The end of Polaroid
As you probably gathered, the
Polaroid Manipulation page hasn’t been updated for about four years. Partly because I’ve been experimenting with other photography, but mostly because the film used to manipulate Polaroids (SX-70) has been discontinued.
I experimented late last year with some expired SX-70 film but the results just weren’t as vibrant as the ones using the ‘fresh’ film back in 2003.
Now, Polaroid itself – the iconic instant film – is going the way of the dodo, and it’s sad…
There are petitions on Flickr and Facebook to save the Polaroid, but fans are fighting a losing battle.
A deal was hoped to be reached with Ilford who might have been able to take on production of Polaroid film but no agreement was reached.
It is inevitable that digital was going to take over, but sometimes you just want a throwaway image in your hand, or a one-off image that can’t be duplicated in its original form. There is something romantic about the Polaroid and it doesn’t just appeal to older folk who are used to film.
Presumably some 3rd party will begin making equivalent film as there’s certainly a market for it.