Today, “Polaroid Photography” allows us to avoid such electronic devices as digital cameras (although it should be clear that we have no prejudice at all against this kind of cameras). Polaroid photography gives us back the feeling of adding something to the picture.
In our opinion, the ultimate aim of the photographer has to be the “image”, in whatever way it is created, but only if it communicates something.
Therefore, sensors, displays, memory cards, Photoshop software and other tools are quite welcome, but this doesn’t mean that we will abandon the old emulsions, or that we will not smell a freshly opened “film” anymore.
“Instant” photography fascinates us just as much. This is not because it reminds us of the Polaroid snapshots of our childhood, taken with the camera that we got for our First Communion, but because it allows us to express ourselves better and to show our superiority. Indeed, we are “thinking” photographers in that we give the right importance to a kind of film which is usually considered “for kids”.
If we “think” and if we give free rein to our imagination, a Polaroid picture can become much more than a simple coloured little square used as a “souvenir photo”!
There are many different kinds of instant films. We don’t want to advertise any of them, we just want to point out that they are a real challenge for the expressive ability of photographers.
Indeed, a Polaroid picture can be altered, “peeled apart”; the image can be transferred to another support while being developed, or even the emulsion together with the final version of the picture can be transferred to different supports...
But it is always the image as it was “seen” when the picture was taken (with all its possible interpretations) which remains after all the changes to the Polaroid photograph have been made; therefore, we can conclude that no image can ever get old. It can only change if the emotions and the expressiveness of the photographer change.

Working with a Polaroid camera is a “multilevel” enjoyment. The process of taking pictures is not as technical as with the 35mm camera, but the outcome is the same (although we have to learn how to trick the Polaroid camera so that it will do what we want it to do. Indeed, there are several old models of Polaroid cameras which are sophisticated but automatic. One can either avoid these cameras or increase their value by exploiting their creative potential). The next step (which is not obligatory, of course) is to alter the images, and to create a collage or a photomontage so that it becomes possible to communicate what the individual picture cannot convey.

Subsequently, the image can be scanned and slightly altered with a photo editing software (without carrying out any major changes). We will then obtain a file which can be moderately enlarged. The new technology allows us to get the enlargement on chemical paper.
Therefore, altering pictures means altering the fragment of reality which was immortalised on the instant film so that the image doesn’t remain a mere representation of what we saw with our eyes, but also a representation of what we thought, felt and perceived. In our opinion, these changes are positive because they improve expressiveness. They can be obtained while the automatic development of the Polaroid film is taking place, while the pictures are timidly “getting born” without knowing what awaits them.
And the journey of the image that we originally saw through the lens of our Polaroid camera can be even longer..... a trip in the heart of yin-yang, continuously looking for the sudden enlightenment and for the real nature of ourselves and of the world around us......

We would like to clarify a few things. “Polaroid Art” is an expression which is now currently used to indicate all possible useful and useless artistic activities concerning Polaroid photography. However, art is for artists, and our only aim is to enjoy ourselves. Polaroid Art has existed for a long time. Indeed, if we look for “Polaroid” on a search engine, we will find hundreds of web sites showing artistic, beautiful and astonishing pictures.
From a technical point of view, we can say that instant films are still on the market, whereas many of the cameras which could use them don’t exist anymore. However, they can be found second-hand in on-line auctions. The cheapest Polaroid camera which is currently on the market is perfect only for those who have a considerable experience, for example in altering pictures, and who want to use different films. Indeed, each camera has its own kind of film which affects the colours and the outcome of the changes made to the pictures.

We want to insist on saying that a Polaroid camera (if we know what we can get out of it) can give us a very high degree of expressive freedom, both if we use it indoors or outdoors. The main thing is that the fleeting moment becomes immediately available to us. Indeed, in order to get the final version of our pictures, we don’t need to finish the film, or to go to a shop to have the film developed and printed; we don’t need to worry about unavoidable and fateful mistakes like chopped-off heads, altered colours and so on. Moreover, if we decide to express and/or communicate a feeling, an emotion or a thought which came to our mind, we can alter the picture in a manual, immediate and instinctive way, whereas if we alter the picture, for example, on the computer, the process is likely to last long and to be well thought-out.

When our fellow citizens read web sites, books or magazines written in English they often notice that what we call in Italian “polafotografia manipolata” is called “altered Polaroid photography” in English, and they ask us why. The answer is that the changes made to the pictures really alter the shape and colours of reality. In the same way, the final picture alters, modifies, revives and reinterprets the original picture which was taken.
The exchange of opinions and comments which will hopefully take place in this web site should make us understand whether it’s possible to give an “altered” feeling to those who watch the “altered” Polaroid pictures so that they can share the same thoughts as those who created the pictures.

CONCLUSION

In short, altering pictures, making collages and photomontages, as well as using the computer (not for altering the picture, but for obtaining prints which are big enough for a show) is a “TRIP”, a journey, a fascination which can become a drug, without side effects, apart from a constant loss of weight for our wallet (the Polaroid films are EXPENSIVE!!!!!).

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