Polaroid+(R)evolution

By Heather Stainback
“Shake it like a Polaroid picture,” says Andre 3000 of Outkast in the song “Hey Ya!” A hit single that permeated pop culture in 2003 and gained a lot of publicity for Polaroid; making it seem cool and retro in contrast to new developments in digital photography. Even though Polaroid had to release a statement saying you no longer need to shake a Polaroid to make the image appear since a sheet of plastic protects it (in fact, shaking the Polaroid too hard can distort the image) ([|“Polaroid Warns Buyers not to ‘Shake it”]). Polaroid pictures have a long-standing history of being distinguishable from any other form of photography. Its 3½ x 4½ size with white border is very distinct and has become an icon for vintage and retro photography, almost to the point of cult status. After filing for bankruptcy and shutting down all film manufacturing plants in 2008, Polaroid has revived the company and stayed on the market by producing new instant photography for the digital age. The only question is, are people ready to jump on board and leave the old film behind? It’s only a matter of time before all remaining stock of Polaroid film is depleted and people will have no choice but to convert to digital. Who knows what the next few years have in store. The Polaroid Corporation has a long and extensive history of innovation, transformation and creation of new technologies.

Starting out as a young Harvard graduate, [|Edwin Land] patented the first synthetic polarizer in 1929. By 1937 the Polaroid Corporation was born. //“// //A// //polarizer// //is a device that converts an unpolarized or mixed-polarization beam of electromagnetic waves (e.g., light) into a beam with a single polarization state (usually, a single linear polarization).”// ([|Wikipedia]). Polaroid products had many different uses before it was developed into the photographic film we are familiar with. In fact, producing photographic film was never the focus of Land’s research. Its first uses include commercial, scientific, medical and military purposes such as sunglasses, microscope lenses, x-rays and glare-resistant windows for airplanes. Polaroid manufactured so many products that Land held the most US patents, second only to Thomas Edison. During WWII the Polaroid Corporation was highly involved with research and production of new technology for the US army. They developed all-purpose goggles and vectographs, which produced 3D pictures and were used for aerial reconnaissance surveys during the war. In fact, during the war Polaroid stopped producing civilian products due to restriction of raw materials. It wasn’t until 1944, when after taking a photo of his daughter on vacation she asked him, **“Why do I have to wait to see the picture you just took?”** that Land even considered instant photography. After that moment Land began to focus his personal research and development on an instant camera. The first instant Polaroid Land Camera sold in 1948 and within the first year sales exceeded $5 million. Many different models and types of cameras were produced over the past 60 years; from early black and white peel-apart transfers in 1950 to flash colour portrait cameras used by Andy Warhol in 1972 and to mini i-Zone sticker photos in 1997. Polaroid had a solid reputation for its research and innovation when coming out with new products ([|Polaroid.com - Brand History]). In February 2008, Polaroid announced that it is discontinuing production of its instant film and will be closing down factories in the US, Mexico and the Netherlands ([|Lyons, 2008]). This news came as a surprise to the many groups of people who still use Polaroid instant photographs. From personal hobbyists, artists, fashion and modeling agencies to Police and Investigators; many different groups of people have come to rely on the instant film for various reasons. Polaroids are particularly useful for artists to capture inspiration instantly and as a medium itself by manipulating the image to create abstract work. Fashion and modeling agencies use Polaroids to take photos of the models and the outfits they are required to wear. Police and investigators rely on Polaroids to produce instant and unalterable photos of evidence. Polaroids are also used to document valuables for insurance purposes and even to create laminated photo ID cards for many purposes ([|Graham, 2008]). Other Polaroid products include floppy disks, slide scanners, photo paper, LCD projectors and even DVD players. It’s quick and convenient approach to documenting and capturing moments can never be replaced.

Many groups of people are outraged by this news and are trying everything they can to bring back the original Polaroid Film. Online advocacy groups, such as ‘[|Save Polaroid,]’ provide articles, links and stories trying to get people to learn, share and take action (they also have a Facebook group with almost 40,000 members). ‘[|Polanoid]’ is a website that claims to be “//building the worlds biggest Polaroid picture collection […] to celebrate the magic of instant photography.”// It allows you to upload and share your Polaroids in hopes of gaining attention for the cause. ‘[|Poladroid]’ is a free application that turns your digital photos into “Polaroid-like” pictures (by adding the iconic white border to an image and a vintage or antique-like filter that produces vignetting- a characteristic produced by the original Polaroids). The only group that seems to have managed to make any progress on the matter, by acquiring Polaroid’s old equipment and factory, is '[|The Impossible Project]’. They have signed a 10-year lease agreement on the Polaroid factory in Enschede, the Netherlands with the hopes to //“develop a new product with new characteristics, consisting of new optimized components produced with a streamlined modern setup. An innovative and fresh analog material, sold under a new brand name that perfectly will match the global re-positioning of Integral Films.”// Basically, they know the demand is there, and that there is a niche market for their product. They also benefit by having their new product fit with Polaroid’s old cameras, thus focusing their research on developing the film (and not the camera). They have only 12 months to research, experiment and develop new and better solutions for replacing/upgrading problematic/expensive components, and are asking for donations to make it possible.

As for the Polaroid Corporation, they are reinventing themselves and transforming their products to fit the digital market. Introducing '[|PoGo],' a line of Instant Digital Mobile Printers (available for [|$99.99 at Urban Outfitters,] [|$12.99 for 30 pack of paper]) which are compatible with any digital camera, and has the ability to print wirelessly from your cell phone using Bluetooth technology. Polaroid will be unveiling Instant Digital Cameras with built in printers, available in March 2009 at all major retailers for a suggested retail price of $199 ([|Peters, par.5]). They are amazingly compact devices that produce quality, dry-to-the-touch 2”x3” prints (with bonus sticky backs, if you want your photo to be a sticker too) in less than 60 seconds. The new technology used to make these small printers and digital cameras is not the actual device it self, it’s the paper! Polaroid is the first company to use [|ZINK] (zero-ink) paper. It looks like normal photo paper at first glance, but ZINK paper does not require any ink cartridges or ribbons to print full colour photos, which keeps the devices small, inexpensive and environmentally friendly. The paper has special layers of cyan, magenta and yellow dye crystals embedded in it, and a protective polymer overcoat layer on the outside. The image is produced when heat from ZINK-enabled devices activates the crystals to give a full spectrum of colours (http://www.zink.com/how-ZINK-works).



[|**“Because there is no ink, every ZINK-enabled device has the unique benefits of being small, simple, elegant, and eco-friendly.”**] **(Polaroid.com)** [|Click here] to watch a "demo" of how it works. ZINK also offers free and easy to use "[|Mobile Extras]" such as photo-enhancers (for editing your photos before they print) and ‘[|templates]’ you can add to your photos, such as captions, thought bubbles, frames and even “[|social cards]” which are like business cards but include social networking contact information such as a photo, phone number, email address, AIM name, Twitter name, Skype name etc. As for the artistic and inventiveness of the new paper, the ZINK website has an interactive section that includes [|ZINK art]. There are already many artists who have started using ZINK paper to create art in abstract ways, by manipulating the dye crystals by applying heat directly to the paper. There is even a section that displays “[|citizen journalist]” photos from around the world. And get this, anyone can apply to become a ‘citizen journalist’ for ZINK and they will send you a printer and plenty of ZINK paper. But will this new technology stand the test of time? Are all these 'extras' just novelties that will wear off, or are they something that could catch on to be the next big thing?

Polaroid has a long history of being innovative, adapting to new technologies and not being afraid to try new things. “We give people products that they do not even know they want, so why should we invest in market research?” says Land in 1950 (Blout, par.11). This attitude has carried them from the Post-Industrial era into the Digital and Information era where consumers will buy things they don’t even know they need. Given their history, I think that Polaroid will continue to grow and flourish as a company in the years to come. Taking into consideration the diffusion of innovation theory, people will soon begin to adopt and embrace the new digital Polaroid technology. It will never be the same as the original, analog, iconic film that people have grown to love, but it will provide new ways of looking at and thinking about instant digital technology. The people who have come to rely on its instant qualities can still appreciate and integrate the new PoGo devices as a replacement. “[|In a ZINK World]” section of the website suggests that one day every digital device we own will have the ability to print using ZINK paper; GPS will print you a map, TVs will print out schedules (or recipes, if you are watching a cooking show), computers can print directly from the monitor, Xbox’s printing, Smart Phones printing, the possibilities are endless. “In the ZINK world, when you have a desire to hold a hard copy of whatever digital content you want in your hands, all it takes is the touch of a button.”   =Work Cited=

Blout, Elkan. "Polaroid: Dreams to Reality." __ Daedalus  __  Spring 1996. American Academy of Arts and Sciences. 30 Jan. 2009  < http://proquest.umi.com.myaccess.library.utoronto.ca/pqdlink?did=9454828&Fmt=3&clientld=12520&RQT=309&VName=PQD >. Graham, David. "Developing into a thing of the Past." __ The Toronto Star  __  3 Apr. 2008. 30 Jan. 2009  < http://www.thestar.com/living/article/409180 >. "How ZINK Works | ZINK." __ ZINK | Zero Ink  __. 25 Jan. 2009 < http://www.zink.com/how-ZINK-works >. Lyons, Patrick J. "Polaroid Abandons Instant Photography." __ The Lede  __  8 Feb. 2008. The New York Times. 30 Jan. 2009  < http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/02/08/polaroid-abandons-instant-photography/ >. Peters, Mark. "Polaroid PoGo digital camera." __ Digital Camera Reviews LetsGoDigital __. 12 Jan. 2009. 3 Feb. 2009 < http://www.letsgodigital.org/en/21095/polaroid-digital-camera >. "Polarizer." __ Wikipedia  __. 1 Feb. 2009. 1 Feb. 2009 < http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polarizer >. "Polaroid.com - Picture your world... with Polaroid." __ Welcome to Polaroid  __. 25 Jan. 2009 < http://polaroid.com/CES/BrandHistory.jsp >. "Polaroid PoGo." __ Welcome to Polaroid  __. 25 Jan. 2009 < http://www.polaroid.com/pogo/us/techzc.html >. "Polaroid Warns Buyers not to 'Shake it'" __  CNN: Technology  __  18 Feb. 2004. CNN. 3 Feb. 2009  < http://www.cnn.com/2004/TECH/ptech/02/17/polaroid.warns.reut/index.html >.

Authors Note: [|Check out my album of Polaroids!]