As a blogger & an analog photographer, this is a book I had been looking forward to for a while. Jennifer Altman & Susannah Conway are both bloggers who I’ve been following for a couple of years now. I finally got my hands on the book a fortnight ago.
Instant Love : How to Make Magic & Memories with Polaroids
The book is hardcover with great quality paper, it really looks good. I love that the center polaroid snap on the cover is of a Polaroid SX-70 (more on that tomorrow!)
The book is divided into five chapters.
Chapter one is The Basics. People who aren’t knowledgeable about analog photography tend to call all instant photos Polaroids. Also, among Polaroids itself there are different types of cameras that take different film formats. The book clearly explains the types of camera (Polaroid land camera, Polaroid SX-70, Polaroid 600, Polaroid Spectra, Fuji Instax mini & wide.) You will find useful information like background on the camera, type of film & availability, how to clean, where to get Polaroid accessories etc.
Have you ever taken an amazing photo, only to realize later that it was badly composed? Chapter two is called The Art of Composition & deals with all the things that help compose a photo like the rule of thirds, depth of field, & notes on colors, textures, patterns, symmetry etc.
Chapter three (one of my favorites!) is called Capturing the Light. Getting the right exposure with Polaroids can be tricky, & unlike digital or even 35mm film Polaroids are expensive so you just can’t waste too much film hoping you’ll get it right. This chapter sheds some light (get it?!) on the subject.
Chapter four is called Storage, Display and Projects & it pretty self explanatory. There are some great diys that I’d like to try.
Chapter five is Inspirational Portfolios. Five themed portfolios are presented there, to show you what kind of images you can get with your Polaroids.
The book is not overtly technical, but that is the beauty of it. Explanations are clear, well written & easy to understand, even if you’re completely new to instant photography. It did not tell me too much I didn’t already know but that is because I read extensively on analog photography. But to get all this information in one place is great. So whether you have a big old collection of Polaroid sitting on your shelf, or are looking to delve into instant photography soon, this is a book you need to have!
And since many people have asked me on instagram about where this book is available, you can buy it by clicking below.
Buy It Online.
Love,
