The Polaroid series
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The Polaroid Series: A Still Frame in a Numb World
My name is DJ Schaefer. I started the Polaroid Series because I noticed something was missing — not in fashion, not in content, but in us.
We live in a world that’s more connected than ever, but somehow, it’s the most emotionally distant it’s ever been.
Scroll after scroll. Click after click. And we still feel...nothing.
No real connection. No one stopping to feel — really feel — anything anymore.
So I wanted to change that.
Not with loudness.
Not with trends.
But with truth.
The Polaroid Series is my way of freezing a moment in time — not a glamorous one, not a perfect one — but a real one.
Each image is paired with a word. A single, powerful word. And behind that word is a message that hits deeper. The kind that stays with you after you scroll past. The kind that makes you think about your own story, not just mine.
It’s not just about photography. It’s not just about fashion.
This series is about emotion. It’s about reminding people what it means to feel something in a world constantly telling us to “move on” and “stay busy.”
Every post, every word, every story behind a Polaroid — it’s meant to reach the people who forgot that art can speak to you. It’s meant for the kid sitting in silence wondering if anyone else thinks this deeply. It’s for the people who feel like they’re too different to belong, too emotional to be understood, or too awake in a world half asleep.
This isn’t about clout.
It’s not about virality.
It’s about impact.
I want this series to help people stop for a second and say, “Wait… I’ve felt that too.”
But yes — there’s a second part to the mission. I started a streetwear brand called oto streetwear — Outta The Ordinary. A brand built on emotion, stories, and non-conformity. And I want this series to be a bridge between the message and the medium. The clothes tell stories. The Polaroids bring those stories to life.
So yes, I want to grow OTO to 1,000 followers on both TikTok and Instagram. But not to chase numbers. To prove that meaningful connection still matters. That vulnerability has value. That young creators with a message still have a place in this world.
This isn’t a series.
This is a mirror.
And if you see yourself in it — welcome.
You're Outta The Ordinary too.
And that means everything.