In Loving Memory of Polaroid: A Photographer’s Farewell to Instant Film. Originally published on August 22, 2009. Revisited and updated, celebrating the premiere of the three episodes of Mr. Polaroid in American Experience/PBS on April 24 at 9PM/8PM central.
This past month marked the quiet passing of yet another beloved tool in my professional photographic arsenal. Polaroid—the legendary instant camera company known for its iconic blue and rainbow-striped packaging—finally surrendered to the immediacy and ubiquity of digital photography. After ceasing consumer instant camera production in 2008, and halting commercial camera lines a year earlier, Polaroid announced that once it exhausted its final batch of instant film, it would end production entirely. The remaining three plants producing large-format instant film were slated to close by the end of that quarter, while two others responsible for consumer film packs were set to shut by year’s end.
Polaroid®—a name synonymous with instant photography—is also the name of a synthetic plastic sheet used to polarize light. Patented in 1929 and refined by Edwin H. Land in 1932, this material uses embedded microscopic iodoquinine sulfate herapathite crystals within a nitrocellulose polymer base. When aligned by stretching or magnetic fields, these crystals absorb light polarized in one direction while allowing perpendicularly polarized light to pass through, making the sheet ideal for sunglasses, window coatings, LCDs, microscopes—and of course, Land’s revolutionary instant film.
Polaroid Land 180 with a 114mm, f/3.8 4-element
Tominon lens. Separate-window range/viewfinder
assembly. Built-in mechanical development timer
Polaroid was more than a consumer brand—it was a vital part of professional image-making. It offered a tangible, immediate preview of lighting, exposure, and composition before committing to costly film. It gave photographers instant feedback, allowed clients on set to visualize the final image, and even served as bartering currency with agency models, stylists, and assistants. In many ways, it was the “proof of proofs.”
Polaroid 57 4 x 5 Black and White Sheet film.
A high speed, panchromatic general purpose
black and white print film, ultra high-speed medium
contrast with medium grain
But Polaroid wasn’t the only loss. Among my most mourned photographic casualties is the Agfa-Gevaert XT series of motion picture negative stocks. With their soft pastel hues and warm earthy tones, Agfa XTR250 and XTS400 were favorites of cinematographers worldwide. I was fortunate to shoot on these emulsions across various projects and compare them to Kodak and Fuji stocks during workshops hosted by a short-lived Manhattan cine club for professionals. These events, sponsored by the late Studio Film & Tape, presided by Carole Dean and with the participation of renowned cinematographers like Sol Negrin, ASC and other members of the old NABET/IATSE local 644 in New York City, were invaluable learning grounds. Until recently, I still had 1,200 feet of Agfa XT320 stored in my fridge—an homage to a bygone era.
Perhaps the saddest farewell of all is Kodachrome—Eastman Kodak’s legendary 35mm transparency film. With its durable polyester base and unmatched dye-coupler sharpness, Kodachrome was a masterpiece of photochemical engineering. Its proprietary K-14 process yielded deep contrast and rich, vibrant colors that simply couldn’t be replicated. I relied heavily on Kodachrome 25, 64, and 200 ASA films for fashion editorials and corporate portraits. The results were spectacular, especially when printed on Cibachrome paper, known for its glossy, metallic finish. Clone-a-Chrome and Duggal Photo Labs, once bustling hubs in Manhattan’s photo district, produced prints that felt like art objects.
In 1947, with WWII behind us and government contracts dwindling, Edwin Land fast-tracked his instant camera into production—and struck gold. Polaroid sold millions of units, and by the mid-90s employed over 15,000 people, with revenue peaking at $2.31 billion. Yet by 2000, the tide had turned. That year, Americans bought 4.2 million instant cameras—nearly all Polaroid—but they also purchased 4.5 million digital cameras. The writing was on the wall. Digital photography quickly became faster, cheaper, and easier to share. By the following year, only 240,000 instant cameras sold, while digital cameras surged past 28 million units. Polaroid had deeper troubles too. A costly battle to fend off a hostile takeover in the late ’80s left the company buried in debt. By 2001, it had filed for bankruptcy and was eventually acquired by Petters Group Worldwide, which pivoted the brand toward flat-panel TVs, DVD players, and digital cameras.
Limited edition of 4x5 Alpenhause Polaroid with a 127mm,
f/4.7, 4-element Rodenstock Ysarex and double-window
viewfinder/rangefinder on top of the camera and
automatic parallax compensation
Still, for working photographers, the loss of Polaroid film was devastating. In commercial studios and on location—from my Manhattan and Hoboken studios to outdoor fashion sets—I used Polaroid sheet and pack film religiously. Whether I was shooting 35mm with a Nikon, medium format with a Hasselblad or Mamiya RZ67, or large format with a Linhof or Sinar 4x5, I depended on Polaroid for test shots. The beautiful, tactile peel-apart prints were more than just tools—they were relics of a process, a moment, and a promise. Even the act of peeling a Polaroid was a performance. Only trusted assistants were allowed to handle the delicate operation. Get the timing or pressure wrong, and you’d ruin the proof. And that unmistakable chemical scent left on your fingers? It’s still etched in my memory.
A Polaroid 4x5 sheet holder, standard
for every 4x5 view camera and a Polaroid
holder for pack film for Mamiya RZ67
The SX-70, a favorite among artists, insurers, and even law enforcement, was Polaroid’s crown jewel—a compact SLR folding camera with integral film and immense creative potential. It symbolized everything innovative about the company’s approach.
Polaroid SX-70 the first foldable "reflex" instant
camera with integral film and coated 4-element
116mm f/8 coated glass lens and electronic shutter.
The SX-70 film was the favorite of artists for
creative manipulation
Today, the industry moves at a digital sprint. Analog film, NTSC video, and tape-based workflows have been replaced by 4K, 6K, and 8K resolutions, SSD storage, and real-time streaming. High-speed cinematography is gone, replaced by ultra-fast digital sensors. Even flat, two-dimensional imaging has given way to 3D scanning, virtual production, and fully digitized postproduction. Films like Avatar and The Jungle Book were the harbingers of this new visual language.
Polaroid 669 film is balanced for average
daylight (5500K) at 1/125 of a second,
as well as for electronic flash units
Yet, despite all this progress, I still miss shooting with Polaroid. I miss my 180 and 185 Land cameras, modified with Copal leaf shutters. I miss my foldable SX-70, always ready for experimental film manipulation. I miss watching images slowly appear, framed by white borders, ghostly and delicate—before revealing their full glory.I even miss the “gooey screw-ups”—when I’d mis-pull the protective tab on a pack of 667 or 669 film. And perhaps most of all, I miss the eccentric geography of my fridge: nestled between leftover takeout and glass soda bottles, stacks of Polaroid packs, shrink-wrapped “bricks” of Kodachrome, Ektachrome, Fujichrome, Agfachrome, Portra, Kodak T-Max, Ilford black-and-white rolls, and 400-foot cans of 16mm and 35mm motion picture film and short ends.
Hasselblad 500C with Polaroid Back Holder
But what I miss most is the anticipation. That brief window of wonder as you waited for an image to emerge. That, to me, was magic. A magic that lasted more than seventy years—a longevity few technologies today can claim.
8x10 format Polaroid sheet film. Medium-contrast,
medium-speed, daylight (5500°K),
(electronic flash) balanced color print film
with extended dynamic range.
“Mr. Polaroid is a must-see, like any other outstanding documentary on PBS produced by American Experience. As a commercial photographer thriving during the final decades of the analog era, the use of Polaroid film and ‘Polaroid backs’ in all formats was paramount to a successful photo shoot. The proofs were valued not only for their technical merit, but also as artistic mementos—and even as a form of currency to reward crew and models for their participation in a given photo session.”
“That was, in short, my experience using Polaroid film. It feels like a long time ago—certainly years before AI’s advent on the scene. There were no computers, no internet, and no social media influencers. The photographer’s world was entirely analog and photo-chemical. And it most certainly, it was not about AI-driven ‘Instant Gratification.’ Above all, remember this: Support public libraries and the Public Broadcasting Service, they are AI’s analog ancestors.”
📸 MR. POLAROID first of three episodes premiered Friday, April 24 at 9/8c on @PBS.
#MrPolaroidPBS
