The Original Digital

I like Polaroid cameras, which is why I am sad that Polaroid recently announced that it is discontinuing its instant film division. In part I blame Outkast, they told people to shake it like a Polaroid picture, when in reality it should be lay it flat in a room temperature environment like a Polaroid picture. Or, if you are outside in the cold, hold still near a warm part of your body, but never, ever, shake it like a Polaroid picture, for this disturbs the developing process.

A few years ago I found a Polariod camera in my roommate's (note: parent's) house. The sight of the camera jogged many a memory from my youth of waiting for pictures to develop, and then being able to retake the picture if it didn't turn out right ... in other words, Polaroid was the original digital, so to speak. I took the camera and began to use it as my everyday camera. People were amazed when I pull out my Polaroid to capture a picture perfect moment. Everybody always wanted a copy. Polaroids became kind of my thing for a while. I took them wherever I went, writing witty captions across the provided space. I then began to hang them up on the back of my dorm room door. It was a visual literacy project that documented my life. Although my Polariod has become a less frequent addition to my Murse (man purse), I still occasionally use it.

I decided to use a collection of my Polaroids for a few different reasons. The first being that although the Polaroids portray only a short time span in my life, they represent an intersection between images and words. Almost all of the Polaroids that I have taken are marked in someway, most of them with writing. I felt that it was important to remember the moment not only with a picture, but also with a written description to help enhance the photograph. As an English major, this was kind of a big step for me. I was used to writing and writing and writing, but never before had I relied on an image in place of words. The space below the picture only allows so many words, so I had to be careful in picking which words I would use.

The second reason that I chose to use Polaroids for this project was becuase of the intersection of old and new. Polaroid camera's are an outdated technology, yet they have a clear connection to current technology. People like instant gratification, this is why people liked Polaroids, and now like digital cameras. These are two different types of digital literacies that are also somewhat related. I had to master both of these literacies (being able to use the Polaroid camera, and then being able to scan the pictures) in order to complete this project.