About this website

This website first existed solely as a documentation of the various Polaroid conversion projects I have done. When I got the bright awesome idea to do a little Polaroid converting, I found online information lacking. So I made what I would have wanted to see when I was trying to first begin converting.

Eventually this site grew to include basic refurbishment, cleaning and battery modifications of automatic packfilm cameras and with that alot of people still had more questions. So I then added a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section that covered more than just the packfilm cameras.

The latest addition is the Option-al Land List which is a more appealing and organized version of the original Land List and has all of the Polaroid information one could ever want, and more.

As time has gone on, so many people have asked how to just buy a camera or have theirs converted by me, so I have added a Request/Purchase page which will answer many questions.

The Who

I started as a boy...no wait...too far back.

Keeping myself busy buried under piles of Polaroid cameras and instant film stuff has become who I am. There isn't a day that goes by I'm not doing something to a camera to either convert, modify, fix, clean or sell it.

I shoot alot of instant films and continue to feed my habit with a steady supply of expired and fresh goodies.

Everyone who uses instant films is helping to keep it alive, I'm glad to be a part of it.

The What

If you found this site most likely you want to learn a little something about converting Polaroids. I've tried to lay this site out in a way that is easy to navigate and understand. Keeping the instructions intuitive and the projects as clean as possible.

Because so many people found this site useful I have made it easier to find what you need by adding a FAQ section. I felt that adding to the battery/refurb section and going into more detail about the packfilm cameras was needed.

Adding the Option-al Land List has only further made the site a place for anyone to go and find all they need to know about Polaroid without having to search all over the place.

The Where

Today I may have more space to work with and a home to call my own but before that I had already created all the conversions on this site when I was living in a tiny 2/1 apartment. Sometimes this meant working in less than optimum conditions. However, this site is a testament to human ingenuity if anything because:

I do not have a workshop.
I do not have a backyard.
I do not have a garage.
The walls were paper-thin, noise had to be at a minimum, always. For some of the nasty parts of the project, I did go outside to the cement slab called my "yard".

Now I've got a whole workshop room set aside, a backyard to make all kinds of noises. So things are a little easier on me. (Though I have a neighbor who feels that this statement means I am a nuisance when in reality it is just how I decided to word the differences between an apartment and a house with a yard. I actually make no noise outside other than shaking a can of paint.)

This website is continually created in my spare time, which is definitely not as often as I'd like.

The When

Actually, I don't know what to put in this section.

Some say Polaroid and Instant Photography is on its way out. That digital is the new instant-print. Well, honestly, tangible goods will always trump some 1's and 0's. Photo prints from digital media is a long way off from a good analog print. Plus, there is always that kitsch ideal that instant photography prints have, found nowhere else.

The Why

The original reason I made this site was just to give others the opportunity to see how converting old Polaroids could be done. When I found no info out there that was decent, I made my own.

Eventually the site grew to have numerous conversion projects that detail alot of different ways and means to keep your old Polaroids functioning like new. In addition, the battery and refurb section became a haven for a lot of people looking to get their vintage cameras working again.

I've sold literally hundreds of packfilm cameras to hundreds of people around the world over the past couple of years. It's satisfying to know that I've had even a small part in keeping instant photography alive by putting these cameras into the hands of those who wish to use them.

The How

eBay is the greatest invention ever. Without it, I never would have been able to find all the parts I've needed. Sometimes, it can be your greatest friend (when you find something you've been searching for), and your worst enemy (when the same people keep outbidding everything you've search for). Use eBay to your advantage not your ruin. Don't get the fever!

I've been buying/selling on eBay for a long time. Now I almost exclusively deal in Polaroid stuff...its addicting. And I like being able to get instant film tech into the hands of those who truly want it. This has allowed me to not only add information to this site, but truly has versed me greatly in what instant photography was, is and will be.

I try very hard to keep up on the coming and going trends of the instant photography marketplace. Without it, there would be no more new users and none continuing. The use of instant films must be kept alive in order for this site to continue to have meaning.

The Future

There is still alot to do, alot to share and alot of help to give.

As time continues to show me how much people want to keep instant photography alive it makes me warm and fuzzy inside.

The future of instant photography is not certain, and hasn't been for a long time. Let us hope that people continue to WANT to use this awesome creative medium.

NOW GET OUT THERE AND KEEP SHOOTIN!