this: clarifies the zones within your photo, making it easier to decipher the scene as a whole. So, when you’re setting up your picture, make sure you’ve got at least two layers to add this depth that I’m talking about, and chances are, one of these layers will turn out okay. Because you never know with Polaroids, they can be a little moody. (I get it though, I’ve been there.)

Now, go establish some foregrounds and backgrounds and mid-grounds and side grounds or really no grounds at all if you want to go super abstract, because those photos can turn out pretty unreal too, but at least always be aware of the depth in your photo. It’s likely that there are layers, even if your subject is really close-up; understanding where these layers are helps to find new details within the picture as a whole.

Happy Halloween and Merry Christmas!:) And good luck snapping your layered Polaroids!

RJ

Every Polaroid Picture Has a Frame Outside Of The White One

Hi! So, let’s get Polaroiding here. In my third instalment of In Search of the Perfect Polaroid, I’m going to be using this picture:

Now, my tip for instant photography today comes from the story behind this picture. I was only starting to be interested in Polaroid photography, and was kind of just in it for indie credit. See, I would really prepare for these pictures, setting them up just so and wearing the perfect outfit and getting the light just right, because I wanted them to look as effortless as possible. This particular fall day, I wanted a photo of my sister and I sitting up in a tree looking all chill and outdoorsy, so I persuaded her and my mom to go out on the trail near our house to take it.

We walked out to this tree that was a little off the trail, down a hill. My sister and I climbed up, got in our pose, and my mom was about to take the picture, when she lost her balance standing on the side of the hill, fell down on her back and started to slide down towards, yes, the river. My sister was screaming, “Mom!” and I was screaming, “My camera!” and my mom was just screaming. We leapt down from the tree and thank goodness, caught her just before she slid into the frosty water. She was okay, and much less importantly, the camera was okay, but when she stood up again she hesitantly told me that her finger had pulled the trigger as she was sliding, and the camera had ejected my last Polaroid picture. I was crushed. I really was. I was pretty mad, too. I had put on this great outfit, arranged the little hike and had entrusted my camera to my mom. I regretted the afternoon already.

But then, as we walked home and the picture developed, I saw how really… natural it was. I mean, yeah, there’s nature in it, but it just looks, like, actually effortless, you know? So then I completely turned my attitude around and kept thanking my mom for taking such a fabulous photograph; I don’t know if she or my sister was really impressed with my rapid change in perspective, considering it mostly revolved around the photo and myself. But then, as we walked on and got home, I finally just started to smile at the picture in my mind of my mom sliding down the bank towards the river, and the picture of my caring sister giving no thought to my art and just trying to save our mother. And then they started to smile, and we all started to laugh, and couldn’t stop; long after I put the picture away (until now), we were laughing, about how the afternoon had gone completely wrong and turned out so well.

So, today’s tip is kind of two-fold: first, in a technical sense, don’t be upset when your photo turns out totally different than you expected it to, because it usually will, and second, be natural – don’t try too hard to be indie and effortless in your photography. And second, in an abstract sense, remember that every picture has a story. Every photo has a frame outside of the physical one, a frame that transcends what you can see and is just a good memory. So really, don’t look so hard at the picture that you forget where you were when you took it.

RJ

P.S. Thank you to my mom for being the most genuine artist I know; I should have never doubted your ability to take an amazing picture.

Time Heals All Polaroids

Well, hello there! You’ve come to take part in the second instalment of In Search of the Perfect Polaroid! Now, let’s get right to it! Here are two Polaroids I took in San Francisco that will bring me to today’s tip.

The first is a picture of Alcatraz Island, taken from Pier 39:

And the second is a picture of the San Francisco Bay, taken from Alcatraz Island:

Okay, I know what you’re thinking. Okay, I don’t know what you’re thinking, but I can guess: you’re thinking, “These pictures are awful! What kind of useful instant photography advice can come from this?!”

Calm down (if that was what you were thinking). Let me tell you why these pictures will in fact be very useful to us.

I’ll start by saying, both these photographs were so horrendous at first that you couldn’t even be sure that they were photographs; the images were so white that it was hard to tell where the Polaroid frames ended and where the actual pictures began. And now, considering the fact that Impossible Project film for Polaroid is roughly $3 per shot, you can imagine my disappointment when my shot didn’t turn out. If you have had this horrific experience of turning a picture over after its thirty minutes of marination, only to see that it is a complete failure, you might even be able to feel my disappointment, somewhere in the depths of your photographer’s heart. Anyway, you get it: I was crestfallen.

But, because we all know it’s nearly impossible to get rid of Polaroid film (to physically get rid of it, I mean; to get rid of film by wasting it on subjects that accidentally blink or on scenes that turn out too dark is very easy), I satisfied myself with stashing the two pictures away in my camera case, and moving on to less overexposed things.

Five months later. Imagine my surprise when I came back to the photos half a year after they were taken, only to find out that I could tell what the scene was in each one! Look at the photos again! Don’t the pictures look better now that you have this image in your mind of what they were before? Of course, we can now also see the large awkward glitch at the bottom of the second picture that looks a little too chemically to be a part of the Alcatraz Island terrain, and yes, both photos look like they were taken in black and white when I was definitely shooting with colour film. But! You can see what’s going on in them! You can make out what I wanted to capture! Exciting, right?!

So, Today’s Tip: give your Polaroids time. Time to develop, time to decide what they want to become. Do not give up on a picture just because it looks terrible an hour after it was taken. Let each photo sit in a cool, shady place (that sounds refreshing), for longer than thirty minutes. Maybe let them sit forever. Who knows, maybe the pictures above will develop even further and in five months, you’ll be able to see Frank Morris and the Anglin Brothers still trying to swim to shore!

So go take a Polaroid picture, and watch it as it develops over time!

RJ

P.S. I wish I knew more about the way the ink works in Polaroid/Impossible Project film, and why it seems to keep developing long after the package says it should be done – is anyone an expert who would like to give me a crash course? Leave it in the comments section or go to my Contact page to send me an email!

In Search of the Perfect Polaroid

Hello fellow photographers!

Have we seen Bruce Brown’s The Endless Summer? It’s absolutely classic, one of my favourite documentaries and maybe even films. If you haven’t seen it, here are the basics: pro surfers Robert August and Michael Hynson decide that if they follow summer around the world, they might find the perfect wave. Now, they surf all sorts of waves that have one perfect quality and are missing others; only when they visit Cape St. Francis, South Africa do they find the wave that combines most of these criteria and adds a few new ones.

So! What does this have to do with Polaroids? Well, I have decided that instead of the perfect wave, I am going to find the perfect Polaroid picture. I’ve taken many in my time and over the next little while, I’m going to compare the pictures and pick out one quality that makes each photograph work. Hopefully, if I can find enough of the criteria for the Perfect Polaroid, I will eventually take it!

With all this talk of waves, I decided that the best picture to start off with is the one of me with my paddleboard:

The quality we’ll take from this photo: the central focus. I love landscapes as much as the next photographer, but I’m realizing that with Polaroids (or Impossible Project photos, Impossible Project being the company that’s taken over the production of instant film for Polaroid cameras), you have to keep things simple. And one single subject does just that: keeps it simple.

There are things in this picture I don’t enjoy, like how you can barely tell that the ocean is behind me because it’s so overexposed. (I’ll usually feature a picture that illuminates or fulfills one criterion while going against another; when it fulfills all of them or the most important ones, it will be the Perfect Polaroid). But, the positive quality I’m taking away from this Polaroid: the single subject.

So, Today’s Tip is: focus on one subject. Don’t feature so many subjects that the details of each are eradicated. Polaroids never have the quality of digital pictures and thus can only take so much in one frame.

Now! Go photograph some single subjects, and let me know how your pictures turn out!

RJ