Over the last month I decided to set myself a mini challenge….

I would take a single Polaroid photograph every day over the course of the month.

In an age where everything is digital & the ability to filter or Photoshop images is so accessible. It was actually quite refreshing (or a little bit nerve-racking) to be using film again. By doing this it meant that I was more focused on what/how I shot. This was due to it being a single photograph a day, instead of taking 4 or 5 different variations of the same thing. So many of us (including me) take a lot of images whilst trying to obtain the perfect picture.

As with everything (especially when trying something different) some of my photos worked better than others. Even though I was taught film photography when I first started, I have never properly used Polaroid film. So I definitely needed a bit of practice to get it how I wanted. Even though there were some slightly quirky images, I really like some of the results.

Especially the ones of my family. They may not be perfect - the film may have developed differently or the flash was brighter than I thought but they are perfect to me in their imperfection. I love the fact they capture a single pure moment that hasn’t taken 10 shots to get, or has been edited to be exactly how it should be. Especially the ones of my nephew – I will cherish these as they truly show his cheeky little face.

I have learnt a lot from this little challenge. In that whereas in our industry it is great to have digital & all the editing capabilities to be able to give our clients the flawless images that they will love. It is also amazing to just take a step back to when you anxiously await the film to develop to see what it is you’ve captured. Even if that does mean someone’s eyes are shut or it comes out differently to what you expect.

Sometimes that’s the way that you end up getting something amazing that you would never have got otherwise.

Keep an eye out for my next mini challenge 🙂

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