‘Impossible’ Interview with Julien Grenet – ‘Des Polas et des Mains’
We’re delighted to be working closer with The Impossible Project team as we continue to branch out and expand our reach with all things related to mobile photography. Analog post-processing of mobile images is becoming more and more popular and we’re going to make sure our readers are fully briefed on this very exciting development.
The Impossible Project is in many ways leading the way, but there is also a growing community of mobile artists and photographers experimenting with other analog post processing techniques in an attempt to make their mobile images stand out even more, in galleries, magazines and the like and we have viewed some outstanding images and techniques.
A good deal of my formal photographic training (many years ago) was spent in a huge college darkroom and it is an area that I’ve always enjoyed, I think you will too. I also had a very close working relationship with Polaroid built up through my years as Technical Editor for various UK photography print magazines/titles.
Today we are publishing the fifth of a series of ‘Impossible’ articles, this time with Julien Grenet. Julien is an avid travel blogger, always on the road, far, far away from France. When he travels, he carries his Polaroid camera and a lot of Impossible films with him, just to be sure to capture those special moments.
This is an interview that was conducted by the team at Impossible and they have given us kind permission to republish it here. We think you will enjoy this very much…
What is my motivation? To meet people and share, that is my travel goal. I can’t travel without living authentic and simple experiences.
For that reason, I’m looking for the best way to give as much as local people give me. My goal is not to save the world, but I offer what I do: photography with my Polaroid camera. I take a photo of the people I meet. For some of them, the picture I took was the very first one they have seen of themselves. That is the point of my project.
Two years ago, I traveled to Sri Lanka with my Polaroid 600 and two Impossible films. I will never forget the happiness I saw in the eyes of the first person I gave a picture to. It was a fisherman who was fixing his fishing net on a beach. We spoke all the morning. Just before I left, I immortalised the scene with my instant camera and offered this unique photo to my new friend. When I saw the picture in his hands, I immediately understood that I had something to do with his happiness.
Since then, I’ve always travelled with several Polaroid cameras and Impossible films in my bag. Each time I meet someone who makes my travel more beautiful I take a picture of his or her hands holding the picture I have just taken.
Impossible films require 30 minutes before chemistry reveals its secrets. For better development, the photo should not be exposed to direct sunlight. So I made a black box that I hold in front of the Polaroid camera. The photo goes out naturally inside the box once the shutter is pressed and stays there for 30 minutes in the dark.
It’s making the moment even more exciting: waiting for my gift! Eventually, I take the picture out of the box: we see the colors, the face, the smile… The photos are always amazing.
I am now clearly addicted. I own a Polaroid SX-70, a 600, a Spectra and some other models and they always come with me. Once I’m back in France, I scan the photos and use them to illustrate articles on my blog.
Joanne Carter
Joanne Carter is a British photography journalist, editor, curator, and the founder of *TheAppWhisperer.com*, one of the world’s leading platforms dedicated to mobile photography and art. Since its launch in 2009, TheAppWhisperer has become an international hub for artists of all levels to discover, learn, exhibit, and engage with contemporary photographic practice.Built on principles of inclusivity, accessibility, and artistic excellence, Joanne has spent almost two decades championing mobile photography as a serious artistic medium. Through interviews, critical essays, exhibitions, competitions, and education, she has helped shape and document the evolution of mobile art on a global scale.Her work has taken her internationally, lecturing on photography and mobile art at institutions and events including the Museum of Art in Seoul, South Korea, alongside appearances in the UK and Europe. She has served as a juror for international photography and mobile art awards across Portugal, Canada, the United States, South Korea, Italy, and the UK.Joanne is also the founder of *TheAppWhispererPrintSales.com*, one of the first online galleries dedicated exclusively to collectible mobile art, connecting artists with collectors across Europe, the United States, and Asia.Before founding TheAppWhisperer, Joanne worked extensively in print journalism and photographic publishing, including roles at a paparazzi photo agency and as deputy editor of a leading photography magazine. Her freelance journalism, criticism, and commentary have been published widely in both the UK and the US, with bylines in *The Times*, *The Sunday Times*, *The Guardian*, *Popular Photography*, *NikonPro*, *DPReview*, *Which?*, *Vogue Italia*, *LensCulture*, the *BBC*, and more recently, the *Financial Times*, where her published letters on photography continue to contribute to wider conversations around the medium.Alongside her editorial and curatorial work, Joanne’s own photographic practice has been exhibited internationally across the UK, Europe, South Korea, and the United States. Her work increasingly explores themes of grief, loss, death, memory, and the body.Her current research interests centre on grief, death, and poverty, with forthcoming postgraduate study leading towards doctoral research in these areas.Joanne is currently developing new long-form writing and photographic projects and is available for commissions, editorial projects, speaking engagements, and collaborations.Contact: joannetheappwhisperer@gmail.com)
