10^3 Words

Polaroid 600 Integral Film; Polaroid SLR680
instant development

Making this uber-analog image a part of a very digital experience was about an order of magnitude more complicated than actually taking the picture in the first place. I’m considering a process of scanning and processing my Polaroids that changes very little of the photo itself (which is how I like things, as I’m very analog-oriented). The desire to utilize the flexible digital workflow to modify the image – curves, levels, etc. – is very strong. Personally, I’m of the opinion that these tweaks to the spectral qualities of the image are sometimes necessary to match the analog source, but there are potential pitfalls.

In my opinion, it’s the texture of the Polaroid picture that really makes its preservation as a digital image shine. Capturing that, the essence of the Polaroid as an artifact, is important.