PHOTOGRAPHY Shot on Polaroid Now+ camera
When it comes to capturing a moment in time, we’ve never had so many tools at our disposal as we do today. What was once left only to professionals can now be achieved by many with a few clicks of a mobile phone and with the help of endless editing apps, smart filters and even AI technology. This can also lead to a relentless pursuit of flawlessness, blurring skin imperfections, removing unwanted background characters and tweaking exposure, contrast saturation, white balance – the list goes on. But chasing perfection isn’t real, and can vastly hinder creativity when restrained to traditional ideas of what makes a ‘good’ image.
For Polaroid, it’s the imperfections and unpredictable nature of real life that inspires true creativity. Shot with its Generation 2 Now and Now+ instant cameras, the photography brand collaborated with 15 image makers from around the world to document the unfiltered beauty of life from their perspectives. From Stockholm to Iran, these photographers have utilised their uniqueness to capture raw portraits and still-life images celebrating the joy of real connections and the results of their unbridled creativity.
Polaroid has a well-documented history of inspiring the greatest creative minds for generations, from Andy Warhol and Keith Haring to Helmut Newton and Guy Bourdin. All Polaroid film ceased production in the late 2000s but, thanks to a small group of devotees attending its closing party and seeing that the machines were destined for the recycling centres, the factory and machines were saved at the last moment. With all the Polaroid film suppliers and vendors out of business, they then had to take on the nearly impossible task of recreating Polaroid film, calling themselves the Impossible Project. This tenacious attitude remains at the heart of Polaroid today and the brand continues to inspire and uplift the next generation of creative talent.
Below, we meet three of the photographers celebrating the beauty of real life on Polaroid film.
Thalía Gochez
Los Angeles-based visual artist Thalía Gochez centres her work around the exploration of identity, drawing inspiration from her upbringing and heritage as a child of Mexican and Salvadoran immigrant parents. For her photo series inspired by the concept of ‘Real life is having to wait’, Thalía captured the stories of two intimate relationships – a father-daughter duo, and a soon-to-be mother. Thalía’s sentimental images prove that life – much like the development of Polaroid film – is worth the wait.
What is your earliest memory of taking photographs and of using a Polaroid camera?
I remember finding a vintage Polaroid camera at a garage sale when I was about 10–I quickly went to the film store and found the proper film stock for it! From that moment on, I was hooked. I loved the feeling of creating something and being able to view it within minutes. Simultaneously, I was given my dad’s old film camera and remember those both being my introduction to photography. I didn’t know the technical aspect of photography — not one bit — but I knew what I wanted to shoot and what I wanted to say.
How has your heritage or personal perspective influenced your photography subjects and style?
My heritage is a core inspiration and common thread that is linked throughout my work. It’s how I view the world and connect to it that naturally informs how I connect to my subjects and creative concepts. I feel like I shoot various Latine/Latino/Latina experiences because it’s who I feel I connect with and know best. However, even though we often share similar experiences and each story is layered, complex, and innately personal, there are a lot of elements that connect us together. Those shared lived experiences tend to naturally translate in my photography because it’s coming from a place of deep knowing and connection.
What moments, memories or experiences from your real life inspired your images for this project?
I photographed two different stories for this project and each story came from a deep need to give visibility to the various dynamics that make up our world. I shot Lilian with her dad to really highlight the supportive loving relationship Lilian undeniably has with her hardworking, provider-father Agustin. I deeply connect to that dynamic as it reminded me of the relationship I had with my father when he was alive. I try to honour him in different ways throughout my photography. My photoshoot with Tatyana was inspired by the beautiful and powerful role mothers play in our lives. Tatyana was undergoing the ultimate waiting game as she anticipated the arrival of her precious baby girl. I often reflect on the beautiful role mothers play in our shared culture. They are the heartbeat of our community and I wanted to make space for that to be honored and celebrated.
Each shot teaches you to wait, to not waste the shot on something you don’t truly feel is worth shooting. It teaches me to create with intention while always keeping in mind to highlight the story in the most authentic way.
In what ways does the Polaroid camera and film elevate your creative process?
A Polaroid camera gives me the opportunity to create with less judgment and more freedom. It’s playful and unpretentious. I love utilizing the different lens filters my Polaroid Gen 2 Now+ camera came with as well! I feel like the camera helps ease me into any photoshoot because it gives me the opportunity to create something without the fear of messing up. There’s a spontaneous nature to creating with Polaroid photography because you never know how the Polaroid photo will truly turn out until it’s fully developed. That grace and freedom you give yourself really sets the tone for your creative process.
Can you tell us about a time during this project when you had to be patient in order to capture the perfect shot?
I think working with film as your medium, specifically Polaroid, teaches you naturally to shoot with patience and intention since you’re only given a very limited number of exposures. Each shot teaches you to wait, to not waste the shot on something you don’t truly feel is worth shooting. It teaches me to create with intention while always keeping in mind to highlight the story in the most authentic way. You can’t do that if you rush through it. You have to move with patience and intention.
Katie Silvester
London-based photographer Katie Silvester’s lens focuses on the intimacy of friendships and the connection between her subjects and the world around them. Motivated by the imperfections that can occur in film and Polaroid photography, for her photo series Katie photographed the close friends and family that uplift and inspire her in day-to-day life. “A gentle reminder that the journey to get to the final product is just as important as the destination itself, that the imperfections are a beautiful part of this passage and of life itself,” she explains.
What is your earliest memory of taking photographs and of using a Polaroid camera?
My earliest memory of the potency of a Polaroid photo is from when I was around five or six years old, and I came home from school with actual, physical proof that I had met Batman that day. I showed all my friends that photo of me standing next to the real Batman – I coveted it. My mom probably still has that Polaroid photo somewhere, I should try and dig it out. My earliest memory of using a Polaroid camera myself is not long after I started taking pictures, I went through a long phase of screwing up the Polaroid photo or pressing hard on the film to create all kinds of warped lines and explosions in the chemicals as they develop.
To this day, I love nothing more than photographing someone I have a connection with. I find photography to be an equally intimate and liberating act, and I try to carry that into as much of my work as possible.
How has your heritage or personal perspective influenced your photography subjects and style?
My most treasured family heirlooms are photo albums my grandad made throughout my childhood. Annotated pictures of my sister and I dressing up, pushing our dog around the neighbourhood in a stroller, his little face popping out from under a mountain of stuffed animals piled high on his bed. I learned from an early age about the emotional power of an image. Once I picked up my own camera, I turned my lens on my friends, learning how to take photographs and develop my style by dragging them all over the countryside and making them run, climb, jump, strike a pose everywhere and anywhere. I kind of fell into photography as a career simply because once I started taking pictures, I couldn’t imagine doing anything else.
To this day, I love nothing more than photographing someone I have a connection with. I find photography to be an equally intimate and liberating act, and I try to carry that into as much of my work as possible.
What moments, memories or experiences from your real life inspired your images for this project?
Everybody I shot for this Real Life project is both a friend and someone who inspires me in some way, shape or form. So whilst yes, they are a part of my real life, it was important to me to focus on documenting these people living their true lives. Simply capturing them as they are, and perhaps celebrating certain aspects that they would deem as imperfect, but to me are beautiful. Milly would apologise about her messy room, but I see it as a safe and creative haven littered with character and personality. You just have to look at the room and know it’s Milly who lives there. Rosie would worry about her boys darting in and out of frame, but they gave the series movement and life. She encourages them to be and to grow as freely as possible, something I would never want to stifle.
A Polaroid photo has such a strong, nostalgic feel to it that even when I’m simply using it as a practical tool to document each set-up for a commercial shoot, they often end up as my favourite images.
In what ways does the Polaroid camera and film elevate your creative process?
As I shoot on film, I’m quite used to waiting a few days to see what I’ve created, so Polaroid photography allows me the opportunity to make instant art. For years and years, I always returned to my old SX-70 Polaroid camera but being now able to control the camera from my phone to shoot self-portraits with a timer, or to experiment with double exposures, has opened up a whole new world of photography for me. I can now get the sharp focus and shallow depth of field I love from the old SX-70 but with the freedom to control and capture the image at a superior level and from a distance.
To me, a Polaroid image has elevated from a sentimental keepsake or simple way to record to a full-blown, high-quality creative outlet. A Polaroid photo has such a strong, nostalgic feel to it that even when I’m simply using it as a practical tool to document each set-up for a commercial shoot, they often end up as my favourite images. I file all of my Polaroid photos in chronological order, so I’ve unintentionally ended up with a combined catalogue of both personal and commissioned work that often reminds me of my grandad’s old albums.
Can you tell us about an instance during this project where an imperfection has improved your final photograph?
In the image of Vivi laying in the field, I love how everything is perfectly exposed, even the white cloud in the sky, but her white t-shirt is overexposed and glows brightly in the middle, almost like a light source comes from within her, which actually resonates with her nature pretty deeply.
Forough Alaei
Iranian photographer Forough Alaei began her career as a photojournalist before shifting her focus to documentary and filmmaking, frequently exploring human and social themes, with a particular emphasis on women’s rights. For Forough’s photo series, she was inspired by the imperfection and unpredictability that is expected when shooting unknown locations, and looked to capture organic moments as she travelled to different cities across Iran. “I understand that good things come to those who wait,” she says.
What is your earliest memory of taking photographs and of using a Polaroid camera?
Photography wasn’t my original field of study so I started later than others. It actually began after I finished my undergraduate studies in Law. I was working as a photojournalist during a disaster in Tehran. An old building named Plasco caught on fire and collapsed, and I rushed to the site the moment I read it on the news. It was at that moment that I fell in love with taking photos because while I was there for more than 6 hours, I didn’t feel the time passing by. Afterwards, I was able to share that moment with others through my photos in the newspaper.
Although I was interested in Polaroid cameras, I hadn’t had the opportunity to use one until this campaign. It ended up being a journey with many obstacles from the first step. There were issues sending the camera to Iran thus I had to go to Turkey to receive the camera. In Turkey, it was my first experience using a Polaroid camera. I was at my friend’s house in Istanbul, and I took the first photo inside her house while she was looking out the window. It felt like she was waiting for something interesting; it really connected to the topic that I was working with for the “Real Life” campaign.
There are three things about the Polaroid camera that influenced my photos to be more creative: the limited number of images in a film pack, the time I have to wait for the photos to develop, and the amount of light exposure needed for great photos. All of these make me think more about the location and the subjects before taking the photos.
How has your heritage or personal perspective influenced your photography subjects and style?
I think there are two different personal perspectives that influenced my photography. First, I was a painter before I became a photographer, so I see the frames and colours of my photos in a specific way. Second, as a woman in a conservative society, I’ve felt many social issues and gender inequality from my own background. Those experiences really affect my work and the subjects I try to capture, as if I’m telling the story of myself.
What moments, memories or experiences from your real life inspired your images for this project?
I love travelling and fortunately, I live in a country that has many places to visit. What I have learned from my travels is that everything is imperfect and going on a trip forces you to be patient. You may get tired on the road, however, when you get to your destination you’re so satisfied with your decision. On a trip, you encountered many imperfect moments that might be unexpectedly beautiful. Accordingly, when I was briefed for this project by Polaroid, I decided to travel to different cities in Iran other than Tehran where I live. I went to Yazd, a desert-like city in the centre of Iran, Damavand in the mountainous region of northern Iran, Boroujerd another mountainous region in western Iran, as well as Qeshm and the Hengam Islands in southern Iran. I was sure that I’d find many occasions that would fit the concept of this project.
In what ways does the Polaroid camera and film elevate your creative process?
There are three things about the Polaroid camera that influenced my photos to be more creative: the limited number of images in a film pack, the time I have to wait for the photos to develop, and the amount of light exposure needed for great photos. All of these make me think more about the location and the subjects before taking the photos. However, with common digital cameras, someone may not need to think too much and just take the photos, but afterwards they’ll think of the quality and the beauty of the photos. Creativity comes mostly from limitations and the Polaroid camera helped me in this way.
Can you tell us about a moment while shooting this project that you perhaps didn’t plan or hadn’t intended on capturing, and what made you choose to include the photograph?
It was the last day of the Iranian New Year holidays, known as Nowrouz, when people go outside the city to have fun in nature. While travelling, I accidentally saw a grandmother who tried to braid the hair of her granddaughter. The little girl had to wait until the braiding was finished to go play – she knew that otherwise, she may have many problems with her hair while playing. In addition, capturing two different generations in one frame gave me a sense of real life with all its imperfections and beauty at the same time.
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