Instant film photography has existed as a medium for over 80 years and is as revered today as it was upon its inception. Edwin Land founded Polaroid in 1937, originally creating ski goggles and 3D glasses for the United States military.  A simple question from his daughter about why she couldn’t see a photograph of herself immediately sparked an idea within Land. In 1947, Polaroid released the first instant camera, and changed film photography as we know it with the release of the Polaroid SX-70 camera in 1972.

Polaroid was an essential tool and inspiration for numerous artists such as Andy Warhol, David Hockney, Robert Mapplethorpe, and Keith Haring. These artists took Polaroid and instant film to new heights, cementing its cultural impact throughout the 1970s and well into the new millennium. In the words of Edwin Land, “An essential aspect of creativity is not being afraid to fail.” The rise of digital photography may have weakened Polaroid’s grip on the industry, but not on the hearts and minds of the photographic community.

Instant film continues to provide tangible evidence of fleeting moments, creating time capsules for our most treasured memories. It combines artistry and chemistry, to produce striking imagery that develops right in front of our eyes. Even though we know how the trick is done, we’re still delighted by its magic.

The photographers we’ve selected showcase the full spectrum of possibilities that instant film provides. While some have advanced degrees in photography or decades of experience in the field, others have only recently discovered (or rediscovered) the wonders of instant film. Their work ranges from traditional portraits and landscapes to experimental techniques and alternative processes. These trailblazing artists are continuing a long history of innovation and creativity that is synonymous with instant film.

The Instant Film Society would not exist without a deep-rooted love and reverence for instant film, but more importantly, it would not exist without the instant film community. Our goal is to continue to highlight not just the 20 photographers we’ve selected, but the instant film community as a whole. Whether you’ve attended PolaCon in person, or follow us online, the Instant Film Society is open to all instant film enthusiasts across the globe. And with that, please enjoy our list of 20 Instant Film Photographers You Need To Know In 2024.

-John Munoz of Instant Film Society

20 Instant Photographers You Need to Know in 2024!

Cromwell Schubarth | San Jose, California | cromwellphotography.net | @cromschu

Cromwell Schubarth is a retired journalist who worked nearly 50 years in Boston and Silicon Valley. His father was a photographic engineer at Polaroid during its prime between the 1960s and 1980s, and he grew up seeing many of the cameras and films he uses today when they were first introduced. He manages The 12:12 Project, and he curates The 12:12 Project Open Group on Instagram. Cromwell is a familiar face to PolaCon attendees, and it’s always an honor to have your portrait snapped by him.

Felicita Russo | Castelfranco Emilia, Modena, Italy | felicitarusso.it | @felicitarusso

Felicita Russo is an Italian lightpainter, with a PhD in atmospheric physics from the University of Maryland Baltimore (USA). In 2018 she started experimenting with light painting on instant film. She is part of the Italian network Polaroiders and has taken part in several international collective polaroid expositions. Felicita has mastered the art of lightpainting, using a variety of techniques to create fully realized worlds on instant film.

Brian Brooks | San Francisco, California | @brian_brooks

Brian Brooks is a photographer based in San Francisco, California. He is co-owner of Underdog Film Lab, founder of the SF Instant Photowalk, and Board Member of the East Bay Photo Collective. Brian is a pillar of the instant film community and is instrumental in making PolaCon Bay Area a reality. His portraiture captures intimate moments on a variety of instant film stocks.

Lauren Johnson | Bay Area, California | laurenmarcellephoto.com | @coolperolike

Lauren Johnson is a photographer currently based in the Bay Area. She works at Underdog Film Lab in West Oakland and shoots everything from 35mm to large format, and of course, instant film. Lauren loves storytelling through portraiture, often documenting the day-to-day lives of friends. Her approach to photography creates snapshots that never feel forced or posed, but natural and true to life.

Alessia Amati | Cesena, Italy | @alewino

Alessia Amati is an instant film photographer from Cesena, Italy. She graduated from the University of Venice with a degree in Graphic Design. Her work attempts to give shape to her dreams. Reality and imagination, illusion and magic come together with lights and shadows giving life to Alessia’s Polaroids. Alessia transports us into a living fairy tale with each new photo.

Diego Ortega | Tulare, California | aimshootdevelop.com  | @aim.shoot.develop

Diego Ortega is a photographer from Tulare, California. He found his parents’ Polaroid 600 camera in a drawer, and he’s been hooked on the medium ever since. His portraits document friends and people he’s met over the years, capturing them in their truest form. We love the connection that Diego’s portraits create between subject and photographer.  

Johana Trayanova | Bulgaria | johanatrayanova.com | @johana.trayanova

Johana Trayanova is a Bulgaria-based art photographer. She graduated with a degree in Scriptwriting from the National Academy of Theatre and Film Arts “Krustyo Sarafov,” in 2014. Johana’s emulsion lifts and Polaroid manipulations speak to the delicate nature of the natural world and instant photography.

Robert Cleto Vasquez | Robstown, Texas | @terpmane

Robert Cleto Vasquez is an instant/analog photographer from a small rural city called Robstown, Texas. He started his journey with instant photography during the pandemic and never looked back. Robert’s portraits turn his subjects into characters in a surreal narrative, and allow us to peak behind the curtain as it unfolds.  

Natalie Michelle Goulet | Kjipuktuk/Halifax, Canada | nataliemichelle.ca | @nataliemichelle.ca

Natalie Michelle Goulet is a Canadian artist working within expanded realms of photography and image making. Her practice is rooted in analog photography, and consists of diverse material explorations, including the use of found objects and performance. She utilizes instant photography as a means to reflect on the relationships between place and body, seeking an empathetic approach towards destructive human tendencies. Natalie’s photos transport us to a place outside the white borders of the Polaroid frame.

Sarah Eiseman | Los Angeles, California |
sarah-eiseman.format.com | @saraheiseman

Sarah Eiseman is a Los Angeles-based Creative Director & Photographer specializing in ethereal film photography and alternative techniques. She has been a visual artist for over 15 years and has an immense love for capturing raw, human emotions on old cameras and instant film. Sarah’s passion is visible throughout her work, but perhaps most notably in her self-portraiture. This April, Sarah's newest work will be featured in a solo gallery show at Brooklyn Film Camera in NYC.

Rude Polaroids (Ryan Rudewicz) | Brooklyn, New York | https://www.rudepolaroids.com | @rudepolaroids

Ryan Rudewicz, otherwise known as “Rude Polaroids,” is an instant film photographer based in Brooklyn, NY. He has been taking Polaroids for over 7 years, specializing in portraits, Queer nightlife and drag. Ryan is the winner of the 2022 and 2023 Glam Award for NYC’s Best Nightlife Photographer. He is part of a long and important history of LGBTQIA+ instant film photographers. We love how Ryan captures his subjects, and allows them to share their authentic self.  

Hannah Harbour | San Anotnoio, Texas | hannahharbour.com | @girlharbour

Hannah Harbour is a photographer and artist born and raised in Texas. Most of Hannah’s work centers around herself and her life experiences, whether it be in the form of self-portraits or more abstract ideas based on emotions and memories. The driving force behind her art is an unquenchable need to express herself in ways that words alone cannot. In short - Hannah has the mind of an artist, the soul of a poet and heart of a cowboy.

Camille Guerin | Los Angeles, California | @p0lar0idprinc3ss

Camille Guerin is a 26-year-old photographer based in Los Angeles, California. As a young girl, Camille was very interested in her mother’s makeup and beauty routines, which first introduced her to art and helped her to later identify as an artist herself. She bought her first Polaroid camera in hopes of creating tangible memories to look back on; like those found in her mother’s family photo collection. Camille’s growing archive of instant photos has led to others giving her the moniker, "P0lar0idprinc3ss," and we can see why.

Bret Watkins | Los Angeles, California | intothepolaroid.com | @intothepolaroid

Bret Watkins is a Los Angeles based Polaroid photographer who is drawn to spaces, faces and neon places. Bret’s medium of choice is Polaroid because of its truly special ability to capture a moment in time, allowing us to see it develop in your hand minutes later. Bret expertly utilizes the dreamy qualities of Polaroid film to create a world that feels real yet surreal, creating a place you've never been but have always wanted to see.

Catherine Costanzo | Cleveland, Ohio | catherinecostanzo.com | @athingrecollected

Catherine Costanzo is a photographer from Cleveland, Ohio. For as long as she can remember, she’s been experimenting with a camera, whether it was disposable, a flip phone or a makeshift pinhole camera. One summer, her grandfather gifted her a Polaroid 600 camera. For years, it sat on a shelf for display until one day, she discovered it still worked. Since then, she’s been capturing scenes (mostly around Cleveland) where she was born and raised. Catherine uses light and shadow to tell a dream-like (and sometimes nightmarish) story.

Patty Paine | Doha, Qatar | pattypaine.com | @wrecked.archive

Patty Paine is the author of Grief & Other Animals. Her writing and visual work have appeared in Blackbird, Lomography, and various other publications. She is the founding editor of Diode Poetry Journal and Diode Editions and is the Director of Liberal Arts & Sciences at VCUarts Qatar. Patty’s work highlights the ephemeral nature of instant photography through multiple means of destruction and manipulation.

Mady Lacaprucia | @madlac32

Mady Lacaprucia’s Polaroid work focuses on revealing hidden details in the natural world through magnification. She utilizes Polaroid cameras originally designed for professional and scientific applications to create macro photographs of flowers, insects, food, and more. We’re constantly in awe of Mady’s ability to Frankenstein a variety of cameras, adapters, and film stocks to bring her magnified worlds to life.

Pete Madden Jr. | Massachusetts, USA | petemaddenjr.com | @petemaddenjr

Pete Madden Jr. is a multi-disciplinary artist focusing on alternative photographic processes, primarily within the dynamic realm of instant film. From spaces to faces, he captures one-of-a-kind images on cameras that span a century in age. Pete’s photos are classic Americana, they tap into a nostalgia for classic cars, dirt roads, and the “American Dream.”

Abel Silva | Seattle, Washington | instantflamingo.com | @instantflamingo

Abel Silva is a South American photographer currently based in Seattle, WA. During the last decade he has been exploring analog photography with a particular interest in instant photography. He is fascinated by the ability of physical prints to bond people and create meaningful human connections through the photographic act. Abel’s photos guide us around Seattle through the eyes of a traveler, rather than a tourist, someone who embraces the full flavor of the city.  

Evan Blowers | Denton, Texas | @evan_b_denton

Evan Blowers started his photographic journey as a boy with a K-Mart 110 point and shoot during a road trip across the southwest. He would go on to learn the ropes of analog photography on his father’s well-traveled Minolta X-700, and his grandfather’s Kodak Retina. Though he spent many hours in a college darkroom he now shoots instant film almost exclusively, as he finds its limitations equally challenging and liberating. Evan consistently takes a mundane object and everyday setting and elevates it into an artful still life.

ABOUT THE CURATOR

The Instant Film Society is a 501(c)3 organization established in 2012 to increase awareness, accessibility, and understanding of instant film analog photography. Co-founders Daniel Rodrigue and Justin Goode met for the first time over a beer at a local bar in Dallas, Texas, where they discussed their shared passion for instant film. The pair are now joined by fellow board members and instant film aficionados Andy Odom, Armand Kohandani, John Eric Munoz, Alexas Monroe, and Lora O’Shaughnessy. Since 2016, the group has hosted PolaCon, the world’s first three-day instant film convention held each September in Denton and Dallas, Texas. PolaCon continues to grow each year, with offshoots in the Bay Area, and most recently Brooklyn, NY. The continued growth of PolaCon and the Instant Film Society is in no small part due to the passion of the instant film community.

Connect with IFS on their Website, Instagram, Facebook, and X!

RELATED ARTICLES