{"id":111800,"date":"2025-08-02T02:07:10","date_gmt":"2025-08-02T02:07:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/111800\/"},"modified":"2025-08-02T02:07:10","modified_gmt":"2025-08-02T02:07:10","slug":"ap-photographers-polaroids-perfectly-capture-baseballs-nostalgic-spirit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/111800\/","title":{"rendered":"AP Photographer’s Polaroids Perfectly Capture Baseball’s Nostalgic Spirit"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"A<\/p>\n

No sport is wrapped up in as much history in the U.S. as baseball. What better way to capture baseball\u2019s nostalgic spirit than with Polaroid pictures? That\u2019s precisely what Associated Press photographer Erin Hooley<\/a> did for the recent \u201cCrosstown Classic\u201d in Chicago, a clash between the city\u2019s two MLB teams, the Cubs and the White Sox. <\/p>\n

For many, thinking about America\u2019s pastime conjures up memories of hot dogs on hot summer days, the crack of the bat, and the thrill of a walk-off home run. Baseball just feels like the perfect sport to capture on a Polaroid instant film camera. <\/p>\n

Armed with a Polaroid Now+ camera<\/a> and a healthy stack of i-Type film, Associated Press photographer Erin Hooley headed to the home stadiums of the Cubs and White Sox, historic Wrigley Field and Rate Field, to capture not only the MLB action but the festivities and traditions that surround baseball, especially these two clubs, each over 130 years old. <\/p>\n

\"APlayers warm up between innings during a Chicago Cubs versus Chicago White Sox Crosstown Classic series baseball game Sunday, July 27, 2025, in Chicago. (AP Photo\/Erin Hooley) <\/p>\n

\u201cPolaroids convey nostalgia, and nothing says nostalgia quite like baseball,\u201d Hooley writes<\/a>. \u201cThe film format requires a level of intimacy not often seen in modern photo coverage of baseball games, when speed and instant images are prioritized.\u201d <\/p>\n

Hooley\u2019s typical setup of Sony professional cameras and lenses<\/a> doesn\u2019t attract much attention at a Major League ballpark, but her Polaroid sure did. <\/p>\n

\u201cMany people were excited by the camera\u2019s familiar boxy case, the distinctive sound of the photos sliding smoothly out,\u201d Hooley explains. <\/p>\n

The process is challenging, and the Polaroid camera lacks nearly all the features and capabilities of a modern mirrorless camera. <\/p>\n

\"AChicago Cubs\u2019 Dansby Swanson prepares to take the field during a Chicago Cubs versus Chicago White Sox Crosstown Classic series baseball game Sunday, July 27, 2025, in Chicago. (AP Photo\/Erin Hooley) <\/p>\n

\u201cShooting with a Polaroid requires patience, planning for the right moment. You need the right light and direct interaction with the subject. The result takes several minutes to appear, often with a soft or slightly faded focus,\u201d Hooley says. <\/p>\n

But the seasoned photographer says the experience \u201creflects baseball in many ways.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cMajor League Baseball was officially established 149 years ago, but the methodical work it takes to win, team traditions and a personal connection to the game are what keeps many fans engaged season after season.\u201d <\/p>\n

\"AYoung fans wait for players before a Chicago Cubs versus Chicago White Sox Crosstown Classic series baseball game Sunday, July 27, 2025, in Chicago. (AP Photo\/Erin Hooley)<\/p>\n

As time passes, technology evolves and society changes, but so much of baseball has remained the same. There are few better ways to capture baseball\u2019s enduring spirit than with a camera similarly rooted in the past. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt is a haunted game, in which every player is measured by the ghosts of all who had gone before. Most of all, it is about time and timelessness, speed and grace, failure and loss, imperishable hope, and coming home,\u201d Ken Burns wrote of baseball for his celebrated epic documentary, Baseball. <\/p>\n

Erin Hooley shared much more about her experiences and many more of her Polaroids as part of an AP Photo Essay<\/a>. Her nearly 20 photos capture baseball\u2019s soul and enduring appeal. May baseball never, ever change. <\/p>\n

Image credits:<\/strong> Photos by Erin Hooley, provided by the Associated Press <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"No sport is wrapped up in as much history in the U.S. as baseball. What better way to…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":111801,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[32],"tags":[648,1032,70834,591,1033,171,70835,472,22651,70836,70837,62,67,132,68],"class_list":{"0":"post-111800","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-arts-and-design","8":"tag-arts","9":"tag-arts-and-design","10":"tag-associatedpress","11":"tag-baseball","12":"tag-design","13":"tag-entertainment","14":"tag-erinhooley","15":"tag-history","16":"tag-nostalgia","17":"tag-photoessay","18":"tag-polaroid","19":"tag-sports","20":"tag-united-states","21":"tag-unitedstates","22":"tag-us"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/114956733769797866","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/111800","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=111800"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/111800\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/111801"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=111800"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=111800"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=111800"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}