Hands On And Up Close With The IMPOSSIBLE Project For iPhone – By Nick Spence
We’re delighted to publish this article by our fabulous new Contributor to TheAppWhisperer, Nick Spence. Nick has been a freelance writer for over 10 years working for a range of publications and websites, you can read more about him in his bio below.
Over to you Nick…(foreword by Joanne Carter).
“You could have blamed the rain and cold, the promise of new iPhones, or a night of international football ahead, but the turnout for the The IMPOSSIBLE Project at the Apple Store, Covent Garden was disappointedly low. The Tuesday night, London based ‘Special Event’, was tucked away upstairs and so unassuming many simply wandered by, attracting around a dozen or more registered attendees for the hour presentation. Those who did attend enjoyed an enthusiastic talk from Oskar Smolokowski from the IMPOSSIBLE team, and had a chance to see up close the new technology that will hopefully kick start a new golden age for analog photography, as bizarre as that sounds.
©Nick Spence – ‘Smolokowski’
Set up late in 2008, the project has one main aim – to ensure the magic of analog instant photography is kept alive – while utilising both old – Kodak – and new – Apple – technology. Oskar explained the company produces Polaroid compatible film for the millions of old instant cameras still out there, and now new hardware, compatible with Apple’s iPhone via a dedicated app. The results, we all got the opportunity to take home a print, are impressive, no two images exactly the same, including the variations between iPhone models and the cleanliness of your iPhone screen. The wonder of holding something in your hand that is beautifully tactile, is all the more intimate for choosing a snap of my late father from the iPhone’s camera roll. You can view many evocative images on the The IMPOSSIBLE Project website, blog and Facebook page, it really is eye candy at its most beautiful.
Right now, The IMPOSSIBLE Project seems like one great folly, burdened by growing pains, facing competition from any number of retro themed apps, along with the high cost for new users embracing old technology. Currently, a pack of instant film, which produces just 8 pictures costs £17, while the PQ 8×10 Silver Shade film costs a whopping £133. That’s some investment, when you consider how many happy snappers are content to reel off 100s of digital images on camera and smartphone, without ever printing them. In simple terms, the company needs more people to buy hardware and film for the price to come down. Until then, The IMPOSSIBLE Project must rely on early adopters, enthusiasts and creative types to help spread the word, on what is a wonderful and worthy, if a little foolhardy, project”.
©Nick Spence
Nick Spence
Nick Spence has been a freelance writer for over 10 years working for a range of publications and websites. Nick has a keen interest in all things Apple and a great love for creativity including art, design, photography and especially illustration. Nick is a keen iPhoneographer and can regularly be spotted around London photographing anything and everything, but especially cats, because they simply aren't enough pictures of cats on the Internet. Feel free to follow Nick on Instagram as @nickfromupnorth.
5 Comments
David
Great article! I’ve been buying film from the Project as often as I can to feed my Polaroid cameras…and you’re right, the price of a film pak does give me pause. Thanks for spotlight this worthwhile endeavor!
gina costa
I agree with David! I have been buying film from them, to feed my polaroid habit. But with my IPhone, I can produce images which achieve a similar effect, and are free:)
Benamon Tame
I picked up a Polaroid Camera and used to get a pack from them now and again but the cost unfortunately does work against them. Going from the freedom of digital to just eight shots really alters your work flow. You would just need a lot of money for film to use it enough, in terms of shooting and the tweaks in development to get the best out of them. Wish them every success but i think a serious drop in film cost and maybe a new camera rather than expensive restored cameras are needed for them to breakout out of niche
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