Polaroid warns don't "shake it" like Outkast
Discussion
www.reuters.co.uk/newsArticle.jhtml?type=oddlyEnoughNews&storyID=4375627§ion=news
LONDON (Reuters) - Outkast fans like to "shake it like a Polaroid picture," but the instant camera maker is warning consumers that taking the advice of the hip-hop stars could ruin your snapshots.
Outkast's number one hit "Hey Ya" includes the "shake it" line as a reference to the motion that amateur photographers use to help along the self-developing film.
But in the "answers" section on the Polaroid Web site, (http://polaroid.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/polaroid.cfg/ php/enduser/std_alp.php?p_sid=MkDTr94h&p_lva=2509&p _sp=&p_li the company says that shaking photos, which once helped them to dry, is not necessary since the modern version of Polaroid film dries behind a clear plastic window.
The image "never touches air, so shaking or waving has no effect," the company said on its Web site.
"In fact, shaking or waving can actually damage the image. Rapid movement during development can cause portions of the film to separate prematurely, or can cause 'blobs' in the picture."
A Polaroid spokesman added: "Almost everybody does it, thinking that shaking accelerates the development process, but if you shake it too vigorously you could distort the image. A casual shake typically doesn't affect it."
Polaroid said its film should be laid on a flat surface and shielded from the wind, and that users should avoid bending or twisting their pictures.
Of course, "lay it on a flat surface like a Polaroid picture," doesn't sound nearly as cool.
LONDON (Reuters) - Outkast fans like to "shake it like a Polaroid picture," but the instant camera maker is warning consumers that taking the advice of the hip-hop stars could ruin your snapshots.
Outkast's number one hit "Hey Ya" includes the "shake it" line as a reference to the motion that amateur photographers use to help along the self-developing film.
But in the "answers" section on the Polaroid Web site, (http://polaroid.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/polaroid.cfg/ php/enduser/std_alp.php?p_sid=MkDTr94h&p_lva=2509&p _sp=&p_li the company says that shaking photos, which once helped them to dry, is not necessary since the modern version of Polaroid film dries behind a clear plastic window.
The image "never touches air, so shaking or waving has no effect," the company said on its Web site.
"In fact, shaking or waving can actually damage the image. Rapid movement during development can cause portions of the film to separate prematurely, or can cause 'blobs' in the picture."
A Polaroid spokesman added: "Almost everybody does it, thinking that shaking accelerates the development process, but if you shake it too vigorously you could distort the image. A casual shake typically doesn't affect it."
Polaroid said its film should be laid on a flat surface and shielded from the wind, and that users should avoid bending or twisting their pictures.
Of course, "lay it on a flat surface like a Polaroid picture," doesn't sound nearly as cool.
I had a bog-standard Polaroid camera in about 1975 (the sort with the rotating flash cube). The developing had to be done above a certain temperature, so if you were taking pictures outside in winter, the camera came with an aluminium folder. You had to put this folder under your arm until it was warm, then put the photo inside it to develop.
That's the closest I got to taking a Gandolfi up Everest!
That's the closest I got to taking a Gandolfi up Everest!
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