Polaroid makes a comeback with the “Impossible Project”

A couple of years ago, I acquired a Polaroid SX-70 camera that my family was given but no one else wanted. I thought that I may be able to make use of the camera in some way- once I got some film! Mostly this is exciting because the camera uses the same type of film that is used for the painterly effects of Polaroid manipulation.

Great example of Polaroid manipulation on flickr

Unfortunately, Polaroid ceased to make the film in 2008. Wired magazine recently wrote an article about the survival of the instant film concept and the introduction of a new project to save and modernize it. The result called The Impossible Project. Over 2008, they have been working busily on creating a film to go to market. It is estimated that in early 2010 there will be a black and white film available and my mid 2o10, color film.

The great thing about the revival is that some things you might not create in Photoshop. Sure, potentially there are ways to create anything under the sun. But is it fun always being behind a computer? Also, with a manual process- there are ways to have ‘happy accidents.’ Film is still a viable medium for personal work in modern times. I still have a Nikon FM2 manual 35mm and a Holga 120 size film camera. Mostly, I just enjoy going out and shooting film for the fun of it. In low volume, this need not be a very expensive form of creative expression.

Another reason to consider film is for large format tilt shift options. Photographers like Dan Winters are still shooting film very successfully- I really like the way he includes the film rebates in his shots. A reasonably inexpensive 4×5 inch camera can be had on eBay – adding an extra dimension to the photographers toolbox.

The SX-70 will be easy to take along on shoots and try out- it folds up into a really nice compact package:

SX-70 folded away

Once opened, it looks like a regular SLR camera and even has a reliable auto-focus function.

SX-70 camera opened up ready to shoot.

I am looking forward to experimenting with Polariod film as soon as it becomes available. I have signed up for the Twitter feed on The Impossible Project, and will stay tuned as to when I can place my first order. They even sell T-Shirts currently, all proceeds going to funding the project!

This entry was posted on Saturday, December 5th, 2009 at 9:56 am and is filed under Personal work. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.