Hey kids! Remember when photos came spitting right out of the camera? Your ‘rent would wave the photo in the air a few times, then you’d all stand around and watch as your smiling family developed right before your eyes?
Naw, I’m just messing with you. Of course you don’t. Heck some of you young folk have never held a film camera, never mind a Polaroid Land Camera. This incredible technology of instant gratification so popular in the ’70’s is now a mere part of our Americana history.
And here my friends, is a glimpse of farm life, circa 1972 or something like that. Straight from the spittin’ Polaroid image to my fancy-ass modern scanner. Raw and unedited, no Photoshop fix-up here. Looks like three sisters and their dogs, right? That’s my mom on the far left. My little sister is in the middle getting photo bombed by a dog (snort), and my stylin’ self on the right.
Ever the nerd, when I wasn’t wearing socks with sandals, I was buttoning my shirt up to the neck. I apparently ditched the obligatory pocket protector and had decided to carry my math flash cards out with me for the photo shoot. And that hair style was simple affair, with the locks flowing down past my non-existent waist. Hair parted on the side because I saw Cher do hers that way once.
The farm dogs are the beloved Willie (left) and Ringo (right). The two never met a leash, but instead took on the role as my companions as we went on adventerous explorations in the woods near our farm. Ringo sported some collie genes and Willie appeared to be part wolverine or badger or something. We had to keep Willie away from the chickens. And my little brother.
Addendum:
This Time article showed up in my newsfeeds this morning. A creepy story made even more dire with the reference to the Dead Uncle.
So I write a story about Polaroid Land Cameras and Time shares a story about lost Polaroid photo. Published in the etherworld on the same day, people. And the photos, mine and the Dead Uncle’s, were taken about the same time. Yeah, give or take a couple of years, but that’s close, right?
“It’s either a modern ghost story or a wild coincidence,” says Time. What’s the word I’m looking for here? Oh yeah.
Hyperbole. And a big, heaping dose of it, too.
Go. Do. Be Dog. 
Hey it's Jet here.
Wow, vintage, quite a memory.
My Mom knows exactly what you spoke about… all of it!!! She said those pictures were amazing at the time.
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Vintage or Instagram? Just Kidding. I loved our Polaroid camera. My parents didn't like it so much because the pictures weren't that great, but as a kid I wanted that instant gratification.
Happy Wednesday!
Colby
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Wow that brings back old memories. The Poloroid Swinger was my first camera (age 10 or 12). I would snap a picture, lay it down on the table and we would all gather around and wait to see ourselves appear on the picture. That was soooo cool!
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We had a blast with that land camera. Many of our photos have faded over time, but I'm glad this one survived as best as it has.
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Ugh, Instagram. Hopefully a passing phase, those altered photos of today. Guess I'm a purist of sorts. The land camera was a good time, but we sure had a dark period of 110 cameras and that short-lived concept of a disc camera, before digital technology hit the scene. Ah, I remember when taking a photo was kind of a big deal.
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Now you got me thinking. What *was* my first camera? It may have been the Polaroid, too. Or that crappy 110. I took photos endlessly as a kid, finally getting an SLR in my early twenties. Not a DSLR, mind you. That acronym didn't show up until many, many years later.
Hey, but on another topic, a good friend has a couple of rescued boxers who are just sweethearts. One is a certified therapy dog that visits our local VA hospital. Good dogs, those boxers.
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I'm a sucker for a vintage dog photo. 🙂
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Thanks for stopping by, Pup Fan! I get a little sad when I hear about kids who don't have dogs, you know? Every adult should have a beloved dog or two stored away in their childhood memories.
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