Instant Love??

Well, I am having fun with the Polaroid... I have yet to have the time to properly scan any of my 'experiments' to be able to share them properly but for now here is an arty shot of those taken so far...

I have been reading my new book and having a play and I can now share some of my new discoveries!

1. Once a photograph is taken it needs to be IMMEDIATELY placed out of the light. I have taken to holding an open book in front of the camera to catch the picture as it exits the camera. Tricky to balance so I am experimenting with a variety of sizes. So far 'Karen and the Little Lost Kitten' is doing an admirable job.
2. The newly taken photograph needs to be nurtured at a temperature between 13 -25 degrees. I am trying to attach a thermometer to the book but it's proving difficult. In the meantime I am stuffing the book up my jumper!
3. Using 'Karen and the Little Lost Kitten' seems to be a mistake as the book contains a built in finger puppet (of the kitten, not of Karen), the added texture creates interesting patterns on the developing photographs.
4. The camera model is a Polaroid Close Up. This is blatant trades description fodder. For 'Close Up' read 'Focus Free'.
5. Daytime photographs come out as dusk, dusk comes out as midnight and midnight comes out as coalmine.
6. You can accidently operate the shutter whilst the camera is shut resulting in an interesting view of the inside of the camera. Except it's so dark that you can't see anything (see also coalmine, above).
7. The term 'Instant' needs to be taken in the context of the history of the Universe. Should you be confronted with a once in a lifetime photographic opportunity - imagine Noel Edmonds has turned up at your local Co-Op - you will not find out if your creative efforts have been successful for at least an hour. Maybe two. Depends how dark and warm you kept the tiny embryonic artwork. If it has not been successful Mr Edmonds will surely have moved on to other supermarkets by then and your moment will be lost.
8. As each photogaph costs an average of £2.20 it is tempting to see each failure in monetary terms. Instead I am seeing each as it's own mini art experiment. Or something...

This may all sound somewhat negative (no pun intended) but I am actually enjoying it! It is a shame the film is so expensive and still in an experimental stage (Polaroid stopped producing the film and so it is being redeveloped by another company) but the excitement of the photograph popping out and the anticipation of exactly how rubbish and arty the shot will be is still a thrill!