Polaroid's peachy keen new film is more than meets the eye
To celebrate Peach Fuzz (12-1023) being named the 2024 Color of the Year by Pantone, Polaroid's latest collaboration brings the warm cosy color – and all that it represents – to instant film.
The first-ever collab between the imaging giants, the Polaroid Pantone Color of the Year 2024 Edition i-Type instant film is a beautiful limited edition stock, offering photographers using the best Polaroid cameras a sumptuous new canvas on which to show their work.
More than just a pretty new film, though, it taps into the ethos behind Pantone's Color of the Year program for – and what Peach Fuzz, in specific, stands for in the grammar of the visual medium.
"As Pantone’s Color of the Year, Peach Fuzz, represents a collective longing for unity, warmth and compassion during a time when nurturing these qualities is essential. Feelings that Polaroid photographers often express with the medium of instant photography by visually communicating complex emotions and experiences," says Polaroid.
"Polaroid photography offers a unique visual form of expression, enabling creators to slow down and enjoy what's right in front of the camera. This visual communication is a way for people to express complex feelings that might be difficult to articulate through words alone – which is what Pantone Color of the Year 2024 celebrates."
I'm a big fan of Polaroid stock, whether it's limited edition collaborations like the David Bowie instant film or creativity-focused products like the experimental film that was created by accident.
It's easy to look past the deeper meaning – whether it's the visual grammar or the underlying message – that using different films can provide. I try my best to be as intentional when choosing instant film as I am when choosing 35mm film, whether that's loading black-and-white stock to shoot mono or choosing a pallete, like Peach Fuzz, to inform or reflect the subjects I photograph.
the Polaroid Pantone Color of the Year 2024 Edition i-Type instant film is on sale now at the Polaroid website, priced $19.99 / £18.99 per pack, and will be available at select retailers from February 01.
Take a look at the best instant cameras, including the Polaroid Now and Polaroid Now+ as well as the cute and compact Polaroid Go.
