I have just returned from a couple of weeks in Lisbon, Portugal and along with my usual, trusted gear, I brought a favourite toy of mine, my Polaroid camera. Armed with several packs of instant film, I spent most of my days walking down the streets, looking for the details and daily scenes that make this city so unique.
Far from shiny and pretty, this is a place that shows the wear and tear of its history; graffiti, broken windows, chipped tiling and abandoned buildings. Lisbon is not gritty from lack of care, it is simply imperfect because it is lived in. Beneath these layers of time, there is an old,lovable city with charm and character.
I wanted to show glimpses of this city's personality by capturing it through the lens of a medium that shares Lisbon's imperfections most of all. True, Polaroid cameras are notoriously unpredictable and temperamental; the images and colours that appear on that little square are far from accurate representations of our reality and what comes out is often a surprise, complete with spots, stains, blurry lines and scratches.
However, rather than focus on the flaws of the Polaroid, I wanted to demonstrate the beauty and art of analog instant photography. It is precisely because of these imperfections that we love and cherish the Polaroid image. It is precious, there can only be one. Perhaps a lesson in life, the instant camera teaches us to slow down, relinquish control, let go of the little faults and give in to the simple joys of following our instincts. Each print is utterly unique, recognizable by its soft, rich tones, its creamy glow and its dream like qualities. Because it has the capacity to make everything look like it was shot decades ago, it creates a mood and triggers emotional responses.
There is a sentiment of nostalgia associated with the Polaroid camera, similar to the one that can often be found within the Portuguese soul. The feeling of stepping back in time experienced when climbing the old cobble stone hills of Lisbon resembles the one that is felt when we hold these cameras in our hands; it's an opportunity to appreciate a little piece of history, with all of its quirks, challenges and charms.
