Remaining polaroid stock to be sold at Urban Outfitters tomorrow

metropolis4 · 08-21-2009, 08:49 AM

I always loved the look of Polaroid pictures. To each his own

I was looking around eBay and the problem I see is that camera's are rediculously cheap, but film is very very expensive. It seems to be going for around $2-3 per shot!

I think it would be really fun to have a Polaroid, but I'm gonna wait until the Impossible Project finishes before I make any purchases. I want to make sure that 1) they succeed and 2) it's not crazy expensive

ApparentlyNothing · 08-21-2009, 10:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OiBoyz

No. It's about right.

We could argue over the aesthetics of Polaroid film, but I'm sure I'll just stick to my point that "imperfections" don't equal awful, and it will eventually devolve into an argument about subjectivity verses objectivity in art. I'd kinda rather not have to go through all that, so I'll just appeal to Ansel Adams, Andy Warhol, John Reuter, Timothy Greenfield-Sanders, Lucas Samaras, Robert Rauschenberg, Rosamond Purcell.... the list could go on forever.

**redbaron** · 08-21-2009, 11:37 AM

I'm not a huge fan of polaroid, mostly because the quality of the prints goes downhill so fast. If I really wanted something with a nasty yellow hue after 10 years I could just go into photoshop, screw with the hues until it looked like I had the wrong whitebalance, and then print it

Seriously though, I've seen some cool art on polaroid film, but honestly it's not something you can't reproduce in the digital darkroom for way less cost, if that's the look you're going for.

I guess I just don't understand the low-fi appeal. If I'm shooting film it'll be 35mm or med. format.

ApparentlyNothing · 08-21-2009, 11:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rabid Mint

I'm not a huge fan of polaroid, mostly because the quality of the prints goes downhill so fast. If I really wanted something with a nasty yellow hue after 10 years I could just go into photoshop, screw with the hues until it looked like I had the wrong whitebalance, and then print it

Seriously though, I've seen some cool art on polaroid film, but honestly it's not something you can't reproduce in the digital darkroom for way less cost, if that's the look you're going for.

Ahhhh! No no no no no noooooooo you can't.

**Rainer.** · 08-21-2009, 12:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by metropolis4

I always loved the look of Polaroid pictures. To each his own

I was looking around eBay and the problem I see is that camera's are rediculously cheap, but film is very very expensive. It seems to be going for around $2-3 per shot!

Well, if you're actually thinking in terms of prints, since with a Polaroid you're actually getting a print out of the shot, and not just a negative, that's not too bad of a price, if you're careful with your shots. My average 11x14 print from the darkroom uses paper that costs about a dollar per sheet, and I usually use up a couple sheets trying to perfect it. Printing that big at the store isn't that cheap either.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ApparentlyNothing

Ahhhh! No no no no no noooooooo you can't.

Yeah fauxlaroid =/= polaroid.

This thread is probably making a lot of artists' eyes twitch... o.0

**redbaron** · 08-21-2009, 01:03 PM

I don't get the whole "i like my whitebalance to appear as if there are always fluorescent lights on" look personally.

Oh, but it's mad vintage looking.

ApparentlyNothing · 08-21-2009, 01:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rabid Mint

I don't get the whole "i like my whitebalance to appear as if there are always fluorescent lights on" look personally.

Oh, but it's mad vintage looking.

First of all, what?

Second, to address your previous post where you said...

Quote:

I'm not a huge fan of polaroid, mostly because the quality of the prints goes downhill so fast. If I really wanted something with a nasty yellow hue after 10 years I could just go into photoshop, screw with the hues until it looked like I had the wrong whitebalance, and then print it

I'm not sure where you're getting that at all. I've seen Polaroid shots from the 60's and 70's that still look great. Maybe the color fades a little, but nothing like a wild shift in white balance like you describe.

**redbaron** · 08-21-2009, 01:13 PM

I have a bunch from my parents and friends and such that have yellowed considerably, and no, before you ask they weren't exposed to UV light in a frame or anything, they were filed away in boxes and whatnot.

I find that many (not all certainly) polaroids tend to the very yellowy end of the spectrum and it's not really my cup o' tea.

OiBoyz · 08-21-2009, 01:44 PM

As I recall, the color was "off" right from the get-go. Of course, I would assume they've fixed that over the years. It was cool getting to peel the pictures so you could see them.

This is very much like the one we had. Though I think ours was white, not grey.