romerpolaroid

    You never know if the film you’re buying from ebay will even work or produce anything. There is a risk of buying expired film . Sometimes the chemicals for development  have already dried out . Other times the film will get stuck in the camera , therefore losing the exposure.  The film I purchased was a Fuji FP100-C film that expired in 2009. Although there is  a risk , it can also  develop into magical saturated  colors. I also love how imperfect the edges of the film  are in expired film . Even though  I had trouble focusing with this specific camera ( Polaroid EE100 Special , land camera ) I still loved how it turned out . Out of Focus photographs shouldn’t be thrown away . There is  still an  art form in them  , sort of like photographic Impressionism  .

Check out her beautiful work here https://www.sashabphoto.com/ 

     I was so inspired by Taschens’ book Andy Warhol Polaroids- 1958-1987 . I loved how Andy photographed everything from everyday objects  to his group of friends and celebrities of the day with this instant camera  . These Polaroids were used for his famous large  silk screen print portraits . I was pleasantly surprised to find that his favorite camera the Polaroid Big Shot was available and affordable  on ebay , I think I got it for $35 . I couldn’t help but buy it and try to do portraits in the style Andy did . The only problem was the film used no longer existed ( POLAROID Land Camera Film ) and the only film similar available  was the Fuji Fp-100c . This film was also discontinued as of 2016 , and sells online for $72-100$ and up for 10 shots. I regret not having an interest in shooting polaroids when they sold before for $8-10 a box. I spent about $78 dollars on the film and barely got a shot I really liked . The Polaroid Big Shot is really good for portraits and doesn’t have a way to place it on a tripod. Also to focus the subject  you have to keep going forward and back until the two images you see on the viewfinder match up, this “dance move” is also known as the “Big Shot Shuffle” . I wanted to do a self portrait with it and I thought the timer in the back of the camera was meant for selfies, but its purpose was to time its film  development.  You also need to get old school Flash Cubes $12 online ,as the camera doesn’t have its own flash. With all the costs and complications,  I still loved the fact that I was following in the footsteps of an artist I admired. 

Polaroids taken with Polaroid Camera I-Type with Polaroid I-Type Film. SELF REFLECTION - January-March 2021- Collage made on Adobe Photoshop with Polaroid  Scans from Epson Perfection V370 Photo Scanner .