What is the earliest memory you have of capturing a moment? was it with a Sony Cybershot loaded with a floppy disk? a relatives Kodak Disc camera? maybe a photography course in high school or college where they took away automation as a means to force you to learn the process. For a lot of us including myself, it was a Polaroid. Not even a fancy SLR680 or SX-70, but a simple, classic bubbly melted corner Polaroid 600.
In the ’90s the most accessible method of capturing photographs was by using film in its various forms, and Polaroids. Film required a lab to process, so you’d be without your images for any amount of time. Near the end of accessible film lab processing, you’d be able to get your images back in a few days. Even a day even in the ‘90s seemed like forever, especially if you were traveling or only had fleeting moments. That’s where Polaroids met the need of “instant” demand, whether it was for passport photos, birthday parties, or proofing studio setups for fashion photographers.
The qualities of a Polaroid image are always unique. For the most part, you have almost zero control. Some cameras had a flash on, flash off, and a “macro” lens which was just a piece of thick transparent plastic that covered the plastic lens. Chemistry determined the result, sometimes the chemistry went bad and you got incredibly oddly toned images, sometimes the rollers in the camera were dirty and created awkward streaks, sometimes the tiniest amount of glare or dust got in the way and completely ruined your image. There was always one guarantee though, that the result was finite.
Photography in its evolution for the perfect photo is easier to attain by being in the right place and time, followed by endless hours of manipulation, adjusting, and compositing. There are TONS of amazing photographers and their editors who make truly stunning images.
As an alternative journey, my genesis project on Foundation called “One Takes” does not promise this at all. The deeper meaning of every image is not to take it at face value (or maybe you just like it for what it is, no shame there). Each image as chemically and organically created represents a reflection of the moment for yourself shared with the Polaroid.
One Takes is a celebration of photography devoid of digital interpretation. In the age of “Live Photos” and face manipulating overlays pushed real-time to your friends, each photograph focuses purely on the emotion and being in the moment. No tagging, no boomerang, just the chemistry and the feeling of finite existence.
Sure, the end result and the collection exist digitally on the blockchain—but as a brushstroke, the interpretation is a direct 1:1 of an organic, chemical reaction.
For example, when’s the first time you’ve seen snow? were you with a loved one? or the first time you saw an abandoned chair outside a bar? did you feel like it was a person being left out?
I’m excited to push One Takes further and see where it goes, I hope you can enjoy it as well. ♥
https://foundation.app/collection/onetakes
All photos made with a vintage Polaroid SLR680, Polaroid Color 600 film and scanned using an Epson V550.
