Yeah. I like Polaroids–both taking them and looking at them. I wonder how the name came about . . .
My father, who was a pretty good amateur photographer, had, in addition to all the usual stuff photographers had back in the ’60s, a Polaroid Swinger–it came in a fuschia-colored box. The product name, the box’s color, they just exuded Fun!, you know? Avocado Green and Harvest Gold were just down the road.
I digress.
The central character in Mark Z. Danielewski’s 2000 novel House of Leaves takes Polaroid pictures of various houses at one point in the narrative. Though that’s not a central plot point, it led me to speculate a bit on how the Polaroid’s technology creates or implies a different dynamic between photographer and subject from that which exists with film cameras. If anyone’s interested in that, you can read it here.
Of course–the key word above is “speculate”: I don’t claim to know what I’m talking about. So, those of you who actually know stuff, feel free to tell me how full of shinola I am.
I’ll second that, and go one further to say, when it comes to the subjective nature of the creative process, we are all just making it up. That is why aesthetics are interesting (or not) to talk about.
I can’t speak to what the character’s motives are, but I think your analysis seems probable. I have an old SX-70 and a 110B which takes pack film, they both offer the ability to manually focus. The 110B offers one a choice of apertures and shutter-speeds. What I love is the fact the quality inherent in the film and the immediacy of producing an image and object you can hold and share instantly. So far digital cameras haven’t got there yet.
Barry,
It’s a long story (literally and figuratively), but short version is that the main character, um, starts obsessing about houses and so starts collecting images about them. He has to have them right now.
Sadly, Polaroid finally throws in the towel.from NYT
phuck!
Yeah. I like Polaroids–both taking them and looking at them. I wonder how the name came about . . .
My father, who was a pretty good amateur photographer, had, in addition to all the usual stuff photographers had back in the ’60s, a Polaroid Swinger–it came in a fuschia-colored box. The product name, the box’s color, they just exuded Fun!, you know? Avocado Green and Harvest Gold were just down the road.
I digress.
The central character in Mark Z. Danielewski’s 2000 novel House of Leaves takes Polaroid pictures of various houses at one point in the narrative. Though that’s not a central plot point, it led me to speculate a bit on how the Polaroid’s technology creates or implies a different dynamic between photographer and subject from that which exists with film cameras. If anyone’s interested in that, you can read it here.
Of course–the key word above is “speculate”: I don’t claim to know what I’m talking about. So, those of you who actually know stuff, feel free to tell me how full of shinola I am.
John, no one here actually knows stuff.
Well, Deron: I now know one piece of stuff; I now, as is commensurate with my altruistic disposition, will share said stuff with y’all:
From Wikipedia: “Polaroid is the name of a type of synthetic plastic sheet which is used to polarise light.”
Deron-John, no one here actually knows stuff.
I’ll second that, and go one further to say, when it comes to the subjective nature of the creative process, we are all just making it up. That is why aesthetics are interesting (or not) to talk about.
I can’t speak to what the character’s motives are, but I think your analysis seems probable. I have an old SX-70 and a 110B which takes pack film, they both offer the ability to manually focus. The 110B offers one a choice of apertures and shutter-speeds. What I love is the fact the quality inherent in the film and the immediacy of producing an image and object you can hold and share instantly. So far digital cameras haven’t got there yet.
Barry,
It’s a long story (literally and figuratively), but short version is that the main character, um, starts obsessing about houses and so starts collecting images about them. He has to have them right now.
I haven’t been this devastated since the Kodak Disc camera was discontinued.