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When I read that Polaroid instant cameras and film were being phased out I was bummed out. That was a well over a year ago. This post has been sitting in my pile of drafts since then, another thing for me to complain about.

It’s not that I am some big camera geek or anything. I just have a little nostalgia about the instant Polaroids. When I was growing up it was a real novelty for me, made even more special by the fact that my parents thought they were frivolous. It was rare that I got to take any pictures with one.

Ever contrary, I bought a One Step after college and this clunky, noisy object was my primary camera, the only camera I owned, for several years. From this period, the photos I have of friends, coworkers, grad school trips, pets, and girlfriends are all blotchy, smudgy Polaroids.

I was going to miss pictures like this:

& this:

& this:

And that last one is NSFW, by the way, in case you couldn’t tell.

This weekend I was cleaning out the desk in the basement when I found the camera. I flipped it on and tried to take a picture but nothing happened; so imagine my horror when I opened it and found film! OH NO! I may have just inadvertantly exposed the LAST POLAROID FILM I WOULD EVER HAVE. When I shut it back in, the camera turned on, just slow to ‘boot up’ I guess. I was able to take a test photo of piles of crap in the cellar. Oh crap. Was THAT the LAST POLAROID PHOTO I WOULD EVER TAKE? I think maybe there are one or two more left.

The question weighing on my mind now is what should I use the last of my film on…?

That’s what I was thinking yesterday. Today, I thought I would finish up this post. It caused me to do a little internetting about this issue and ain’t I happy to learn that a group is going to bring back the instant film cameras. Also, I’ve learned that there is a site with some very cool photographs in this ‘genre.’

Maybe my days of taking shitty photographs aren’t over yet!

Boston. EIGHTEEN YEARS AGO.

…the curls have pretty much been around since the beginning. I’m the only one in my family that looks like this.

Here my older sister (*J for Julie) shows me bossy affection.

We didn’t much care for political correctness in New Jersey back in 1977. Is this practice of dressing children up as Indians still a popular among elementary school teachers and camp counselors today?

I was not pleased about this picture being taken, but I was happy that I got to be an Indian instead of a Pilgrim. Indians were way cooler. I think my vest had fringe. The boy on my left is the neighbor from down the street who I punched in fifth grade. He’s a doctor now.