Instant Classic-- Polaroids

Polaroids - Images by Pat Shannahan

I was inspired by several recent news stories to put together a collection of my favorite images made with my Polaroid SX-70. The great thing about the SX-70 is that is shoots TIme Zero film. The film's emulsion remains soft for a few minutes after the images is made. You can use a dull tipped object, such as a burnishing tool, to move the emulsion around under the plastic cover. The results can look like an painting. All of these images are just scans of the polaroid. No Photoshop filters. Sadly, Polaroid does not make this film anymore and the art of the SX-70 is slipping away. The NY Times has a gallery of reader images shot with polaroid cameras on their Lens photo blog. It's well worth checking out.

NPR has a nice story, with photos, about an exhibit of polaroids at the New York Photo Festival. It shows the work of 14 European photographers who used polaroid instant films.