On my other Tumblr site, Internet For Dogs, I just experimented for the first time with Poladroid, a little program that lets you upload a photo through a small widget that looks like a Polaroid camera.
Drag the digital photo onto the camera and then you see it develop in slow, Polaroid fashion, fading from a kind of murky gold into the colors of your picture. You can stop the developing any time if you want an only under-developed, murky gold picture. Or, you can try to have some patience and wait until it’s done. I couldn’t wait! That’s why this shot looks a little yellow-y. But I like it.
I was hesitating about using this picture: I think the Polaroid white picture frame motif is overused these days. It has become shorthand for “snapshot.” Now that snapshots often don’t ever leave a screen, it’s hard to visually represent them without showing screens. So, the frame is kind of an easy solution, I guess; it also apologizes for the fact that a photo inside might not be great quality. Hey, it’s only a snapshot!
The subject of this photo is the Silver Jews’ David Berman and his dog, Gittel. I interviewed Berman about his dogs at The Dogs.
3
In 2003, Andrew Faris came to New York and documented the town using a Polaroid. His shots do a really nice job of capturing a moment in time. I think that’s what all photographs are supposed to do—duh!—but Polaroids especially. People could capture a moment and then enjoy the moment just a minute later. I guess you can do that with a digital photo too, but so many digital photos get erased or neglected because their value is zippo. I think part of the reason that Polaroids have such meaning is that each one cost like a dollar to make!
I’m enjoying scans of his shots at NYCPP.com, short for New York City Polaroid Project.
Thanks to Jon Bender for the link!
1
In recent months I’ve been dabbling in the world of embroidery. Dangerous territory, I know. But I try to use clean needles.
I’ve mostly been making up my own designs as I go, but there are some fun patterns out there that you can buy for pretty cheap. Apparently, obsolete things are especially fun to embroider! Feeling Stitchy just offered up this lovely set of CRT screens she stitched using patterns from the store andwabisabi, which also makes a pattern for a stitched boombox.
This got me curious about what other embroidered images of obsolete objects were available online. Here are some of my findings.
By Lucky Jackson. Original hand embroidered piece on vintage fabric.
Cassette tape pattern by PeptoGirl.
Embroidered Molkeskines by Nowvember.
Embroidered cameras by TinyBazaar.
5
My friend Amit, aka @Photojojo, just posted this cute Polaroid necklace to the Photojojo shop. Valentine’s Day is coming, people! Judging by the sartorial habits of folks in these parts of Williamsburg, I’d have to say that the Polaroid is right up there with audio tapes and boomboxes when it comes to fashionable iconography. Here are some of the other Polaroid necklaces the net is offering up at the mo’.
Lilliputian ‘roids from Jersey Maids on Etsy
Because the only thing sexier than a Polaroid is one that is also a mirror showing you your hot self. Am I right or am I right. From CBTSCloset on Etsy.
A Polaroid in all its photo-spitting glory. Retro-technology frozen in action! From FuzzyBunnyStew on Etsy.
