Poladroid beta is seriously awesome

Geezers like me probably remember Polaroid cameras. Before the instant gratification of digital, we stood in the back yard shaking a slowly-developing print of Aunt Shirley sitting with her sheet cake. The result was a square, over-saturated print that would be passed around with calls of "Don't get frosting all over that!"

While the Polaroid corporation stopped production of the bulky cameras in February of 2008, you can still find a few in stores. Or just try Poladroid.

Poladroid creates Polaroid-style images from your photos. The UI is a lot of fun. Drop your photos onto the Poladroid "camera," and after a few seconds, it spits out your unprocessed print. Watch it slowly "develop," or speed up the process by -- you guessed it -- shaking vigorously.

You can create an image at any stage in your print's development by double-clicking and selecting "Take a sample." When your print is fully ready, a red "x" appears on the bottom.

This application, while in beta, is a whole lot of fun. I dropped a dozen pictures onto it in the first five minutes and the results are just great.

I'm really looking forward to the progress of this little app.

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Source: http://www.poladroid.net/

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Software Beta Beat

Geezers like me probably remember Polaroid cameras. Before the instant gratification of digital, we stood in the back yard shaking a...

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MonthsForever

You know, I tried it out and didn't like it so much. The interface seemed nice and it was easy to use. I would have like more tweaking abilities. It's beta though, so i'll give it a break.

October 28 2008 at 7:50 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

okto

No thingness==fail.
You can't hold it in your hand, so it loses all the draw of the post-digital Polaroid.

October 28 2008 at 3:22 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

mathew

That looks like a turd.

Real Polaroid looks NOTHING like that.

October 26 2008 at 12:17 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Catt

Its totally cool...
Thanks

October 25 2008 at 9:10 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

adriana

Its a pretty cool app, but I wish I could turn off the sounds it makes. I was listening to music (kinda loud) and the noise it makes was annoying.

October 24 2008 at 4:04 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

TonyRockyHorror

also, a Deviantart user has a very nice set of Photoshop actions for a variety of Polaroid-effect looks. :)

http://rawimage.deviantart.com/art/Polaroid-GENERATOR-V1-42651542

October 24 2008 at 10:58 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

gebiv

Pics are saved in your HomePictures Directory. I really think this is a fun software toy!

October 24 2008 at 10:22 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

2 replies to gebiv's comment

Tomahawk

Thank you I too was looking for them and found nothing in the menu/preferences that allowed me to control the output directory and/or filename.

October 24 2008 at 12:08 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

FoundInTheFlood

Thanks VERY MUCH Geb Buxton, i thought the save option is not working !!! WHEEEEEHEEEEE :D

November 20 2008 at 1:07 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

TimB

Not impressed.

Sorry.

October 24 2008 at 9:33 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Mathias

As someone who's still shooting Polaroids I can only shake my head in wonder about apps like this. The colors and the vignette look more like a cross-processed Holga shot than a Polaroid.

Either you shoot Polaroid, or you don't.

And people, there is no shaking required for a Polaroid. Just keep it warm, that'll make for a good and quick development.

October 24 2008 at 9:22 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

matthew

1) As other posters have said, you actually aren't supposed to shake Polaroids. Polaroid got press coverage about it when the Outkast song "Hey Ya!" came out with the lyric "shake it like a polaroid picture". However, this seemed like such an iPhone idea that I actually had to read the post twice before I realized it's not an iPhone app. Sounds like it should be.

2) "Poladroid?" So, we're what, then...5 days from a cease and desist for use of the name? Or will Polaroid be particularly picky and claim copyright of the development process/experience and send a cease and desist for the program completely? Or perhaps they'll be particularly nonchalant and ignore it completely?

October 24 2008 at 8:53 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply