Friday, July 10, 2009

.film fading fast.

This morning I woke up to my dog barking. Nothing is wrong that I can tell. It is 5:30 in the morning. Oh, did I mention that he also woke me up at 2:30? Yeah, I'm not a happy camper. ANYWAY, the advantage, I guess, to being disturbed from a semi-conscious state is that you tend to remember what you woke up from. Does that make sense? Forgive me if I am rambling, but like I said, it's way too early for me to be up. I remember I was looking for new cameras. Or rather, old cameras. Actually, specifically FILM cameras. This is where being up at 2:30 in the morning and not being able to go right back to sleep comes into play. . . me at my computer, flipping through fantastic images on Flickr. . . loving the images made by Polaroids and Holgas. . . envious of the artistic soul that captured them. So in my dream, I go into what is supposed to be a Walmart but is not. Does that ever happen to you? You dream you're in a place that should be one thing but is absolutely NOTHING like the real thing? Okay, so that's what happened here. I'm looking at a camera display beside the store front window and I notice that there are a couple of pegs full of Polaroid 600 film except the packaging was totally different. Instead of being in that blue cardboard box, it was in a plastic wrapper, much like what inkjet printer inks are kept in. So I go up to a guy who was putting up stock on the other side of the display to ask him if this was truly Polaroid film. Of course he says yes that it is and that to the best of his knowledge they will continue to sell this film. I was elated! The price was set at the same amount it was when I bought my last few packs of 600 film at a real Walmart (the last place I was able to find them locally sold). All of a sudden images of things I wanted to take started to flash in my head, quickly. . . and then. . . Keoki. . . damn dog, started barking. Ugh. I realized then, that my inner artist is fully awake when I'm asleep.

So I recall a conversation I had at work with one of my managers and another associate yesterday. We talked about photography and how much things have changed so quickly from film to digital. That's when the debate over the quality of digital and film come in. I like digital. I love film. In this conversation, that's when I found out that Kodak discontinued their production of Kodachrome film. What?! That bit of information really tells me just how rapid film is fading into a thing of the past. I'm encouraged by the fact that there is still a strong following and maybe this'll help keep other films around a little longer. Maybe even bring some back to life. An Impossible Project?

Before I leave you today, I wanted to share some of my favorite and inspiring photo sites featuring images shot with Polaroid film. If you can think of any other spots that I have not mentioned here, please let me know. I like to visit! Have a wonderful weekend folks!

4 comments:

  1. i find it truly disturbing that film is rapidly fading away. i too prefer the quality of film. yes, digital is great because you have more options. but still kinda sucks. and you know what is really repulsive since we're slamming digital and all...those digital picture frames! so so ugly.

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  2. i have a couple of really old film cameras. wanna come down and play? :)

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  3. beautiful finds - and what a vivid dream. wild, aren't they when they are so detailed and vivid.

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  4. Hey Kat!!! How are you girl? Wow, I am back home and happy about it. I love my home!!! Thanks so much for those messages and it was so kind of you...sorry I couldn't reply them earlier.
    I enjoyed this post very much. This morning I was looking for Polaroid films because my dad gave me his old polaroid. Haha, I am crazy to get some photos. Hope it still works.

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