The ‘Imperfectionism’ Guide
How to get the most out of the Polaroid I-2 camera – and the process of instant photography.
Reject perfection. Pursue mastery instead.
Imperfectionism is instant photography’s own artistic movement. A rebellion against hyper-digitization, social-media manipulation and A.I.-generated imagery. It’s our attempt to return to—and capture—real, genuine, authentic stories. And it’s why we created the Polaroid I-2.
Meet the Magnum Imperfectionists
JIM GOLDBERG
Known for his innovative use of text and image, Jim Goldberg has been working with experimental storytelling for over 40 years. For this partnership, Jim extends Polaroid images with text to encapsulate those living in the Augusta community – a small, disenfranchised community that he sees as a “microcosm of what is going on in the rest of the states”.
People don't want to be photographed all the time. But people wanna be seen. People wanna be heard.
Jim Goldberg
JIM GOLDBERG
Newsha Tavakolian
Newsha Tavakolian is an Iranian photographer changing the perception of her home country through her ongoing photography project ‘Modern Iran’. For this partnership, she captured the reality of local life around Mount Damavand, the Middle East’s highest plateau, with the Polaroid I-2.
Art is one of the most honest forms of being human. And expressing yourself. If you are an honest artist, you reveal yourself. People feel relief and comfort through your struggle. You’ve already gone through the pain for them so now they are free to understand.
Newsha Tavakolian
Enri Canaj
In the Polaroid extension of his Albania Homecoming story, Enri Canaj builds a picture of the daily life he could have lived in his home country had he not immigrated away at an early age. Using the physicality of the Polaroid I-2 to reconnect with his homeland and its people.
When you immerse yourself in the story that you are capturing, it shows a genuine interest and respect for your subjects. This authenticity often leads to a deeper connection and openness from the people you are photographing, which allows you to capture more genuine and impactful moments.
Enri Canaj
Enri Canaj
Together with Magnum, we ran our first-ever open call to unearth photographic storyteller around the world that are obsessed with craft - whether they shoot instant or not. After 2101 applications from 104 countries, we're proud to exhibit the 10 finalists' work - both digitally at the link below and physically at Paris Photo 2024.
