Polaroid pictures were one of my earliest fascinations. Polaroid’s. Ancient Egypt. Dolphins. Go figure, I was a strange kid.
Anyway I digress. I was occasionally allowed to play with our ‘Onestep’ (picture above) camera as a treat. I loved the rainbow strip and wrapping my childish hands around it. I was liable to use all the film in the house if left to my own devices. I couldn't get my head around the fact that the picture developed as you watched. Magic. There are bundles of photos gathering dust in a box somewhere as a result of days spent running around taking shots. As time passed I discovered digital and my fascination faded.
A Polaroid camera would pop up at parties from time to time. Most people I know have a Polaroid camera gathering dust somewhere but rarely purchased film for it. Sales of film steadily declined. The company are moving from an analog Instant Film Production Company to a Consumer Electronics/Digital Imaging company. In early 2008 they announced that film for the iconic cameras would no longer be manufactured.
Enthusiasts were saddened at the fate of their beloved film and began stockpiling any supplies they could find. Prices got higher as supplies dwindled and many vocalized their opinion on the decision to stop production. However an Austrian artist, businessman and Polaroid obsessive called Florian Kaps has made a move to save the format. Kaps is the founder of Polanoid.net, which is the largest Polaroid gallery online and Polanoir, the first ever Polaroid-only art gallery in Vienna.
He has devised a plan to re-open a dormant Polaroid factory in Holland and begin manufacturing film again. Dubbed the “Impossible” project Kaps has said that “The project is more than a business plan; it’s a fight against the idea that everything has to die when it doesn’t create turnover”
Anyway I digress. I was occasionally allowed to play with our ‘Onestep’ (picture above) camera as a treat. I loved the rainbow strip and wrapping my childish hands around it. I was liable to use all the film in the house if left to my own devices. I couldn't get my head around the fact that the picture developed as you watched. Magic. There are bundles of photos gathering dust in a box somewhere as a result of days spent running around taking shots. As time passed I discovered digital and my fascination faded.
A Polaroid camera would pop up at parties from time to time. Most people I know have a Polaroid camera gathering dust somewhere but rarely purchased film for it. Sales of film steadily declined. The company are moving from an analog Instant Film Production Company to a Consumer Electronics/Digital Imaging company. In early 2008 they announced that film for the iconic cameras would no longer be manufactured.
Enthusiasts were saddened at the fate of their beloved film and began stockpiling any supplies they could find. Prices got higher as supplies dwindled and many vocalized their opinion on the decision to stop production. However an Austrian artist, businessman and Polaroid obsessive called Florian Kaps has made a move to save the format. Kaps is the founder of Polanoid.net, which is the largest Polaroid gallery online and Polanoir, the first ever Polaroid-only art gallery in Vienna.
He has devised a plan to re-open a dormant Polaroid factory in Holland and begin manufacturing film again. Dubbed the “Impossible” project Kaps has said that “The project is more than a business plan; it’s a fight against the idea that everything has to die when it doesn’t create turnover”
IMPOSSIBLE will develop this new, modern Integral Film with the aim to start production in 2010. The plan is to produce 1 million films in the first year (2010) and 3 million films thereafter. According to their site "Impossible B.V. acquired the complete production plant from Polaroid and engaged the most experienced team of Integral Film experts worldwide. The IMPOSSIBLE company is founded with one concrete aim: to re-invent and re-produce analog INTEGRAL FILM for vintage Polaroid cameras. Polaroid is fully aware and supportive of this goal." The focus is on developing a new product consisting of optimal components that will fill the void left by Polaroid.
1 comment:
Possibly the greatest news I've heard this year.
Post a Comment