When Edwin H. Land, Polaroid's founder, announced the invention of instant photography in 1947, he said, "The purpose of inventing instant photography was essentially aesthetic -- to make available a new medium of expression to numerous individuals who have an artistic interest in the world around them...."

Land's belief in the innate creative potential of instant photography inspired exceptional, contemporary artists to explore and evaluate the technical and creative potential of the medium.

Tattoos are more popular in today's culture than ever before, but can you imagine having tattoos cover almost every inch of your body? Artist Sandi Fellman shares her vision of the Japanese art of the tattoo.

Toshio Shibata abandoned his life as a painter in order to make photographs of the landscape that enchanted him. Dams, water conduits, and landslide barriers alter the mountainside. See Shibata’s geometric renderings of these man-made constructions.

When we received Cathleen Naundorf's unique Polaroid fashion photographs, we became very interested in discovering more about this German photographer's vision. Spend a moment with the Haute Couture of Galliano, Gaultier and Lacroix revealed through the eyes and imagination of this fashion aficionado.

Stephen M. Schaub makes Pictoralist type photographs using a low-tech Holga camera combined with a Polaroid film back, Polaroid T-80 series film and digital recording and printing. The result is moody and atmospheric! Discover a few of Schaub's images from his book, Through a Glass Darkly.

Celebrity photographer Timothy White looks to the stars for his inspiration. His Polaroid black-and-white photographs capture the essence of his subjects, thus revealing more than just the public persona.

The kitchen table plays an important role in Peggy Hartzell's photography. So does her birdbath. To find out why, click here.

Want to try your hand at a different kind of photography? Satisfy your need for a creative experience by taking the time to make a photograph with a Pinhole camera. Jessica Ferguson, an artist and teacher, is expert at the craft of lensless photography. The magic of the process is reflected in her images that memorialize time past. Take a look.

Luciano Franchi de Alfaro, III is as flamboyant as the colors he uses in his art, whether painting fabric, making photographs or constructing mosaic walls and floors for designer boutiques. When he takes a photograph, he sees an empty page that needs to be filled with paint, ink and graphical designs in order to complete the picture he envisions.

Brazilian photographer Cássio Vasconcellos roams through the muted city of Sao Paulo at night, shooting the cityscape with his SX-70 camera. His subjects, illuminated by car light or flashlight, are transformed into the "stuff" of another world. Enjoy this unique vision of his hometown.

Acclaimed photographer David Levinthal is noted for the images he makes using small dolls and other miniature toys. Using camera focus very selectively, he transforms these inanimate creatures into life-like figures doing every-day activities. Here he teaches students the "tricks of his trade" at a workshop held last summer (2001) in France. Please take a look.

Noted for his classic portraits, Masami Mori steals time from his busy commercial business to create quiet, elegant floral photographs in his Tokyo studio. He transforms single blooms into exotic, sometimes alien figures by manipulating color and light.

Other Featured Artists: 
Joyce Tenneson
Ellen Carey
Michel Medinger