Tag Archives: Polaroid

instant film photos in style

Posted on March 29, 2020 by Robert

Toronto. My thanks to Clint who forwarded an email he received from member Stuart Moscoe. Stuart included this link to PetaPixel, a site we have mentioned before. Instax allows Fuji, Lomgraphy, etc to use SX-70 style “Polaroid” film. This article states, … Continue reading →

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selfies: hope vs. reality

Posted on March 28, 2020 by Robert

Toronto. About 60 years ago, Polaroid advertised that “everyone” used their system to take home photos (i.e. “selfies” – a name coined  just a few years ago). That was hope since the reality was that a very small percentage of … Continue reading →

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film savings nearly 60 years ago

Posted on March 25, 2020 by Robert

Toronto. My good friend George Dunbar is a fabulous source of suggestions and inspirations as he pursues photographic history as reflected in magazine advertisements last century. Today’s item stems from George’s email a few days back showing a collaboration between … Continue reading →

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wishful thinking …

Posted on March 22, 2020 by Robert

Toronto. When Edwin Land announced the famous Polaroid Land system a few years after the war, dealers had difficulty keeping the “picture-in-a-minute” cameras and film in stock.  By the time this ad showed up, the Polaroid system was down to … Continue reading →

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a plethora of polaroids

Posted on March 7, 2020 by Robert

Toronto. Every collection needs at least one Polaroid camera – I have two personally. And thanks to innovators in Europe and Japan, Polaroid colour packs can still be found. If your collection  suffers the  lack of a Polaroid camera – … Continue reading →

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snap, snap. snap, snapshot

Posted on February 25, 2020 by Robert

Toronto. Post World War 2, American photography companies worked hard to capture a segment of the amateur photography market. The most popular strategies were flash (for night and indoor shots), Colour (for realism), fast results (seeing how a shot turned … Continue reading →

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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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