I traveled to Scotland with loads of enthusiasm regarding my Polaroid project. You see, it would have been the first time to take polaroids under gloomy skies: in both Anafi and Santorini, the sun was way too intense. Therefore, the Polaroid Diaries: Scotland was supposed to give me an opportunity to experiment further and push the Onestep+ to its limits. Everything seemed promising, right?
Well, on my first day in Scotland, I remembered instantly (how ironic…) Woody Allen’s quote. The beloved director once stated: “If you want to make God laugh, tell him about your plans.” Why’s that? Well, shortly before my first walk in Glasgow, I inserted a film in my Polaroid. A brand new film, a very cloudy sky, and a new city to explore. I went out walking, and soon I found an interesting scene. Then, I turned on the camera, I composed, I clicked…and nothing happened. I thought I didn’t press the button, so I clicked again. And then again. Nothing.
I sat on a bench and tried to figure out what was wrong. I clicked once again -but no result. Hm. Since it was cloudy, I didn’t even consider overriding the flash. But in a moment of clarity, I finally thought of overriding it. Click -and the polaroid popped. “Strange,” I thought, and I recomposed the initial photo: click -and nothing. Once again, I had to override the flash in order to get a picture.
Long story short, it turned out that my camera was defective. I contacted both the German Amazon and Polaroid Originals, and they both agreed: if you reset the Onestep+ and it still doesn’t work, the camera has to be replaced. Well, I reset the camera, and indeed nothing happened. I must give kudos to the customer support of both companies: I received a reply from both companies within a couple of hours. The German Amazon said that they would send me a new Polaroid Onestep+. All I had to do was return the defective one to them. Thanks, guys.
But here’s the deal: I had some days to spend in Scotland. While most of the time, I planned to stay in Glasgow, I also wanted to return to Edinburgh. Most of all, I wanted to shoot polaroids in both cities. How could I possibly do that? Apart from the exposure issue, the camera started having connectivity issues too. Everything seemed wrong. I have packed three films for the Polaroid Diaries: Scotland, but I couldn’t probably shoot photos.
Now what?
What you’ll see in the Polaroid Diaries: Scotland
Well, it turned out that I could take some photos, but this meant that I had to be creative. It was not anymore just about composing and taking the photos. It was also about adding certain limitations to the ones that the polaroid cameras already have. Apart from searching for optimal light, I had to deal with the unavailability of the flash (I had to override it in every shot), the lack of connectivity to the app, and, of course, the dark skies.
I used only two out of the three films that I brought with me. Although I have enough material to write a very comprehensive review of the Onestep+, the truth is that I struggled a lot in Scotland. Somehow though, I was able to take some decent photos (I think) and have some polaroids to present to you here.
First of all, I must say that I spent most of my time in Scotland in Glasgow. The city impressed me with its diversity and its underground figures. Add on top a mixture of architecture in decay, and you have an image of an exciting city. As for Edinburgh, I traveled there for one day only. I have visited Edinburgh more than a decade ago, and it turned out that I remembered the city pretty well. And, I finally had some luck: after several days with overcast in Glasgow, the weather in Edinburgh was sunny. Therefore, for some outdoor shots, I wouldn’t need the flash.
I’m actually very glad that I have some presentable photos for the Polaroid Diaries: Scotland. I initially thought of skipping the polaroids on this journey, but then I became stubborn. So, let’s see what I got.
Polaroid Diaries: Scotland
Glasgow
I took the first (usable) polaroid of this edition outside of the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum. The Kelvingrove is a fascinating museum with important collections. Shortly before entering, I thought of taking a landscape polaroid. Green space and the typical architecture of Glasgow are on display here.
Then, I entered the museum. One of the most photographed exhibits of the Kelvingrove is the Floating Heads. I thought of trying to take a picture and see what happens.
One night in Glasgow, I realized that I didn’t have any water in my room. I got dressed and wasn’t happy to be out in the rain. For some odd reason, I left the Ricoh in the hotel, but I took the Onestep+ with me. Next to the mini-market, I saw a bar’s name in red light. “Why not?” I thought.
The Lighthouse is one of the most prominent buildings in Glasgow. After walking a few floors in a spiral staircase, you find yourself in a viewpoint with panoramic views of Glasgow. I waited in vain for some clear skies, but I came in terms that I’d have to take some cloudy shots.
The last one if from my hotel room in Glasgow. The Safestay Glasgow is an old Victorian building with high ceilings and a charming interior. I thought of giving a try to capture a decent polaroid. It was too dark and looks somehow abstract. But for some reason, I liked it and thought of including it in the Polaroid Diaries: Scotland.
Edinburgh
As I already wrote, the weather was much better in Edinburgh. And what I know for sure is that it’s better to take polaroids under clear skies than struggling under gloomy ones. The camera gave me again a hard time, so I had to take three times one photo. It was a loss of film for sure -but I could choose the best one. It was a restaurant with perfect sunlight.
The second one is from my walk towards the Castle of Edinburgh. As you can see, it is exactly how a polaroid should look: bright, sharp, and somewhat nostalgic.
After walking a bit around Edinburgh, I ended up close to the Central Station. I saw some cranes on the horizon, and I tried to take a polaroid. They looked like giraffes to me.
The last polaroid from Edinburgh gave me quite some stress. The defective camera became even more stubborn. In Edinburgh, the city pays tribute to the deceased inhabitants by planting tiny white crosses in a park. I discovered the spot twenty minutes before sunset. For the next nineteen minutes, I’d try to shoot a polaroid. The camera would blink all its LED lights, would not turn on, and would refuse to do anything at all. The golden hour had almost vanished when the camera decided to operate. I’d call it a golden minute because a minute after I took the photo, the sun disappeared. It could have been better, yes, but I could also not have one.
So, these were the photos I could shoot in Scotland, given the circumstances. Instead of being me doing it, the camera pushed itself to the limits. The Polaroid Diaries: Scotland was definitely the toughest series I took with the Onestep+. I honestly hope that in my next journey (I’m visiting Kiev), I won’t have to deal with such issues.
Let me know what you think of the polaroids from Scotland. Also, don’t forget to subscribe below for more polaroid photography and tips about instant photography.
More Polaroids: The full Polaroid diaries
More about Scotland: The faces of Glasgow, A travelogue from Glasgow, Glasgow City Guide
Get my Polaroid Camera | Buy the I-Type Film
Pin it!
Please share, tweet, and pin if you enjoyed reading the Polaroid Diaries: Scotland. Your support keeps this website running and all the info up-to-date. 🙂
Last Updated on August 29, 2020 by George Pavlopoulos