LOS ANGELES — Photographer Emily Shur is reflecting on a previously unpublished archive of celebrity Polaroids taken between 2002 and 2009. The collection documents her work during a period when the industry was transitioning from film to digital photography.

Shur worked as an in-demand celebrity photographer for magazines including GQ, Spin, Rolling Stone, Entertainment Weekly, Wired, Elle, and People. Her professional process relied on a large-format camera that required multiple light-meter readings and film development at a lab.

The instant images served as quick reference images for the final prints. Shur marked the Polaroids with directions such as "BRIGHTER" or "MATCH" to guide the lab technicians in their development work.

Shur stored the reference images in meticulously labeled IKEA drawers at her home office in Los Angeles. She said she never wanted to get rid of them because they’re one of a kind.

Subjects were often less self-conscious during these Polaroid tests. This relaxed state allowed Shur to capture images they might not have provided during formal shooting sessions.

Shur began her first digital shoots around 2006 but attempted to delay the transition to digital photography. She said digital photography is a very different way of composing a picture and a very different way of interacting with the subject.

Magazines eventually required digital photography because it was quicker and cheaper. This industry shift marked the end of the era from which the newly surfaced archive originates.

Shur grew up in Houston and discovered photography in high school. She later studied photography at New York University and worked as a photo and art department assistant at Rolling Stone. In 2002, Shur landed her first gig for Interview magazine, shooting up-and-coming musicians including Avril Lavigne.

The archive includes work from a 2007 Entertainment Weekly shoot with Cheryl Hines. A Polaroid from the session shows Hines with mascara running down her face, a concept that was not ultimately used in the published spread.

Shur photographed Ghostface Killah in 2003. She also photographed Coolio, who arrived late to the shoot, in a shirtless pose.

A 2003 assignment for Spin magazine took Shur to Kid Rock’s property in Michigan. A Polaroid from the session shows the musician looking subdued at his keyboard, contrasting with the loud poses taken during the rest of the shoot.

Shur photographed Nicole Scherzinger in 2007. She also photographed Jason Schwartzman in 2007.

Adam Brody sat for Shur in 2005. Zach Braff appeared in a 2006 shoot for Interview magazine.

A 2007 assignment for Wired magazine brought Shur to Facebook’s headquarters to photograph Mark Zuckerberg. Shur described Zuckerberg as difficult to break through to and noted that his expression remained consistent across multiple Polaroids.

Shur photographed Danger Mouse in 2005. For the image, Danger Mouse posed with a person dressed as the Grim Reaper while making grilled cheese. Shur said that was one of those pictures where she really felt she nailed it.

The archive includes a portrait of Tony Curtis for People magazine taken in Nevada. Curtis was 83 years old when Shur photographed him.

Shur photographed Kelis in 2006. She also photographed Jenna Fischer in 2006.

Forest Whitaker sat for Shur in 2006. The hip-hop duo Outkast was also photographed in 2006.

Shur photographed Amanda Seyfried in 2008. She photographed Will Shortz in 2003.

Shur also photographed Patricia Clarkson in 2003. The collection spans a wide range of subjects from the music, film, and technology industries.

The archive provides a visual record of celebrity portraiture during a specific technological transition in photography. The images capture subjects in unguarded moments that were intended only as technical references rather than final published works.

The collection shows the manual processes involved in large-format photography before digital dominance. It documents the specific aesthetic qualities of Polaroid film that Shur noted were difficult to replicate with other media.