The Polaroid Inspiration.
As a kid, it was exciting to push down the tall, clunky shutter button then pull the tab to extract the Polaroid from the front of the camera. There seemed to be some sort of magic at work when an image would slowly materialize, and always a moment of surprise because you were never quite sure what you would get, even if that surprise included a strange chemical swirl.
As we enter the age of AI, this Polaroid approach feels to me like instant nostalgia– the telling of contemporary stories that seem to carry memories from our past. Recreating the Polaroid sensibility is easier today as I use digital recreations that mimic outdated film stocks, lenses and cameras. But there is still the same magic at work between the moment I take the shot and then look at it. That same sense of wonder and surprise is always there with the best shots. One constant between then and now is the classic symmetry of the Polaroid square. For me, it creates an intimacy and tells a tight story between the subject and the world around it.
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As the saying goes, the best camera is the one you have with you. Like everyone, I always have my iPhone with me and for this reason it has been my camera by both default and choice. I rarely set out to take a photograph. I get inspired by a combination of light, subject, and location. For me, a successful photograph requires a particular alchemy between all of these elements. Inspiration usually strikes when I'm traveling and taking my phone from my back pocket to capture that moment in that moment feels important.
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From years of motion film/video editing, I've learned the power of combining images to create both abstract and literal meaning. I've grouped my photographs into categories on this site but don't let that stop you from dipping into different groups and combining them in interesting ways to tell your own stories. I've included some examples of this under the "Multi Photo Layouts" tab.
Browse, dig in and get creative– choose one or mix and match images to create your own story, one that perhaps triggers your own memories or makes new ones.
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-Peter