Craving Retro

While in Indy last weekend I drove by the Children’s Museum and reminisced the last museum I could remember visiting was the Chicago Museum of Art in 2004. Yes, over 4 years ago in the dating days. It was one of my favorite trips with Sara.

One of my favorites from the trip, nice snap by our friend Julia with Sara’s 35mm.

Sara and I snapped black and white film and touted the new Nikon 2 megapixel Coolpix 2100. Of course… the Coolpix was snubbed among the photography class field trip carrying everything from a Polaroid camera, manual and autofocus 35mm cameras, medium format Hassleblads and Bronicas, and a 4×5 SpeedGraphic. Among those peers I’d be a nervous little camera too.

For a group photo we did as all good students do and dumped our camera gear on our unsuspecting instructor, the amazing Craig Sheaks, who was glad to show all the gear we amassed for the trip.

Our friend Julia – Craig’s wife-to-be years later, who had photographed me with my wife-to-be – was snapping around town with a Polaroid. Me in my novice snobbery thought “I know you’ve got a better camera than… that thing!” Then I saw what she was up to… and was glad the comment was kept in silence.(I’m reiterating my foolishness here as a reminder that things are rarely what they seem, especially in the artistic process.)

Using fingernails, keyrings, silverware and anything around you could manipulate the image before it dried on the Time Zero film. Sara got some angel wings and I got a top hat. Rather cool techniques.

Smudges, scrapes, and fingerprints – all part of the artistic process.

This week I downloaded the Poladroid application to take otherwise nice photos and ugly them up a little via retro Polaroid looking goodness. Entirely addictive and fun! Here’s a recreation via Poladroid, not too shabby.

Check it out at Poladroid.net and give it a try.

And whatever you do… keep snapping!