Tag Archives: instant photography

Polaroid Portraits

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This past weekend at the Film Photography Project’s Walking Workshop in lovely downtown Findlay, Ohio, at the Polaroid Party at the University they had a couple stations setup for portrait work. I had used by trusty Auto 250 (Polaroid Model 250 Automatic Land Camera) at Milton’s Help Portrait event a couple years back now which was a hit but I never thought to hook it up to a studio light. The camera is equipped with a PC socket which allows you to hook up an electronic flash mounted on a bracket, or radio trigger.

Jacob
Jacob of the YouTube Series “Jacob’s Camera Closet” don’t let his age get you, he has a huge passion for Film Photography

The two big lights were taken by Mat’s massive Sinar P2 8×10 camera, so I opted for a brick wall backdrop and a single diffused beauty dish from above as my setup. Keep it simple, right? For film stock I brought along all old Polaroid Stock (2009 expired, so the freshest you can find it these days), two packs of Type 664, a wonderful B&W ISO-100 film, and Type 690 a colour film. The results…amazing, especially the B&W work.

Guilty as Charged
My Buddy James McFarlane

It was great to have so many willing, and some not so willing models to step into my ‘studio’ I think I’m going to work on building a similar dish for my strobist kit and doing some more Polaroid Portrait work in pop up studios. Could be a lot of fun!

Jolie (now in Colour!)
Jolee was a fantastic model!

Pack film is one of the best (in my opinion) instant formats out there, plus even though Polaroid doesn’t produce the stock any more Fuji produces a great B&W film, FP-3000b and Colour FP-100c that are readily available through the Film Photography Project, along with the cameras to shoot the film!

Packtastic!

Packtastic!
Long Live Film!

ColorProtection

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Now, fellow Canadians, British, and general folks, please don’t harp on me for mis-spelling ‘colour’ in the title, because it’s the proper brand name for the latest batch of film out of the amazing folks at the Impossible Project. ColorProtection is the latest emulsion in their ongoing quest to reinvent instant integral film. Well I’m going to say it, they have reinvented it, now it’s a matter of making what they have better and better.

It's a Trap!

But what they have right now is pretty damned good.

So what makes this film the best yet out the factory? Easy, anyone who has used this film from the beginning can attest that it wasn’t always the best stuff out there, very tempermental, needed to be shaded right out of the camera, variations in temperature would affect the development, uneven spreading of chemicals, and various other troubles. But oddly enough I stuck with it. As a late joiner in the Polaroid game, and having shot the orignal stuff before and wasn’t too impressed I’m surprised I picked it up again with a passion. And fell in love with instant photography. But now with the release of the ColorProtection film all those intial problems…solved. You no longer have to shade right out of the camera, and if the light is dull enough you can watch it develop over time. Personally I still tuck it away for a hour or two while it develops, and wait a good 24 hours before scanning it.

Melody ^_^

When I was in New York City back in October I paid a visit to the Impossible Project space and picked up ten packs of the film, five in the PX70 format and five in PX680. I took two packs of the PX680 along to Ohio this past weekend to make use of the stuff, and was blown away with the results. And I can fully agree this is the best stuff yet! Hopefully in the next year we’ll see the development time go down.

Mother Russia

Until then, if you find your old Polaroid, or see one setting on the shelf of a thrift store or rumage sale, pick it up, get a pack, and be amazed.

NewYorkInstant ^ 2

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I was bit by the instant photography bug back when Polaroid stopped making film and when Impossible re-invented it (Film for Polaroid Cameras that is). And over the course of the years they have stuggled long and hard, and have taken a great deal of my money (I say that not in a bad way) to build up something that can only be described as pure magic in eight frames. Back at the end of October I had a chance to revisit New York City and take a trip to the Impossible Project Store/Gallery on Broadway to pick up and shoot some of their new ColorProtection Film for my Polaroids. In addition to that I shot a pack of their PX100 UV+ SilverShade film.

New York Instant Squared – I give you Eight Frames of NYC.

NYC on PX100

NYC on PX100

NYC on PX100

NYC on PX100

NYC on PX70 ColorProtection

NYC on PX70 ColorProtection

NYC on PX70 ColorProtection

NYC on PX70 ColorProtection

The best was while I was trying to find my way back to the MTA after getting lost in lower Manhatten (Tribeca area) I came across a woman and her two children, all three where most intrigued by my Rolleiflex, so I also decided to show them my Folding SX-70 Sonar OneStep (Loaded with ColorProtection Film), and took a shot of the three of them, signed it and gave it to them. It was something the woman didn’t even know could be done anymore, and the children were just enthralled by the idea.

Long Live Film.


Polaroid Time-Zero OneStep (Dark Side of hte Moon) – Impossible PX100 UV+
Polaroid SX-70 Land Camera Sonar OneStep – Impossible PX70 ColorProtection

‘Roid Week 2012

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It’s the week that all Instant Photographers look forward to, that week where we celebrate in our little (well not so little) obsession with Instant Film. ‘Roid Week. This year, I actually managed to get in photos for all five days (last year I made it only four…due to a camping trip on the Friday that took me away from my computer/scanner, not a bad thing overall). It was as always fun, a bit qwirky, and filled with strange stares from students and coworkers as I lugged these old cameras around and smiled as I tucked away Integral film from the Impossible Project, or peeled off Fuji Pack Film.

Monday – Polaroid Spectra – Impossible PZ600 UV+ (due to a busy day at work, and bad weather I pulled out some film I had shot in Toronto earlier, but never scanned)
'Roid Week 2012 - Day One

Tuesday – Auto 250 – Fuji FP-3000b (nothing like a cloudy day to whip out some contrasty B&W)
'Roid Week 2012 - Day Two

Wednsday – SX-70 Sonar OneStep – Impossible PX680 Gold Frame (no ND filter, L/D wheel turned all the way to darken)
'Roid Week 2012 - Day Three

Thursday – ColorPack II – Fuji FP-100c (left overs…and double exposures)
'Roid Week 2012 - Day Four

Friday – Spectra – PZ600 UV+ (Nothing like using up your last pack so you can buy more!)
'Roid Week 2012 - Day Five

Brightening Things Up

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I had been putting on purchasing a flash unit for my two older Polaroid SX-70 cameras, but after hearing nothing but good things about them I decided to pick one up from Henry’s and give it a go. Designed by Mint, the flash is powered by 2 AAA batteries, and gives you a sleek modern look with the same feel as the old 10 flash bar unit that was originally offered. I have to say, I was very impressed with the unit, works on both my Rainbow Box OneStep, and my two folding SX-70s (an original model and a Sonar OneStep). It fired off every time. Just a few things that I have to note about it, watch your power switch, if you’re using SX-70 films, you’ll want it set to full power (I made that mistake), half-power if you’re using 600-films without an ND filter installed. Although the recycle time is a bit slow initially, with good batteries it slowly improves. Why not pick one up for yourself?

St. James Park

Camera Man

Cheers as well Kat

Group Shot!

Polaroid OneStep – PX100, PX70 films

It’s a Polaroid Party!

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This past Sunday at the University of Findlay there was something different going on party wise for a university. It was a party to celebrate instant photography and it’s continued life in the photographic world. Organized by Mat (From the Film Photography Project, and Alumni of UoF), and UoF professor Jeff, the idea was the allow anyone to get out and make use of a wide variaty of Polaroid Cameras and films. From Automatic Land Cameras, to Instant Integral ‘roids from the 70s, 80s, and 90s. Films all over the board, Fuji FP-100c, 3000b, even some old Polaroid Stock was out ot play and new Impossible Films.

But you’re probably thinking….Alex, you’re nowhere near Ohio…what were you doing in Findlay, OH? I was lucky, and happened to be in the area on the date of the party so I hauled myself up to Findlay to participate.

It was an awesome day, getting to meet new people new contacts, share my own polaroids, and of course hang with friends!

Setting Up

The Group

Folder

Lauren

Kas ^_^

The rest can be found in my Polaroid Party set on Flickr!

Project:52 – Week 25

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Before Polaroid stopped making film I picked up one of their 600 type cameras on a whim and bought the last two packs of Polaroid film from Henry’s. I shot one pack and went ‘meh’ then Polaroid stopped making film. Of course at the time I wasn’t too concerned, I was still very much wrapped up in my digital cameras, and I had a few 35mm bodies hanging around that I was more than happy to try out.

Of course then I started listening to The Film Photography Podcast, and they were talking about The Impossible Project, how these men had bought the last Polaroid Factory in the Netherlands to make an attempt at reinventing the instant integral film not only reviving the 600-Type cameras, but SX-70, and Spectra. Well now I was interested again and kicking myself at giving away that last pack of film and 600 camera to a friend. So I started hunting, finding an SX-70 first as the first batch of film was designed for those types of cameras.

So with the release of the PX680 film from Impossible, Week 25 is dedicated to Impossible Films.

PX100 was the first film released by Impossible. This Silver Shade film was designed for the SX-70 type cameras.
Project:52 - Week 25
Polaroid Land Camera SX-70 Model 2 – PX100

Project:52 - Week 25
Polaroid Land Camera SX-70 Model 2 – PX100

The PX600/PZ600 silver shade film was the second film released from TIP. UV+ is an enhanced version of the PZ/PX600 line of films.
Project:52 - Week 25
Polaroid Spectra – PZ600 UV+

Project:52 - Week 25
Polaroid Spectra – PZ600 UV+

PX70 Push!, was the second released of colour film from Impossible. Personally I could never get this one to work right but I suspect there’s something up with my camera.
Project:52 - Week 25
Polaroid Land Camera SX-70 Sonar OneStep – PX70 Push!

PX680 First Flush is the first, in my opinion colour film released by Impossible to really give off the look of the original Polaroid Film, both TimeZero and the 600 stuff. I’m actually really impressed.
Project:52 - Week 25
Polaroid 600 CloseUp – PX680 First Flush

Project:52 - Week 25
Polaroid 600 CloseUp – PX680 First Flush

Project:52 – Week 23

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The Summer Road Trip, a big station wagon, kids, parents, the pet, and the open highway heading to anywhere. Well in my case, me, a four door sedan, and a well thought out route. Down through Ohio, PA, and Western New York. So for week 23 as I had the entire week off work I decided to use a Polaroid Land Camera and Fuji Pack Film to capture the trip. So for this post I chose my favourite from each day of the week.

Project:52 - Week 23
Saturday – The Henry Ford Museum.

Project:52 - Week 23
Sunday – The Glencoe Neighborhood (the entire place is abandoned)

Project:52 - Week 23
Monday – Nick and I while wandering Tipp City found an old merry-go-round at the city park and wanted to try a proof of concept, since we both left our digitals at the car realized that the Polaroid was the only option.

Project:52 - Week 23
Tuesday – The Wright Brother’s Memorial just outside the Wright Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, OH.

Project:52 - Week 23
Wednesday – The house that Thomas Edison was born in. The house is located in Milan, OH.

Project:52 - Week 23
Thursday – A Gazebo in the park of Meadville, PA.

Project:52 - Week 23
Friday – The Erie Canal through downtown Lockport, NY.

Polaroid Automatic 240 Land Camera – Fuji FP-3000b

Polaroid Love

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Two guys in New Jersey. They’re really the ones to blame for this obsession, this obsession on instant photography.

SCAET

You might know it better as Polaroid. Now I had already tried out Polaroid a couple years back but never really interested me, and of course the news that Polaroid has gone belly up, and was no longer producing film. As millions of cameras suddenly became useless. I never gave it a second thought.

It was shortly after listening to some of the early episodes of the Film Photography Podcast that I learned about a group called Impossible. This company had purchased from Polaroid the last factory in the Netherlands, their mission, to recreate the integral instant film that made Polaroid big. Yes it truly was a Mission:Impossible for them as much of the chemicals were long expired, and the notes shredded.

Well they did it, producing a first flush of PX100 film designed for the SX70 type Polaroids, and started selling off whatever parts and pieces they could find in the property they now owned. Old Artistic TZ films, Type 100 pack films.

Downtown

The PX100 film, at least the first version was a rather interesting film to begin with, it suffered from tearing, pulling, and generally being a pain in the ass to use. As you can see from the photo above, it’s not a very good image. But I could take it out of the camera (leave it in the dark for several minutes) and pull out a print.

Let’s see your digital camera do that. Sure you can view the image on the screen, put you still have to take it to either a print shop or home before you can hold that image in your hand.

I decided to wait on getting more film from impossible. And then from the FPP guys I got a Polaroid Colorpack II, this was even older than my SX70 coming out in 1969, and it took…pack film! (Something that Fuji still makes!) and Mike Rasso was even kind enough to include a pack of said Fuji FP-100c film. You take the shot, pull the tab, pull the image, do the count, and crack and peel it open. The chemicals smell awful. But you have a print, a unique shot, never to be captured that way again, in your hand.

How Awesome is that?

The QE

Then I noticed that Impossible has some of the “Type 100″ pack film up for sale, so I put in another order, grabbing in addition to the two packs for the Colorpack II, some of the new PX70 colour film for hte SX70 and a pack of the second flush of the PX100. The second round of PX100 seemed to turn out much better than my first.

Willow Path

It was just rather warm that day, so the images really showed it. The colour shots however, those turned out much more interesting. I think the cold and damp really affected them.

Ladies of the Canyon

Yes, very experimental, but rather interesting at the same time. And I still have two more packs of the stuff to shoot. And recently at a photoshoot I ended up bringing along my ColorPack II as a secret weapon, so that the couple each could have a print right there, in the park. They thought it was a pretty neat idea.