Polaroid has launched a global campaign capturing real life, where fifteen photographers interpret their world through the unexpected and unpredictable imperfections captured on Polaroid film.
The unique recipe of film chemistry mixed with a photographer’s vision and unpredictable environment creates a one-of-a-kind image where flaws are celebrated, and perfection isn’t the answer. Real life is beautifully imperfect. Real life is unpredictable. It’s messy. It’s colour you can’t control. It’s dots and unwanted marks. It’s wild. Real life is beautiful as it is.
Through the lens of 15 photographers from Stockholm to Iran, Polaroid is celebrating four truths found in the connection between real life and Polaroid imagery.
Real life is having to wait
Nothing worthwhile should come in an instant, not even Polaroid photography. Life, like the development of Polaroid film, is worth the wait. Born and raised amidst the vibrant energy of Brooklyn, New York, Andre D. Wagner’s work reflects the city’s essence and the magic of the everyday through city streets, neighbourhoods, and parades.“It’s an essential tool and fact of being human. I find beauty in waiting,” Wagner said.
Real Life is making the most of those dots & marks
No two people are the same, like no two Polaroid shots are the same. In life, just like in Polaroid photography, it’s our imperfections that make us unique. Edie Sunday embodies this, using color and light as distinct style choices, exploring the conscious and the unconsciousness.
“I couldn’t imagine trying to force a Polaroid photo to come out perfectly. The magic is in the mystery and uniqueness of each shot,” Sunday said.
Real Life is colour you can’t control
From the bright and bold to the muted and subtle. From sunsets, to stains, to the saturation of film. Life, like Polaroid photography, is full of beautiful and uncontrollable colour. Ry Shorosky’s journeys take him to the far reaches of America, where he captures the hidden stories and captivating landscapes that can only be discovered through exploration and adventure. “I’d notice colours I wasn’t expecting and instead of hindering my vision, it allowed for space to play around in the process in real time which was exciting and pure to me,” Shorosky said.
Real Life is sometimes unintentionally beautiful
There is beauty in the random, the wild, the surprising. For Cristian Bravo, he captures the intangible aspects of life, portraying places, people, and moments where everyone is involved The work highlights the abstract and unseen elements of everyday life.
“I don’t know what I’m doing until I’ve done it, photographing for me is something that has to stay instinctive,” Bravo said.
