Bad news for Hipsters everywhere: Polaroid has announced that it is no longer going to produce the instant film that has become synonymous with the name of the company. It has already stopped making instant film cameras and while the film is being phased out a little more gradually, it is likely that it will be gone by 2009.I don't even own a Polaroid camera, but it still seems rather tragic to me that they are just one more casualty in the digital revolution. They declared bankruptcy in 2005, at which time they were bought by Petters Group Worldwide (read more on that here). They have expanded their efforts in the digital market. And now it seems that is where they are shifting their entire focus, as they leave their history behind.
But besides the trendy hipsters who bring a Polaroid camera to every event, there will always be practical uses for Polaroids in certain industries, like the film industry for example (casting calls, make up tests, etc), so I am surprised that they are halting production altogether. I would say they should simply lessen it. But I guess it's rather costly to produce and so they've decided not worth it to them. Polaroids look pretty cool - with their slightly washed out colors and their convenient white border to write captions on. I am tempted to buy a camera and some film just to have a little piece of the history. It's strange to think that when I have kids, they probably won't really know what Polaroids are, unless maybe they take a photography course or something.
Here are a few more articles, in case you are in the same state of disbelief that I was when my friend told me last night:
ABC News
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1 comment:
Did you know Petters Worldwide is based in your home state of Minnesota? Can't you have a word with them?
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