China Daily Global Edition (USA)
Bringing photos to life with an instant film camera
Chinese smartphone users tapping away to take photos on their devices has become a common sight across the country.
Instant photography pioneer Polaroid is now aiming to tap that huge digital market by working with Chinese fashion brand JNBY and artists.
The photography brand is sporting a new name, Polaroid Originals, after its purchase by the Impossible Project company in May. It announced the rebranding with the launch of a new instant film camera in New York on Sept 13.
Oskar Smolokowski, CEO of Polaroid Originals, says he is confident of reviving the popularity of instant photography because people have spent too much time in the virtual world and they want to connect more with the real one. That includes taking physical photos.
“People take thousands of photos with smartphones or digital cameras. They seldom see them again. But they do value the physical ones taken on important days,” says Smolokowski, 28. A fan of instant cameras himself, Smolokowski started taking instant film photos at the age of 13. He still loves to use it to record important occasions with families, friends and even pets.
Smolokowski admits that China’s economic power makes it a potential market for Polaroid and he does get that feeling from the young Chinese consumers, usually aged between 20 and 30.
The market has been developing rapidly in the past few years, fueling annual growth rates of about 20 percent, he says.
Polaroid’s cooperation with JNBY is also due to the photography passion of one fan — the The new fashion brand’s founder, Li Lin.
As a mother of two, Li is fond of taking analog instant film photos of her children.
More than 10 years ago, she received a Polaroid camera from her younger brother and was quickly addicted to it.
“I met their people three months ago and soon worked out an agreement of cooperation,” says Li, adding that both their targeted consumers love art, design and photography.
Under the agreement, Polaroid Originals’ products will be displayed in JNBY’s stores. The cooperation with Chinese artists is also being planned.
Smolokowski says his company will keep working with more Chinese artists, mainly photographers, similar to what Polaroid did in the last century. Iconic US pop artist Andy Warhol was perhaps the most famous die-hard fan of Polaroid. Many of his artworks were Polaroid photos of celebrities, film stars and himself.
The popularity of Polaroid in the art world is also felt in China. Hao Nina, Asia managing director of Polaroid Originals, says that many celebrity Chinese artists she knows, such as Liu Ye, also use it as a medium for their creations. Liu once put fireflies in a box with a large-size instant film to record their life circle.
The instant camera market is set to grow and it is a lifestyle trend that people in the West are following, says Smolokowski.
The “feeling of reality” offered by instant film is also what maintains his belief in Polaroid, says Smolokowski.
Polaroid was founded in the United States in 1937 and ended its production of instant film in 2008. The Impossible Project was set up in Germany and had its factory in the Netherlands to continue making Polaroid-style instant film for instant camera owners. In September, the Impossible Project bought the brand and relaunched it as Polaroid Originals.
Polaroid Originals instant film camera launched earlier this month. Polaroid Originals.