The Polaroid Book: Selections From The Polaroid Collections Of Photography

This is a very enjoyable book to go through like a slide show, allowing the photos to create visual patterns in the mind. They seem to be set out fairly randomly, and are listed again at the back with small illustrations, but this time alphabetically by photographer. It means you can, fairly easily, check on dates and titles, where there is a title. Most of them date from the 70s to mid-90s, and the range of possibilities is well explored, from abstraction to portraits to arty effects of superimposition etc. It is a wonderful medium, having a particular softness and spontaneity. The small scale of the images, the fact they require a minimum of technical processing, is a huge plus. Postcards offered the same visual potential, but have sadly become almost obsolete as a format for art, unlike the heyday of Art Unlimited in Amsterdam. But the polaroid seems to be hanging in there, and even to be staging a comeback, like vinyl. Also like vinyl, it has become inexplicably very expensive, and much less effective and easy than it was before. The images contained here date from when it was still straightforward. Where magical lighting is achieved, it seems to be a particular success given the lack of pretension of polaroids. Another advantage is that a number of the images may not be something you would be particularly interested in, but you are led to question why some things work for you and others don't. Repeated browsing may show them up to have more meaning than expected, and indifference turns to liking. For me the more straightforward images are usually more appealing: two wonderful, almost abstract still lifes in soft b/w; some shots by or under water; a figure with a raised pale blue t-shirt, from the back; a blurred hotel room with strange patches of light; a boy leaning against a rope of a marquis at the fair, with no one else in sight; a portrait of a plump woman posed like Rodin's thinker. A number of shots seem to hint at genuine mysteries of the visual world - it's always good to see these.

Another great 'coffee-table' book to have just lying around the house. People will pick it up, flick through it and offer their opinions. For £7 it is a bargain for a diverse range of polaroid photographs in a beautifully presented book and glossy cover. I felt oddly nostalgic looking at it - I find it a little sad that digital cameras overtook the instant prints. There's a sense of fun to polaroids and capturing the moment when it's not entirely polished or able to be edited. This book would make a great gift for anyone interested in photography or art. You are bound to find a few photographs that catch your eye.

Loved the book. Everything had hoped for and got. Thank you.

A lot thicker than expected - loads more content and very good quality! Serves as great inspiration for a budding Polaroid photographer. Will definitely be leafing through this multiple times before going out with my camera.

It's completely hipster but sold for much more in some certain stores I've seen and makes a great coffee table book. Honestly that's all I bought it for and for the price I can't complain! It also makes a great gift that doesn't break the bank

Great set of images, good to flick through.Some images are adult so be aware of that.

Nice, glossy, high quality book. However, it fails to do what I expected personally. Each page has a single polaroid on it, but placed in tje centre and fairly small in comparison to the page. There is no accompanying text with the images, which means room for thought is left, but some details about the photographers themselves would have been good - especially as I purchased this as a college reference book for my Photography course. Makes a good coffee table book, but not for academic purposes. Shame.Does have some brief information about a few Polaroid cameras at the back of the book, but thats about the extent of it.

Gorgeous book, excellent quality. Bought as a gift for my sister in law who is big into photography and has an instax camera. I'm sure she will be thrilled.