In this project entitled, “Emulate” I was challenged to explore and emulate the photographic style of one professional photographer. For which I have chosen to emulate polaroids by Andy Warhol. I was drawn to these polaroids last month during my visit to the Philadelphia Art Museum. Within this project, I studied and observed certain techniques that Warhol was drawn to and the material that was captured in his compositions. To clarify, this is not a reproduction exercise, but rather an opportunity to interpret and express someone else’s photographic voice through my own lens. I would say that this project taught me the power of polaroids and their staying power. With the economy being out of sorts, it costs me approximately twenty-two dollars for one pack of i-Type film which is the only film that my polaroid takes. After doing some research, around the time that most of the polaroids by Warhol were taken, an 8-pack of film was around six dollars and forty cents. Not to say that Warhol would pay this much each time but likely buy in bulk regardless, he still had it cheaper. As a college student who relies on financial aid and private student loans, every penny I spend on my education is intentional and well-thought out. This changes the power of each photo for me. You have one chance to capture one out of the eight images and if the lighting is bad, your last ditch effort is to get it scanned and salvage what was even developed. For me, this project ended up invoking a lot of emotions for me especially with the political climate during which Donald Trump is in his first year of tyranny and last presidency. If I came from a more privileged background, I feel like I would want to play around more with my art in general. Unfortunately, capitalism has gotten to a point where having any hobby and simply existing, comes at a grand cost. It is impossible to complete a project with such physicality to it, without acknowledging the economic, political and social stance in the United States. The stakes are high and thanks to Andy Warhol, I was able to tap into this mystique and pressure that I haven’t felt in quite awhile.