Tag Archives: Polaroid

KISS Photography

Posted on February 12, 2020 by Robert

Toronto. Photography in the terms of cameras followed the Keep it Simple, Stupid (KISS) philosophy for decades from the very beginning.  A box in a box served to adjust focus before bellows and threaded tubes came along. A ground glass … Continue reading →

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bye bye flashbulb guy

Posted on December 10, 2019 by Robert

Toronto. The 1960s were pretty much the last decade for flashbulbs. They weren’t killed by fast Polaroid film as the Polaroid ad implies, but by cheap electronic flash. The electronic flash was pricier up front, but in use, it was … Continue reading →

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neat way to add three stops

Posted on November 28, 2019 by Robert

Toronto. A half century ago if you wanted a fast film you went with Tri-X ISO (ASA) 400 B&W film. Tri-X was marketed around 1940 as a larger size film with an ASA of 200. In 1954 it was offered … Continue reading →

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how to be a pro for under $100…

Posted on October 26, 2019 by Robert

Toronto. In 1959, this ad in LIFE magazine suggested you too could take professional photos if you only doled out $72.75 in USD for a Polaroid camera! For example the ad shows a portrait study of two famous actors of … Continue reading →

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pictures on the spot

Posted on April 27, 2019 by Robert

Toronto. In the last half of the last century, photography had a number of goals for improvement for amateurs. Three come to mind: Faster media, so pictures could be taken indoors or at night; colour at lower cost; and faster … Continue reading →

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in a minute? why so long?

Posted on January 19, 2019 by Robert

Toronto. In the 1950s, the Polaroid cameras were a revolution in photography. Take a shot (always so great in ads) and in a minute you could see the result in crisp black and white luminance values. Passé today with the … Continue reading →

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a Diana for squares

Posted on December 29, 2018 by Robert

Toronto. Lomography USA is keeping alive film by offering inexpensive cameras plus other optional lenses, some that work on digital cameras too. Their latest Diana Instant Square model uses Fuji Instax film to create square “polaroid” style photos. Birgit Buchart … Continue reading →

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things we take for granted

Posted on November 19, 2018 by Robert

Toronto. See a great photo. Out comes the smartphone. Click, click, click, click, and one of the rapidly taken shots is a real winner. Upload to home and friends. Phone into pocket and we continue on. Just a normal sunny … Continue reading →

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the wonders of Polaroid

Posted on September 27, 2018 by Robert

Toronto. My thanks to George Dunbar for sending me a note on the Guardian article by Christian Sinbaldi and Mee-Lai Stone (Picture Editor, Culture) titled Strictly analogue: Polaroid’s past, present and future – a photo essay. The Polaroid company has … Continue reading →

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the world’s most exciting camera in 1950?

Posted on June 21, 2018 by Robert

Toronto. In its October 30th, 1950 advertisement in LIFE magazine, Polaroid touted its camera as “The World’s Most Exciting” and “this year’s most wanted [Christmas] gift“. While this was typical marketing fluff, Polaroid was right. In a world used to … Continue reading →

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