Polaroid Diaries

 

29 July, 2004

Dear Diary - This is my first entry. I've been getting around a bit over the last couple of months and I've managed to snap some mementos - kind of documenting some of the things I've come across on the way...you know - things that I would tend to overlook in the usual "everyday-ness" of the "same old same old".

Sometimes there's a certain magic about the way things are - I take a look and say to myself, "Now, that's just so right". Then again, other times it's a certain arrangement (the "mise en scene" one might say), a juxtaposition of items, that strikes me fair and square on the funny bone. Either way I've got no choice than to snap what I see.

But not content to savour these moments on my own, I'll be "secretly dropping" these snapshot diary entries in various public places for others to discover and share.

I'm hoping that some will visit this site and add to the diary, perhaps reporting a sighting and making their own comments, before relocating the snapped memento for others to find and continue the cycle.

Anyway, must go...snap! snap!


SX-70

 

12 August, 2004

Dear Diary - The first of the shots should be distributed soon and I will be waiting...waiting...curious to see if anyone will find any of the snapshot mementos and realise what to do with them.

I'm sure there are those who will judge the shots derivitive or banal. If they do they are missing the point.

This is more about the process of "diarising" with my limited, 'low-tech' & quirky SX-70-ness some of the places and moments that I find myself in, then sending these moments out to be discovered ("Mmm...what's this?"), reported on ("I found one of your memoirs, SX!") and shared by others ("Have a look at the intensity of the colour in the mandarin skin...I like the "orange-ness" of those poles at the freeway exit...").

I hope that those who do interact with my diary snaps will continue the cycle, giving them (the snaps) the opportunity to show up in unusual and unexpected places, as well as the chance to meet new people and make new friends.

Anyway, must go...snap! snap!


SX-70

30 August, 2004

Dear Diary - It's a difficult thing to let go of my snaps and put them out for anybody to find and do with them as they wish. I've dropped off about 35 of the diary snaps so far and seem to be getting a 1 in 10 response/report rate.

One of the people who reported a find recently emailed to ask if setting the snaps free became easier as time goes on and I have to say that no, it doesn't. Even though the snaps are imperfect and flawed in many ways, some of the character that comes from the little idiosyncracies of my old, flawed and tired technology is what I love about them.

And holding onto the snaps is not what this project is on about. As I noted in an earlier entry, I want to take and share my diary shots - to see how many people catch on to and participate in the process ... admittedly, based on current response and reporting rates, I may need to distribute over 100 snaps before we get a secondary report on one of them, but that's all part of the "fun" ... sharing ... waiting ...

Anyway, must go...snap! snap!


SX-70

1 October, 2004

Dear Diary - I was recently pleasantly surprised to discover someone who had been holding onto one of the diary snaps but had not yet reported the find (see shot 59 - Josh & Antony 2). What was nice was that I had thought that shots that hadn't been reported yet had probably just ended up in the rubbish somewhere...it was nice to discover, however, that some people are simply choosing to hold on to them - not everyone having access to the internet.

With this in mind I'm gradually changing the way I'm thinking about things. Whilst I still like the idea of recirculation of the snaps by those who find them and (hopefully) report them it's still kinda nice to know that if someone decides to hold onto a snap they've found, at least it's not ended up being thrown away or trashed...

I was also excited to hear that one of the snaps is on a journey to Germany (see shot 50 - Refuge Island Blackspot 1). I look forward to seeing whether or not this baby gets a secondary report...thanx digitx for sending the shot off :-)

Anyway, must go...snap! snap!


SX-70

14 October, 2004

Dear Diary - YAYYY!!!! I received my first "second level reports" this week. It's fantastic to see that, even on a small level, people are taking on the "vibe" of the whole Polaroid-Diaries thing. As I've mentioned before, part of the idea of Polaroid-Diaries is to send the snaps out into the big wide world and see where they end up travelling. They're like kids who've left home to see the big wide world, or maybe they've been sent off on a mystery tour. Once I've "released" them I don't know where'll they'll end up or what will happen to them. And just like kids some of them have gone without a word, others have been reported to have found nice or interesting places to get put up for a while, and others have been in touch to let me know that they've been getting around a bit already - one off to Germany, one got picked up in the men's toilets in a city club (see Fishing - Lorne Pier) and is now off to Sydney and there are rumours that some others are planning trips to England and Europe...I hope to hear from them when they get there.

It's a weird feeling - not being in control and seeing them crop up in all sorts of places that I never thought they would...Oh, well...that's life. And to those of you who do happen to come in contact with any of them - enjoy their company, treat them well and let me know how they're going and where they're off to next...

Now the next event to hang out for is a third level report...hmmmmm...I wonder who it will be??

Anyway, must go...snap! snap!


SX-70

15 October, 2004

It has character. The rolex replica one for me, like others comments below. A railroad minute track runs the periphery of the dial, with a well proportioned minute hand reaching all the way to said track and the hour hand sitting comfortably just inside the hour markers. The moon face itself is made of platinum like most aspects of this replica watches and the indicator also displays the age of the moon in 6 day intervals. This is a rather unusual feature and provides a measurement of exactly how many replica watches sale the moon has progressed. The rolex replica uk of the disc is adorned with applied stars, presumably also in platinum although rolex watches havent specified as such. Speaking of the strap, the hublot replica is hand stitched using a combination of silk and platinum thread, and is secured with a half Maltese cross shaped folding replica watches sale in 950 platinum.

Dear Diary - WOW! HOW QUICK WAS THAT? I was just talking yesterday about hanging out for a third level report and one came in today ... and from Sydney, too (see Fishing - Lorne Pier). My first interstate report and a third level one at that!

Anyway, must go...snap! snap!


SX-70

12 March, 2005

Dear Diary - Been a bit light on with the diary entries for a couple of months now…just a couple here and there. Basically, SX-70 and I have been having this ongoing discussion over the need to get more people shots but there being my basic fear of approaching people to ask them. There's also the issue of getting them to pose and remain still for 15 seconds or so (most of my shot hunting being in the evening/night) vs a desire to "snap" people unposed (which means I'll need to get out more during the daylight hours, which is fairly difficult for me, what with work committments and all).

Anyway, after a couple of months of general malaise over this issue I've realised that I can't NOT take shots - I got to at least shoot something and if it's not people, then so be it…hope to back into the action a bit more from now on…

Also, stay tuned…I hope to get a few reports coming in from Europe in the next week or so…

Anyway, must go...snap! snap!


SX-70

26 December , 2005

Dear Diary - People may have noticed a recent break in the sequence of snaps...I've recently returned from the "grand tour" and have been spending the last month or more simply trying to catch up. I've only just got up to listing recent snaps.

Also, recently got "The Polaroid Book", from Taschen ("Merry Christmas to Me!")...very inspiring!

Anyway, must go...snap! snap!


SX-70

23 August, 2006

2

Dear Diary - AAAAARGH!!! I have just been delivered the fatal news that my database has become corrupted...and to make matters worse in the process of trying to retrieve and merge the corrupted database with various backups, the recent backups have become corrupted also. Damn! Damn! Damn!

As a result I have lost 30 or more of this years reports - news and information about where my children are and how they have been going! Oh, well...I guess the best I can hope for now is that the family will continue to travel and I will move on from here, getting updates and news from those that are still out there. If you read this and you have one of the snaps, please drop by the Snaps&Entries section, look up the snap and report on how they're progressing.

Anyway, must go...snap! snap!


SX-70

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