Yesterday was a pretty chill day … I ran a few errands, restocked my refrigerator and generally tried to settle back into my regular day-to-day. I don’t have anything all that exciting to offer other than that … well, except for one thing. For the past few weeks, I’ve been kicking around an idea to take on a creative new project to help inspire me. When I started blogging back in 2002, it sprung out of a writing project that I started in grad school and then, as if by magic, came to afford me the most amazing life I could ever imagine. Now, I’m not trying to recreate that exact same thing but I am hungry for a new creative project to, as I said, inspire me. Yesterday, that vision finally took focus. My initial idea was to take a Polaroid instant photo ever day for an entire year to create a book of pictures that represented a year of my life (the last year that Polaroid instant film would be available). Because Polaroid has stopped the manufacture of Polaroid film, it will only be available until next Summer and then no longer. I got really inspired by this idea but decided to refine the idea a bit. Polaroid has come up with a new little gadget called the Pogo that takes the instant film idea to the next level:
The Polaorid Pogo is a wireless little printer that instantly prints out 2 X 3 photos directly from your mobile phone or digital camera (without the use of ink or any kind of cartridge … it’s basically a pocket-size laser printer). I like this idea much better because I can upload my daily pictures from my mobile phone to my Flickr album HERE in order to share them with those of you who are interested in seeing them and also instantly print out a copy for my project. I’m hoping that these photos will come together to create a neat book that represents the coming year of my life. My fear, which is the same fear I had when I started blogging, is that I won’t keep up with the project. I am deffo going to commit myself to this idea, it’s the most inspiring thing I’ve come up with in ages … I don’t want it to fall by the wayside. We’ll see how it goes. I may post pics from my project, which I’m calling 365: A Year Of My Life here on the blog but if you’re interested you can follow its progress HERE via RSS.
Even tho they prolly don’t know it yet, I want to thank my BFF Sarah and my boo David for unknowingly helping with the inspiration for this project. Wish me luck, I hope this turns out to be a very cool endeavor.
PS: I did go ahead and order a whole bunch of Polaroid film last night anyways, very soon it’ll all be gone forever. I encourage all ya’ll to get your hands on some film yourself and start taking Polaroid instant pics while you still can … they’ll be artifacts that you’ll deffo treasure for the rest of your lives.
I love this idea Trent and really look forward to viewing each days’ photo.
Sounds cool – your Flickr site is now bookmarked!
I love this idea too! Can’t wait to see how it goes!
i was just thinkin i need to get some polaroid film before they stop making it….! & i think your idea is fantastic!
great idea! could you post your rss link on your website so it could be easily clicked?thx
One of my most treasured possessions is a Polaroid picture of my dad with my son when he was about a day old..My dad wasn’t even paying attention to anything but my son and the camera captured his adoration for him..I put a copy of it in my dad’s casket when he passed away..I’m so glad my family talked me out of putting the original pic in there! I’ve already stocked up on more film to hopefully capture more moments like that one!
Oops..I submitted that too soon! I think this is a great idea, Trent! I’m sure you’ll come up with some great pics!
The past two years of my life have been awful.
Last Christmas I decided I was gonna do this as New Year’s resolution to document my new year and life.
The pictures are taken with my cell, are nothing fancy, and I admit I am no photographer–they’re posted on my Myspace, haha.
Regardless, I am proud I’ve done it, I can’t believe I actually kepy a resolution, and I will love looking back at 2008.
Can’t wait to see yours, Trent!!!
xoxo
New generations will have nothing to relate to when they hear “Shake it like a Polaroid picture!” How sad!
Love the idea…you should check out these photos http://photooftheday.hughcrawford.com/ and the story behind Jamie Livingston. http://onlytheblogknowsbrooklyn.typepad.com/only_the_blog_knows_brook/jamie_livingston/index.html
It is an amazingly touching story and truely and act of love by him and the friends who have shared it with the rest of the world.
Good luck!!
you should set an alarm on your phone every day to remind yourself to take a photo in case you forget =)
Trent and LEANNA, I’ve done a similar project for the last two years for the month of May. I call it “A Picture a Day for the Month of May.” After I finished I tripped out on all the crazy things that can happen in one month. I can imagine what it would be like to do so for an entire year. Good luck to both of you on your projects!
Trent I think your idea is an awesome one. I’ve been thinking about doing something similar with both writing and pictures to document my 25th year. My birthday is in a few weeks and I will hit the big 25 which I think is a point in life where I’m really leaving the college life and the days of semi-responsibility behind and really starting out in the world. I can’t wait to see what you do!
what a great idea. i have your feed bookmarked. good luck with the project!
My friend has been doing this everyday for the past 3 years, but with a digital camera. It’s a pretty amazing album.
Brilliant Idea TREnT! can’t wait!
Yes, Polaroid will stop making the film, but I heard they were looking to license the manufacturing to someone else –
“Although many photographers are throwing funerals for the dead Polaroid, the film’s future is still uncertain. The company has said it is willing to license the technology to other companies should they want to manufacture the film. Speculation has it that Fuji, which produces a similar instant film in brighter colors, may start producing Polaroid instant film.”
http://news.medill.northwestern.edu/chicago/news.aspx?id=96471
“Chill” is not an adjective. Please do not propagate this assault on the English language.
Irregardless of your grammar policeness, I shall continue to use whatever poetic license I wish ;)
I think this is going to my new year’s resolution for 2009!