My Father's Polaroids

My father went to Mexico, just after Christmas. He brought his new Polaroid SX-70 camera with him. I'm really in love with what he brought back. More images on my flickr.

Copyright John Joplin, all rights reseved.

Polaroid Display

I bought the book Apartment Therapy Presents: Real People, etc. at the Westsider sometime ago and am slowly making my way through it. I was struck today by Shannon and Emmett's cool digs in Chicago. They converted an old factory into a home and art studio. I love the entire place but am really excited about how they displayed Emmet's 4 x 5 artwork slides. They placed the slides in light boxes above their bed giving the whole room a romantic glow: I'd love to do something similar - which got me thinking about Polaroid display ideas. Here are a few:

Olivia's simple "Polaroid Wall":Using "mystery strips" from Home Depot:I like the quiet simplicity of this one:
And I love this one, too:
Click photos for sources.

Polaroids and Tim Burton

Lately I have become a tad obsessed with the Polaroid (I bought myself an SX-70, and thanks to Polapremium, have the film to go with it). After seeing what I thought was Tim Burton's entire show at the MoMA, I walked around it again, somewhat frantically, trying to catch a glimpse of one of the large scale Polaroids that I had read about. No such luck. I finally found them, however, tucked away in the basement. A guard had to unlock the elevator to let us down there. But, oh! What a fabulous room it was! Tim Burton used a 20 x 24 Polaroid camera, an extremely large-scale camera to make beautifully vibrant photos of such things as fake plants in the desert and his dog with antler ears. William Wegman also used the 20 x 24 camera to take some of those famous dog photos. There are less than a dozen of these cameras in existence and after Polaroid decided it was no longer in the business of making instant film, they were all going to be destroyed. Luckily, in NYC, a team purchased all of the remaining chemistry and one of the cameras and have set up shop in Soho at the 20x24 Studio. Due to the recent bankruptcy hullabaloo, the Polaroid Collection, a vast collection of Polaroid photography from some of the world's most talented photographers, will likely be sold off piece by piece, including photos made with the 20x24.

Photos by Tim Burton.

Found Bicycle Photos

I enjoy collecting found photos, usually in themes. I was collecting photos of old cars, then swimming photos and now bicycles.

The Making of a Tintype

Seems Tintypes are making a comeback of sorts. Joni Sternbach's surfer images were recently featured in PDN and the New York Times did a fashion spread today using the same technique. The images are really haunting and beautiful. The photographer did the entire shoot on Governors Island. You can see a slide show on the making of, here.

Photos by David Sokosh for The New York Times; Photographed on Governors Island, New York.

Dressing for Fall

Taking a cue from one of my favorite bloggers (and magazine writer) Joanna Goddard, let's pretend shop at Le Train Bleu - a beautiful online boutique (love the photography!). Considering that you'll usually find me in jeans and t-shirts, I'm certainly no expert in the Art of Dress, but I LOVE pouring over these great clothes.

The Double Matinee Coat: Just. So. Beautiful. Makes me want to take a drive down some of the old roads out on Long Island to see the Fall leaves (but I'd better work fast - seems we are quickly slipping into winter out here on the East Coast).

The Pippin Apple blouse: I simply love this color. Swoon.

Hickory Striped Necktie: I love the 1940s vibe.

Photos by Le Train Bleu.

Creative Wallpapering

This 1840s farmhouse in Walton, New York, with its creative wallpapering, reminds me of my parent's Pacific Northwest house that they sold in 2008. In the 1970s, my mother used pattern covers and fashion spreads from magazines she found inspiring to decoupage the wall (and floor!)of her sewing room. When they sold it, it was amazing to really take a look at what was in vogue at the time. The red and white room was inspired by a tea tin my mother had lying around. I loved the hot air balloon as a kid. Both rooms were unfinished basement rooms that were rarely seen by guests - which made them all the more exciting as a kid.

P.S. If you enlarge the bottom photo, you can see my sister's handiwork under the hot air balloon.

First three photos by Tony Cenicola/The New York Times
via A Cup of Jo