polaroid etchings


Laura Ackerman got into Polaroid manipulation by accident. Black & white 35mm photography has always been her medium of choice. That is, until she came across an old Polaroid Land Camera in a box in her basement.

Since then, Laura has experimented with the new format, discovering the wonders of manipulating the emulsion of a picture before it hardens. An impressionistic quality surfaces, as the colors blend and highlights come out under her etching tool. Laura has refined her technique over time, finding what subjects and colors lend themselves to this process, as well as how the texture of the emulsion, and the effects she can get from it, change as the minutes elapse from the time the shot is taken. The images take on abstract qualities, blending the mediums of photography and painting.

Each art piece is labor-intensive and unique, a rarity in this age of computer manipulation. We hope you find the results as intriguing as we do: timeless yet at the same time modern.



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