I noticed this gallery in the Observer via a link on the Guardian website.  It was posted in 2009, so it’s pretty old now, but I thought it was interesting enough to post on here for anyone that hasn’t seen it.

It’s a sort of eulogy for Polaroid, written at the time that Polaroid film was being discontinued.  The photo that I’ve featured is from the set I found most striking, taken by Rankin, but there are also photos taken by Martin Parr and Nan Goldin, amongst others.

For the benefit of my non-photographer friends, Polaroid is an interesting medium.  Aside from being a fun and instantly gratifying consumer format (sort of like a suped-up Kodak disposable), it had an important commercial use as a proofing tool for photographers.  Before the digital age, it was pretty much the only way to quickly check lighting setups.

I’ve decided that my current project at uni will be shot exclusively on film.  In two years I’ve yet to actually do any project work using anything other than digital techniques, although I do use the darkrooms for personal stuff sometimes.

The gallery is worth a look – Polaroids tend to have a nice candid feel to them regardless of the subject matter, which has an interesting effect when used with subjects such as the prime minister.