Photo Gallery: William Miller’s “Ruined” Polaroids

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Most photographers would be upset if their camera unexpectedly failed them; for William Miller, these technological anomalies are an opportunity to really examine what constitutes a photograph. Using an old Polaroid SX-70 that he “rescued” at a yard sale, Miller snaps photos that are wildly unpredictable — and that’s precisely the point. “It sometimes spills out two pictures at a time and the film often gets stuck in the gears, exposing and mangling the images in unpredictable ways,” he has explained. “Over time I’ve figured out how to control and accentuate aspects of the camera’s flaws but the images themselves are always a surprise. Each one is determined by the idiosyncrasies of the film and the camera.” Click through to see a selection of the stunning results (which in most cases, look like crazy abstract paintings), and visit Miller’s website to learn more about his work as a photojournalist.

William Miller, Ruined Polaroid #14

William Miller, Ruined Polaroid #47

William Miller, Ruined Polaroid #35

William Miller, Ruined Polaroid #27

William Miller, Ruined Polaroid #19

William Miller, Ruined Polaroid #51

William Miller, Ruined Polaroid #50

William Miller, Ruined Polaroid #45

William Miller, Ruined Polaroid #38

William Miller, Ruined Polaroid #40