The Epitome of Instant

This stuff is legen...wait for it...dary!In between the hectic darkroom sessions, that are now over with, I found myself shooting anything I could get my hands on that wasn't 8x10. I'm not sure if it was "large format burnout" or just a change of scenery, but literally any other format seemed appealing over the last few weeks. Earlier this past week, a very exciting opportunity arose as a Flickr and Twitter contact of mine announced she had some very, very late dated Polaroid 779 for sale. After a quick consult with Leslie over at Imagine That!  the brick of ten packs was on it's way to Findlay.

Now, I'd like to make it very clear that this post is in no way taking a stab at The Impossible Project. Those folks are doing amazing work reinventing instant film, and almost every month, it seems, are churning out a better, more reliable product (assuming you can shield it properly). If you're an analog photographer that loves shooting instant film, consider supporting them by purchasing a few packs and paying some long deserved attention to your SX-70 or 600 series cameras.

Fill flash went off. Doh! >__<Having said that, it's time to gush. I LOVE THIS POLAROID 779! The one thing I've missed for years about real Polaroid film is that from the moment it comes out of the camera, you can watch it develop. Seeing every last bit of the opacifier fade into a beautiful, fine grained image right before your eyes; now that's instant photography!

The first test of this film was a simple one. Running out the door from Imagine That! and about 50 ft. down the sidewalk, I found Lauren, my ever willing model, and her best friend Val having breakfast outside of the Baker's Cafe. This "final run" stock of Pola 779 from March of 2009, is some of the freshest instant film money can buy, and man does it show. Most 600 style films have a burnt sienna/red cast over the entire picture, with pod degradation causing 3 visible streaks in the film. But not this stuff, just a kiss of warm tones over the entire image area.

Scott Meivogel, in front of Aperture.

One shot down, 32 to go (a few bonus frames left in Leslie's SLR 680), what to shoot next? I'd already mentioned the previous month's darkroom scramble to get prints ready for "Dapper", so why not shoot some instant film at Cleveland's home for all things analog?

 If you're in the Northeast Ohio area and love film, there's only one place to go. Aperture: A Photography & Variety Store in Tremont. The owner/operator Scott, pictured left, is a very cool guy, that's doing some really great things for analog photography on a local and national level. He was the very first Impossible Project partner store, carrying experimental instant film when nobody else could even get their hands on some. Most recently, he's started making his own pinhole cameras, teaching workshops, and holding his own photowalk weekend at the end of June. If you're looking for a big photowalk event or just looking to be around other like minded film photographers, be sure to check out Analog's Pulse later this summer. There's more great things I'd love to say about Scott, but at this time I'm not at liberty to discuss it. Let's just say it's HUGE! ^__^

Dave Lam, recent analog convert.

While hanging out at Aperture, loading up on Impossible PX-70 film, and dropping off my show prints, another, slightly more new to film photographer came in the shop. Dave Lam, a Cleveland street photographer, was guns blazing with his trusty Leica rangefinder, and Bronica SQ, and all sorts of other crazy gear. A very knowledgeable guy, with some good taste in cameras, I'd say we hit off pretty well. P.S. Polaroid 779, Hasselblads, and B&W prints make for great ice-breakers. More of Dave's work can also be seen on his Flickr.

He always looks this dapper.Last, but certainly not least, was a good friend of Scott's, and new personal hero of mine, Anthony Zart. In a matter of hours, he took my CV, a few sample images, and Scott's ideas for my latest show, and created this! He's an incredibly talented graphic designer, and quite the photography enthusiast as well. These Cleveland creatives are all really cool, and I look forward to meeting even more of them at the opening of "Dapper" on  April 14th, as well as later this summer during Analog's Pulse.

Hmm, it didn't really strike me until now, but these first four images on Polaroid 779 are all of creatives. A new series perhaps? ;)

Anyways, there's almost nothing bad I've got to say about this expired Polaroid film. My only one comment to those out there shooting only discontinued and expired film stocks is to get out there and shoot the new stuff as well! Sure, the prices and selection aren't what they used to be, but the current lineups of color negative and B&W films are some of the best there have ever been. And considering Impossible and Fuji's instant film track records, those films are only getting better as time goes on. Stocking up a little at a time is one thing, but don't be a hoarder, be a supporter of film photography.

As always, happy shooting and long live film!

The 52 Project, Week 32: Hasselroids & Polablads

Pro tip: get a GOOD used Polaroid back.

 As little as 8-10 years ago, when you were going to take a picture that needed to be absolutely, positively, sharp and well exposed, you couldn't look at the back of your camera (also known as "chimping"), you needed to take a Polaroid. Not the boxy, point and shoot style, integral film eating Polaroid 600 that we all know and love, but one made to take pack film (click the link for more info). On my Hasselblad, taking a test exposure is as simple as attaching the film back, taking the picture, and pulling out the instant film tabs. If you've never taken an instant picture with pack films before, I highly reccomend getting an old Polaroid Land Camera or Polaroid back and trying it. It's a thrill to peel apart the positive from the negative, held together by a thin layer of gooey, unused reagent (dont' eat this please). This is infinitely more fun than looking at the back of some glare-ridden LCD screen.

Save the model of camera used, this video perfectly illustrates the process of using pack film in a Polaroid back to proof your exposure:

Now, some of you that follow the news may be wondering, "where the heck can I get Polaroid film? Didn't they stop making film?"

The truth of the matter is yes, Polaroid no longer makes their signature product, Polaroid 100 series pack films. Thankfully, the guys over at Fujifilm in Japan have come up with their own phenomenal pack films, Fuji FP-100C and FP-3000B. The 100 speed is lower speed, vivid color film, and the 3000 is an incredibly fast B&W film. Each are great under a variety of condtions, and include self-terminating development. You can literally shoot all day, and peel your film when you get home.

 Considering the quick nature of instant photography, lessons can be learned quickly and to little cost to the user, leaving little for me to discuss in the typical good, bad, and ugly format. Instead, we'll talk about some things that can go wrong with your instant film, with examples from yours truly.

Lesson 1: Light Leaks - never, ever open up your pack of film after it has been loaded

 

Lesson 2: Overexposing is the Devil! - instant film responds to overexposure much like slide film and digital, by crying, blowing out highlights, and fogging your positive. >__<

 

Lesson 3: Don't Expect Expired Film to Perform - if it's more than 4 years old and hasn't been cold-stored, consider any kind of image a miracle. The images below are Polaroid 669 film from 1992!

Reagent is a liquid, it can dry up and do this.The background is more yellow than black.

Sometimes you get really lucky. ^__^

And that pretty much does it for this week. Instant photography is fun stuff, and the only way it'll keep being made is if somebody is out there to shoot it. So pick up that Polaroid Land Camera or Polaroid back today and get shooting!

Next Week: More fun times with the Hasselblad.

"Live" Interview with Film Photography Podcast

Copyright 2010 Michael Raso, Film Photography Podcast

Part of the reason I haven't been as prolific with the blog lately is because I've been on the road for the past two weeks. I'll be home, up and running by next week. Until then, here's a short little spoiler of the awesome-ness that has been this trip. 

Last Friday, I spent all day in NYC at the Jacob Javits Convention center at the 2010 Photo Plus Expo hosted by Photo District News. While there, I got to meet and talk with the hosts of my now favorite photography podcast, Michael Raso and Duane Polcou. For a little over a year now, both Duane and Mike have been hosting the Film Photography Podcast, a neat little internet radio program about all things analog photography.

Over the past couple of months, I've mentioned them here and there, but at this point and time, I'm hopelessly addicted to the podcast. It's funny, random, not too technical, and just plain enjoyable to listen to while in the car, processing film, or just sitting around trying to come up with a witty blog post. :p In July, a fan letter I wrote made it onto the show, and as of today I'm on the November 5th edition of the podcast. Be sure to check it out:

November 5th Film Photography Podcast  (right click "Save As" to download)

You don't even have to listen that long to hear where I come in, I'm first up. ^__^ If you didn't have a chance to visit PDN, though, the podcast has plenty of coverage of the latest in greatest from PPE (well, as long as you don't care about digital :p).

Make sure to show FPP some love, they're great guys supporting an ever-growing community. Send 'em some film, old cameras, make a quick little Paypal donation, or even shoot an email, it'll definitely be appreciated.

FPP Flickr Group

FPP on Facebook

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