So this month, I’ll be posting mostly images and minimal words while I work on a few Fall creative endeavors!

I promise you, there is nothing better than a little instant film to pull you out of a creative rut!  I am really loving this week of polaroids…..

I will not even begin to tell you about the looks I received at the nail salon when I whipped out my polaroid camera and pressed the shutter!  I wanted to announce, “Come on, people – it’s ‘Roid Week!”  No worries though, it’s not the first time I’ve received crazy looks ~ my skin is pretty tough!

I almost forgot that this week is marks ‘Roid Week 2010 on flickr!  This week, you can expect  to see some of my polaroids I’ve never shared before…. Are you participating?

I recently received an e-mail from Karin, who asked me if I had any tips about shooting with my Polaroid 660. I am so glad that she contacted me – I have planning on posting about this for a while now!

Disclaimer: I am by no means an expert – I am a complete newbie to polaroid.  But I have a learned a few things that I keep in mind when I am behind my polaroid that I’ll share with you.

I’ll start off by saying that polaroid 600 film is not cheap.  My cost was roughly $20 for 10 shots.  And yes, that works out to be $2 a shot.  As you can imagine, I certainly don’t take any shots lightly.  With my DSLR, I take as many shots as I like, but with my polaroid 660, every shot is golden.  There is no second chance.

That being said, I feel that there is no other feeling in the world that compares to the pressing of the shutter, the whirling and spinning of the camera, and the instant gratification of having a picture in my hand seconds later.  And finally, the minute or two you wait while the film develops, and you are eager to see what you captured!  Honestly, there is no other feeling like it.

Photography is truly about light.  Even with my DSLR, I love natural light, I rarely use the flash.  Same goes for my polaroid, I don’t use the flash, which means that I shoot only in broad daylight – the more light, the better.  I even slide the exposure to slightly over expose the image, just to be sure.

Framing is also key.  You must frame your subject perfectly, cropping is not an option.  Take your time and really focus on getting the shot you want.

I love the grainy look and feel of my polaroids, how the image is slightly out of focus, but just perfectly so.  The character and charm is unbeatable, in my opinion!  I do not post process any of my polaroids.  Other than cropping, what you see here are original shots, no digital alterations.

Don’t get me wrong, I have had my share of blurry, out of focus, polaroids – but I see the beauty in each one, despite all of the imperfections.  Because really, isn’t it our imperfections that make us beautiful?

You can see my polaroids here and I have posted some on flickr as well.  Also, be sure to check out my polaroids from my trip to Italy.

I’ll leave you with one of my favorite polaroids.  It was taken at sunset on the Rialto Bridge, over the Grand Canal in Venice, Italy.  I had to wait about 5 minutes for the other gondolas to exit the frame, but it was definitely worth the wait.  I love the grain in this image and the way the sun is shining on the buildings in the background.  The original is proudly displayed on my inspiration wall, and the instant I look at it, I am transported back to that very same day!

Here are some helpful links for anyone interested in shooting with polaroids and film:

• Jenifer’s Nectar & Light, the sweet life through a polaroid
• Amanda has a great post, So you want to buy a polaroid camera, on her blog, Mocking Bird, with tips on actually buying a polaroid camera.  I bought my polaroid from e-bay.
• Tina has a beautiful collection of polaroids for more inspiration.
• The Polaroid group on flickr
• Also be sure to check out the Impossible Project

Any one have any other tips for shooting with a polaroid?

I feel much more comfortable behind the camera than in front of the camera.

One of the challenges of being the photographer at family events is that I am rarely in pictures – this is something that I’m going to work on in 2010!

Not sure if I will be able to find film to use with this Polaroid land camera.  In the meantime, I’m happy just admiring it!

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Loving all of the inspiration from Polaroid Week ’09!  If you haven’t already, head over the flickr pool – so much film beauty!

It has been such a pleasure to dust off my own polaroid 660 land camera and capture the beauty of fall as you see above.  You can see all of my polas here.

Are you playing?

I am happy to share you with a special collection of images from my trip – bella Italia.  All of these images where taken with my vintage Polaroid 660 land camera.  This collection is extremely important to me, each image reminds me of the beauty and nostalgia of Italy!  Please view the images here.

Each image is available as a 5×5 mini-print  in my shop.  Perfect for bringing a little of Italy to your home, office, or inspiration board.  If you would like a larger size, please let me know.  As an added bonus, when you buy 2 mini-prints, receive a third (of your choice) for free.  Please see my shop for more details!