Mosaic Monday: Polaroids...

Looking for images each week, I thought it was about time we did a feature on Polaroids. There are some really talented Polaroid artists out there, here are just a few. To see more from our talented team members, search "POE Team" on Etsy, here.

01. mkendall - wonderland
02. Kristybee - Vintage Stock
03. futurowoman - Flatiron Building
04. jerseymaids - Fields of Gold
05. pinkiestyle - underwood
06. jenniferdennispotter - Water and Sky

jessicarogers - Lower Barn Window
Polaroid Transfer

TiffanyTeske - And Then Time Stood Still
Polaroid Emulsion Lift

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This Mosaic Monday was compiled by Pam Hardy. Pam lives in beautiful Alberta, Canada. She has always been fascinated with cameras and has been taking pictures most of her life. Her favorite things to photograph are flowers and animals, and she enjoys experimenting with new subjects and techniques. See Pam's blog here and her shop right here.

Focus On: Susannah Tucker

Together

Here's a bit of a quiz for you: Which child is more likely to become a good reader: One who is read to faithfully by his or her parents or a child who grows up in a house filled with bookcases and lots of books? The answer may surprise you -- the child who simply grows up in the presence of books (and who sees his or her parents reading) is more likely to become a reader.

I learned this fact from a source I can't recall any longer, and it came to my mind while I was talking with Etsy photographer, Susannah Tucker, of Melbourne, Australia. She is building her career as a photographer at her own pace, placing her growing family at the forefront of her life. At the same time, Susannah brings her kids into her work and they experience her passion for her work and her art nearly every day.

A Pair

Come along and get to know Susannah and how she balances it all, including her gear!

Oma

Ann: How do you balance work and life? Is your photography a full-time job for you?

Susannah: My photography is my part-time-fit-it-in-when-I-can job. I have two little ones, a 3-year old and a 6-month old, so my full-time (and beyond) job is as a Mum, and I fit in my photography when I can. I find I'm always thinking about photography, though, and cameras are a part of our daily life. I head out on excursions with the kids to take photos, and I edit them in the afternoons and evenings during quiet/sleep time. We plan weekend family adventures around where I'd like to take photos, and we've just booked a long weekend at the beach, as I'm dying to take photos on a proper sand beach!

Palais Theatre TTV

A: You are imparting a sense of creativity with your children. How did you get your start in photography?

S: Like my children are now, I grew up with cameras around us. Dad always had his SLR with us on outings, and Mum would take Polaroids of us all. I used to LOVE watching the Polaroid develop-- it seemed so magical-- a moment forever captured. When I was 8, I was given my first Vivitar by my parents. It had one button! How the technology has changed! Ever since then I have been taking photos, loving that I was capturing moments in time. I can't remember when I realized I wanted to BE a photographer, but I think I've slowly been working toward this dream for a long, long time.

Hello, You

A: What's your favorite piece of photographic equipment you're using now?

S: My favourite piece of equipment, hmmm, that's a toss-up between my Kodak Duaflex and my Polaroid....ummm, ahhhh, ummmm, ohhhh -- the pressure to pick one.....would have to say the Polaroid! I love that in the digital age of being able to take hundreds of photos at any one time, you get one shot with the Polaroid. It makes me really simplify and focus on my composition. We spent a day at the fair, and came home with 300 digital photos (including TTV's) and 14 Polaroids. The Polaroids are my favourite, I would have been happy with just the Polaroids.

Childhood Memories TTV

A: So, here you are at the fair with two little ones in tow AND two cameras and a TTV setup? How do you carry it all? Seriously, how do you manage all your equipment?

S: The equipment -- this makes me laugh! In a nutshell, I have a very supportive, very strong, very adventurous and VERY patient husband, Shannon, who ends up carrying most of my gear. Yesterday at the fair, and on most of our days out, I carry my digital camera and Shannon takes the messenger bag with the Polaroid and TTV, plus sometimes a lensbaby/portrait lens (and stuff for the kids). It's all so heavy! It was tricky yesterday, as I was trying to take photos on the DSLR of Annabel having fun, then quickly get out the Polaroid to take a photo, find somewhere to put the Polaroid print to develop, collapse the Polaroid and back into the bag, then turn back to watch Annabel, check Otis still asleep in the pram, etc., etc. It's a constant juggling act! Having Shannon help me carry it gives me the options to take so many different style photos, because I never know what I am going to see and what will inspire me.

Photo Blocks

A: Describe a perfect day taking photographs. Would it be just you, some alone time, perhaps? If you'd be with someone, would it be a fellow photographer, or someone to help you carry stuff? Where would you be?

S: My perfect day taking photos would be as above, out with my family, on an adventure, having help with the gear, but also some time alone -- Shannon entertaining the kids while I have some time to explore without the distractions. I also dream of being back in Italy, meandering around the villages on a push bike with a basket in front full of camera gear, so I can stop whenever something catches my eye. A girl can dream!

Apples

Thank you, Susannah! And, if anyone knows of the perfect way to carry all the gear, please leave a comment. It's safe to assume Shannon isn't available to come up all the way from Melbourne to help us out!

Summer Lovin' TTV

Focus On: Alternative Photos

I Heart Summer from Susannah Tucker

Photographers are a creative bunch. There are many different ways to see a photograph; there are many different ways to display a piece of photographic art. Walls and book covers aren't the only ways to do so. Photography can become a part of the foundation of our daily lives, and I'm not talkin' Cover Girl!

See what some POE members are doing to express themselves beyond the basic print and prepare to be inspired in a big way.

Above, Susannah Tucker, puts together well-made and stunning photo blocks.

Spiral Staircase Photo Pendant from photoamato

There are lots of photo pendants available on Etsy.com, and there are photo pendants that stand apart from the crowd. This one from Photoamato is genius in its simplicity and perfection of the photo as a square design. You can find lots of tutorials for making pendants from Scrabble tiles, and you can find all the findings and supplies right on Etsy as well.

Pediatrician Personalized Block Photo from jenniferdennispotter

What a creative way for a professional to advertise themselves in a friendly and non-threatening way! Jennifer has hit on a fantastic idea for a functional art piece that makes people feel comfortable right away. "I had taken my kids to their doctor for a checkup, and I was looking at the artwork in the office. There were some sweet pictures of animals and children, but I thought it would be nice for an office to have something more specific to that person-- to that doctor. I realized the name blocks I'd been making with children's names on them might lend themselves well to pediatricians, too."

Interchangeable Polaroid Ring-Love from jerseymaids

Can't you just envision yourself wearing a Polaroid photo as a ring? The concept stopped this writer dead in her tracks! Lauren, of JerseyMaids, created these rings to satisfy her own desire to have a photograph on a ring. She played around with using shrink plastic to make them, but she wasn't entirely happy with the results. She kept working until she discovered that using glass would help her achieve something a "little classier". Lauren says, "Polaroids in and of themselves are such unique pieces of art that the rings should try and capture the same effect. So, you can decide which image fits your mood best each day, and pretty soon you'll be able to buy the ring charms a la carte after I finish listing all the sets."

Hitchhiking TV Coasters from chicalookate

There are coasters, and there are COASTERS! Don't these sum up the general feeling television leaves you with? A terrific example of creative coaster-y from one of Etsy's best sellers, ChicalooKate.

Do I Smell Cake? Photo Notecard from SharonKayDesigns

Making great notecards takes a lot of work -- the perfect photograph, the right sentiment, the appropriate font, the little details of design like the border, size of the card. It's not as easy as it looks. Sharon does an amazing job of presenting a humorous card in a simple, elegant fashion.

Shadowy Chandelier-photo printed on antique book paper from MissGillian

Grey Dawn-photo printed on antique book paper from MissGillian

Hopefully, Miss Gillian will leave us a comment and tell us how she managed to feed antique book paper through her photo printer without a paper jam or starting a house fire.

Bleeding Heart Notecard Set from JudiFitzpatrick

Judi is one classy lady, and her photographs prove this. These notecards are simply beautiful. Her photos lend themselves to work perfectly as unique stationery.

What have you seen lately?

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A world traveler and self-taught photographer, look for Ann wandering around city streets and tromping through woods and hiking trails with her camera. After owning an international transportation business for many years, Ann has found her creative spirit again through the lens. See more at Ann's shop and her website, and say hello to her on her blog too.

Focus On: Photoamato

Sowing the Seeds of Love

The ignition of a lifetime passion can happen in such a way that we don't realize it until we're totally immersed in it, and there's no turning back. How many of us photographers started with an innocent interest in the magic of a picture that shaped a complete lifestyle or an artistic viewpoint?

Wagon Wheel

My first question to this week's interview subject, Lisa, also known as Photoamato, was about her first experience with a camera. She was just hanging out with her dad, helping him take real-estate photos with an old Polaroid camera, and her own interest in photography began to take shape. "He would let me pull the picture out [of the camera], and shake it, because shaking made it develop faster (true? I don't know). Then magically, from nowhere, a photo would appear on a strange-smelling and strange-looking plastic square."

Lisa next received a Kodak 110 camera as a birthday gift. She "went crazy taking pictures, and burned through so much film" her parents would ration how much she could get. Next, Lisa took a photography class in high school where "developing our own photos in a darkroom was like nirvana to me. I fell in love." Years later, when Lisa's husband bought her first digital camera (an Olympus 2.1 megapixel point and shoot), her passion for photography rekindled and things started moving quickly for Lisa. "Here is where things turned, and one particular event led me to starting a business."

Unfurled Fern

Our chat turned to how Lisa hung her shingle as a professional photographer.

Ann: So....what was that particular event?

Lisa: Well, I'd gotten my friend's birthdate mixed up, and it came sooner than I expected. I didn't have a card for her, but I did have blank card stock and plenty of photo prints on hand. I attached one of my favorites to the card stock and created a handmade card. My friend loved it! She liked it so much she asked me to make several assorted cards she could use as notecards. Then one of her card recipients asked for an enlargement of the photo he'd received on his card, and my business just grew from there.

That was three years ago, and now I have my own small business. My passion for photography has spun itself into a passion that supports itself. I'm thrilled I've been able to take the opportunity to grow my hobby into a business while I'm still able to juggle the demands of my 'day job' and my family. It's proof that if you enjoy something enough, whether it's an art or craft or activity, people will take an interest in what you can provide or teach them. Turning your interests and ideas into a profitable business is not as hard as one might imagine. A little research and promotion will open the doors of opportunity.

The Duet

A: Tell us about your professional photography business. What's your passion with it?

L: The 'professional' side of my business is weddings and portraiture. It's the most challenging, and it forces me to be creative. I have to bring out my people skills to get folks to be comfortable and natural in front of the camera. People are more likely to dislike having their picture taken than a flower or a tree does! It takes finesse, something I'm constantly fine-tuning. Being able to tap into my creative gut and ending up with a terrific session, beautiful photos and happy clients is such an amazing feeling. Almost like floating. Maybe that's where the 'cloud nine' saying comes from!

Perfect Plum

A: What brought you to Etsy?

L: I heard about Etsy through a message board that wasn't even art/craft related. Someone on the forum was talking about Etsy, and I had to go check it out. I was impressed with the bold, colorful and inviting front page. The sign-up process was simple, and from reading through Etsy's forums, I could feel a sense of community. After poking around through various shops, I signed up and have been an active shopkeeper ever since.

Notes By Jack London

A: You've had strong sales of your photography. How are you an active shopkeeper?

L: I spend a lot of time in the Etsy forums participating in [conversation] threads. I try to be helpful to those who are new to Etsy or have questions I can answer. I've done a few wonderful trades and love the whole idea of it -- kind of like the good ol' days of trading a chicken for a sack of potatoes. I tried Twitter and became quickly frustrated, so I gave that up. I'm on Facebook, but it's mostly for personal connections. Occasionally, I'll post something new I've created or a particular photo I want to share. I have my shop and gallery url in my e-mail signature, in any forum profiles, and I'm working to get some articles about me published in a variety of outlets. Being featured in blogs has been a great help, too.

Lily in Lilac

A: If you ever get stuck creatively, what strategies do you employ to move through it?

L: I get a lot of inspiration from looking at other photographers' works. When I'm feeling uninspired or stuck in a rut, I take a tour of wonderful images wherever I can find them -- it might be the incredible talent I find on Etsy, looking through images on Google, or flipping through a magazine. All these help to restore the muse within.

Circle of Light

Lisa was born in Niagara Falls, New York and moved to Northern California when she was a teenager. "Even at that young age, I was in awe of the vast and diverse scenery in the Bay Area. I'm able to witness this area's many beautiful features -- everything from a ladybug resting on a sunflower petal to the power of a Pacific sunset. Everywhere I go, an opportunity to capture a truly breathtaking moment presents itself, whether it's the rugged peaks of the Sierras, the surreal Northern California coastline, or the opulent colors of wine country."

Zinfandel

Lisa works full-time in her community's school district and her family includes her husband, two teenage sons and two rambunctious dogs. She spends as much time as possible outside, hiking with her camera.

She sums herself up quite nicely:

"I'm a self-taught photographer who has learned through exploration, self-challenge and trial and error. It's my privilege to share my view of the world through my images. From abstract and architectural to vast landscapes and intricate close-ups, my hope is to inspire everyone who views my work to look for beauty in everything that surrounds us.

Thank you, Lisa!

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A world traveler and self-taught photographer, look for Ann wandering around city streets and tromping through woods and hiking trails with her camera. After owning an international transportation business for many years, Ann has found her creative spirit again through the lens. See more at Ann's shop and her website, and say hello to her on her blog too.

Focus On: Father's Day - Photography Gifts for Dads

snack bar, emulsion print from evesimone

Father's Day is fast approaching. We've done a bit of legwork for you to help find a really thoughtful and fun gift for the Dad in your life. So, sit back and relax and click your way to some fantastic finds sure to please. You may want to give Dad some freedom of creative expression with a vintage, working Polaroid camera. Or, you may want to give him some beautiful Polariod prints from some of our own photographers.

Polaroid Land Camera Automatic 100 Package from AngiesIris

The Dreamer by jerseymaids

Retro Polaroid Camera from Aubiejeanvintage

Polaroid 600 film packs from Adorama Camera

There are lots of on-line sources for Polaroid film, but be sure you know who you are dealing with. Even some third-party vendors on Amazon.com have disappointed customers by shipping a different film than was ordered. Adorama is a name you can rely on, and the products ship directly from them.

just around that bend by buckscountyframes

Happy Father's Day to Dads everywhere!

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A world traveler and self-taught photographer, look for Ann wandering around city streets and tromping through woods and hiking trails with her camera. After owning an international transportation business for many years, Ann has found her creative spirit again through the lens. See more at Ann's shop and her website, and say hello to her on her blog too.

Focus On: Bueller

Starry Eyes

What an amazing and diverse group our Photographers of Etsy are, and it seems the word is starting to spread. Our group and our photographers are being featured in some pretty great sites these days. As I was interviewing Bueller for this week's article, at the same time, she was featured in Apartment Therapy. It's an amazing blog that gets lots of attention throughout the interior design world, and I think they made a wise choice in choosing to spotlight one of Etsy's best, Bueller. She's one of the pacesetters in TTV and Polaroid photography, and she inspires many photographers. Check out the Apartment Therapy interview, and read below for some questions we posed to her. Bueller was most gracious to grant an interview with the POE blog, even as she hits the big time!

How It Should Be

Ann Wilkinson: You've got a full plate -- photography, design, cooking. How do you balance all of it?

Bueller Designs: It's tough to balance it all. Usually, something falls by the wayside for a time. My photography is taking up most of my time lately, as I am upgrading everything, and I have to keep up with technology. There is a huge learning curve, since I am self-taught. If they had a photography/nutrition/design school I'd be in heaven! It would take me a decade to get fully educated in each one, so I have to do it myself at super speed. However, I always need inspiration, so that makes my design blog easy to keep up, and I'm always studying nutrition, as I'm determined to figure out how to stay healthy, so it's easy to keep that up. I have many passions that all feed each other and a very loving and supportive family, so I am very grateful. Probably explains why I'm still single, though!

When I Was Just A Girl

AW: What are you upgrading?

BD: I just upgraded to the Nikon D300, which I love, but it's a new camera to get used to. It's a metal body so it's very heavy and harder to do TTV's, but the sensor is amazing. I'm really enjoying it.

Girly Window

AW: If you could take one photography class, what would you take?

BD: I would take a camera RAW workflow class. With all this technology and everything being digital instead of tangible and real, it's becoming increasingly important to keep track of your work without compromising quality. I must say I really miss the days of the darkroom, film and negatives. That said, it's so much fun to be able to take pictures, sell them, etc., without having to pay for a roll of film or developing.

La Vie En Rose

AW: How do you make decisions on what to list for sale on Etsy?

BD: The images I list on Etsy are the ones that make my heart do a little dance. I list what I would want to buy or hang on my wall. The only thing that becomes difficult is that I have many different sides to my work. I have my soft TTV images that are dreamy, and then I have my New York street art series that is hard and edgy. I'm looking forward to featuring more of my work when my new website launches in two weeks. Etsy is a little limiting when it comes to that.

In My Dreams

AW: Does your heart have a favorite passion? If so, what is it and why do you think you lean toward that aspect of your life?

BD: My life is full of passions. It's so hard to pick just one, although if I was stranded on a desert island and could have only one, I would want my camera. I have been a photographer since I was 12 and an artist since I could walk. I just don't think I could live without it. I stopped photographing for a few years awhile back and that was okay. I needed the break, but I missed it and always felt like part of me was missing. I'm so grateful to have it back in my life and that people are responding to what I do. It makes me happy to create, and it that makes other people happy, what better way is there to live? The world needs more joy!

For Love of Surf

AW: Describe your perfect day out with your Nikon. What are your favorite things that feed your creative spirit?

BD: All I need is my camera and the beach, and I'm good to go! I love just being out by the surf with my camera. It's glorious! Of course, a good snack also helps keep the energy up, so I always bring almonds, tea in a thermos and some raw chocolate. I tend to get caught up and stay out there for hours, so it helps to have a snack.

Take Me Back In Time

AW: Who are your favorite "celebrity" photographers?

BD: My favorites would be Brad Pitt, who has done some wonderful infrared shots that are really cool. He has a great eye for architectural photography. Richard Gere's work from Tibet is really spiritual. Aaron Eckhart takes amazing gritty portraits. Adrien Brody, who's mother was a photographer, takes some great images. Julie Delpy has some really beautiful Polaroids, and Matthew Modine published a stunning book of his photos from Full Metal Jacket. And, Dennis Hopper's urban street collection is really cool and reminds me of my own New York street art series.

Thank you very much, Bueller. We will watch for your new website. In the meantime, you can follow her food blog, her design blog, and her photo blog. And, Bueller's work will be displayed in the brand-new spa at L'Auberge Hotel Spa in Del Mar, California, as it opens this month!

The Chair

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A world traveler and self-taught photographer, look for Ann wandering around city streets and tromping through woods and hiking trails with her camera. After owning an international transportation business for many years, Ann has found her creative spirit again through the lens. See more at Ann's shop and her website.

Focus On: futurowoman

Lake Superior-Polaroid SX-70 print

I've got to tell you -- I love my "job" here on the POE blog. I get to meet and get to know some of the most interesting people around, and we get to talk about photography. I can't think of much better things to do, quite frankly! If futurowoman, a.k.a. Nancy Stockdale, could have her way, she'd probably have an extra set of arms and one more pair of eyes, and perhaps an Airstream trailer to follow her wherever she travels. Nancy is a prolific photographer who has mastered the use of more than several cameras. Read on to find out more about how she juggles all her equipment to create images of things you've probably seen before yet Nancy has made look unique and beautiful -- to make you say, "wow."

Liquor Sign-Lomo print

Ann Wilkinson: How did you get your start in photography?

Nancy Stockdale: As long as I can remember, I've been an obsessive photo-taker. I got my first camera as a child -- a Kodak Instamatic that took 110 film -- and I've never been without a camera since. However, I did not get serious about photography as an artistic pursuit until the late 1990's. At that point, I had a few online exhibitions, using photos I'd taken with automatic, vernacular 35mm and APS cameras. Then, in 2005, I got my first digital camera, a dSLR by Olympus called the Evolt 300. With that camera, I became an obsessive photographer, particularly of urban decay, vintage details and nature. Having a digital camera allowed me to shoot unlimitedly, and my composition, focus and manipulation of light began to improve. However, shooting with a digital camera reminded me of how much I actually love film, and by the end of the year, I was shooting with a variety of film cameras that are so incredibly different from digital, including the Lomo LC-A, the Holga and the Polaroid SX-70. I've never had any formal training in photography, but by the end of 2005, I began to acquire a following on art-sharing websites, such as DeviantArt, Flickr and LiveJournal. That has transitioned into brick-and-mortar gallery shows, selling prints (at my Etsy shop and elsewhere), and so on. Although I enjoy the ease and fun of digital photography, I am, by and large, an analog photographer who appreciates the otherworldly nature of what happens when light touches film.

Brown Is the New Black - Holga Print

AW: Just how many cameras do you own, and which one(s) are your favorites?

NS: I'm not exactly sure how many I own currently, but it's a lot -- around 30! All but three are analog. I do love my sSLR Evolt and my Panasonic Lumix point-and-shoots with their sweet Leica lenses. However, I simply adore shooting with fine vintage cameras, such as my Praktica FX (a beautiful East German camera from 1952) and my Rolleiflex T1, as well as plastic and toy cameras from the past, such as my Fujipet, my Diana, and my Agfa Clack. I also love, love, LOVE my Holgas! I have a few, and I use them for various things: one is my dependable Holga CFN for straight shooting, one of my Holgaroid for instant Holga photography, one is my backup Holga FN in case I want to shoot color and black-and-white at the same time, and my latest Holga is a 3-D stereoscopic cam with a special viewfinder for enjoying the effect!

I'm also a complete Polaroid junkie! My favorite Polaroid camera is my SX-70; it was a perfect camera for the peerless, and now defunct, Time-Zero film. However, I've had good results using other films with it as well, and the optics on that camera are simply wonderful. I also love shooting with my Grandmother's old Polaroid 104 Land Camera, my Polaroid Spectra System SE, and taking pinhole photos using my Daylab Polaroid pinhole camera. To top it off, I'm a Soviet-era Russian camera junkie! My Lomo LC-A is my favorite 35mm camera, and I particularly love to cross-process film shot with that elegant little device. I have several other cameras, too, including a variety of fun toys from cereal boxes and other product promotions, dollar store cameras, other Lomo-company Soviet cameras, a sweet new Black Bird, Fly camera and old Zeiss Ikonta from the 1930's...and the list goes on and on!

Double Vision Amsterdam-Holga print

AW: Can you describe a typical day in the life of Nancy-the-Photographer?

NS: When I go out shooting, it's often a time set aside just for that -- exploring for photo opportunities. Because I like to take photos of everyday details, I spend a lot of time wandering the streets wherever I am, looking for something to shoot. Once I find it I then determine which camera and/or film seems best for the subject matter. Sometimes, however, an unexpected opportunity presents itself, and you have to do your best with whatever is in your hands. For me, that's the mark of a photographer -- being able to create an image using whatever tools are available, not just setting up a shot using one particular tool over another. I tend to take many pictures whenever I go out shooting, but, if I can get just one that I think is wonderful, then it's been a great day.

Lucky Four Leaf Clovers

AW: There are some photographers who don't use film at all. Perhaps they made a complete switch from film to digital, or they are so young they never experienced using it. how would you recommend someone begin to experiment with film?

NS: I think that one of the key things to keep in mind is that "perfection" is not very interesting. Film, in my opinion, is fascinating because of its potential for changing the reality of the subject and for the flaws it imposes upon the image. I honestly believe that anyone can take a "perfect" photograph given the proper high-end tools and some practice. However, what is interesting to me is the imperfection of film media and the surprises that film delivers. All film stocks are different, and they change the reality of what the photographer sees through the viewfinder, depending upon the optics of the camera, the lighting, the temperature, and the development chemicals. That is exciting and gives film photography an unpredictability that I find exhilarating!

Model on the Streets of New York City

Once a person abandons the quest for the "perfect" film photo, film becomes super-fun! Experimenting with various films, including expired films, and in various cameras allows the photographer to expand his or her repertoire exponentially. A great way to start is to invest in a few cheap cameras -- such as a plastic 35mm camera from the dollar store, a Holga that takes medium-format film, a retro manual SLR with a reliable lens, etc. -- and then just go out there and shoot! Play with focus, aperture, lighting, and give up worrying about "the rules" and see what happens. Film is a blast, so don't be scared! Abandon your ideas about what "the perfect photo" looks like, and I'm sure you'll find that perfection is found in the flaws.

Personally, I think the proof of the appeal of film is the vast number of photographers who use Photoshop and other digital editing tools to manipulate their digital photo in the quest to make them appear like film. I don't have a problem with that per se; I have used plug-ins like Alien Skin's Exposure to simulate various film stocks using digital photos. However, I wish there was more honesty about it. Fake Polaroids are particularly glaring to me. Polaroid artists can always tell the real from the fake, and it's sad to me that people who make fakes don't always come out and admit it.

Airstream SX-70 Time Zero

AW: Do you work in the darkroom?

NS: I do not currently have a darkroom, but I do know how to develop my film, and there are pieces in my Etsy shop currently that I have developed myself. Working with instant films, especially peel-apart films, is as close as I come to photo chemicals these days. However, I've been making plans to turn the extra bathroom in my house into a darkroom, so that may happen in the near future!

Kiefer's Wing

AW: When you travel, how do you make the decision on which cameras to take with you?

NS: I am very fortunate, because my job allows me to travel relatively often. I am a university professor (of Middle Eastern history), and I attend conferences and do research in various places around the USA and the world fairly frequently. I make it a point to schedule photography-time whenever possible. If I'm traveling by car, I can take a large batch of cameras and film with me, but when I'm flying, I am forced to reduce my stash to whatever I can fit in my carry-on luggage. In that case, I make decisions based on a few criteria: (1) What are my favorite cameras? (2) Which cameras seem to fit the location, and (3) How much do I feel like lugging around in that place? Usually, I never leave for a trip without a digital camera (usually my dSLR and at least one lens for it), my Lomo LC-A, and a Holga. Often, my Polaroid SX-70 comes with me, and, if space permits, I'll bring at least one or two others, depending on the place. For example, when traveling in places that are unfamiliar to me, I prefer not to lug around a lot of flashy equipment, such as a dSLR. Instead, a cheap plastic camera, like a Holga, suits me and allows me to blend in and get a feeling for the environment. That being said, I've been known to wander urban streets and country roads with a backpack full of 5 or 6 cameras, films, lenses, etc.!

Japanese Garden in Autumn (SX-70)

Thank you Nancy!

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A world traveler and self-taught photographer, look for Ann wandering around city streets and tromping through woods and hiking trails with her camera. After owning an international transportation business for many years, Ann has found her creative spirit again through the lens. See more at Ann's shop and her website.