Friends of Mine

Photographed by Taylor Brown

2019 – 2020

Polaroid film

62 mm x 46 mm

Personal collection

 In the 1970s, Polaroid and Kodak sold millions of instant cameras that developed photographs on the spot. In 2008, the innovator of the concept, Polaroid, closed operations due to the popularity of digital cameras. However, by the 2010s, there was a renewed interest in the aesthetic of film and instant cameras. Fujifilm released the instax mini 8 in 2012, specifically catering to young women and girls.  

As instax film tends to be expensive, the camera tends to be reserved for special occasions. Each photo depicts a moment or person that, based on the price of film, the photographer decided was worth remembering. They also cannot be retaken, so the photographs are often posed and styled accordingly. The process of using an instant camera becomes more intentional than taking a photo with a cellphone. This give the Polaroids an aesthetic appeal.

In many ways, this collection of items honours the past. The photographs capture moments come and gone, as all photographs do. The medium is also reminiscent of the past. Polaroid cameras were at their peak before the subjects of these photographs were born. For most of the subjects, they find themselves in the medium of their parents’ age. These photographs pay tribute to the past through the appreciation of its aesthetic.

This collection takes elements of the past to create something new, placing it in the present. While Polaroids are considered an older medium, they have been revitalized by my generation, through the popularity of instax cameras. The photographs themselves are indicative of the present; they document Bob Ross-inspired paint nights. Although Bob Ross, like Polaroid film, was popular before the subjects were born, his show has seen a resurgence in recent years. One subject wears an Apple watch and a LUSH toque, both of which are symbols of the present. The photographs depict the here and now, illuminating the culture of my generation. This collection shows how contemporary styles and trends can be translated through the aesthetic of the previous generation.

This collection isn’t exclusively a token of the past nor the present. Through our parents’ medium, we curate our memories and present our aesthetic. The revitalization of Polaroid cameras has given my generation a way to celebrate our parent’s nostalgia, while honouring our own traditions. The items’ aesthetic value allows us to remember – our parties, our paint nights, our sleepovers. Aesthetic becomes a vessel that carries our memories, a way to understand ourselves, and our past.

Taylor Brown