# 6409-6417 / polaroid ~ barrel o' monkeys fun

all photos ~ (embiggenable)

MUCH HAS BEEN WRITTEN, RE: THE JOY OF PHOTOGRAPHY but little has been written about flat-out, just screwing around fun with photography. And, iMo, when it comes to just pure fun with photography-different from the pleasure to be had in “standard” picture making-nothing, in my experience, comes close to the making pictures with Polaroid cameras or films. I can’t even guess, with any accuracy, the number of Polaroid camera/film pictures I have made. Multiple thousands for sure to include SX70 and Spectra camera-made prints, 4x5/8x10/ sheet film prints, 669 print film (3 1/4x4 1/4 pack film) prints.

A significant part of the fun of making Polaroid photographs comes from just screwing around making straight/ un-manipulated pictures with family and friends and sharing the instant gratification that derives from sharing the results - most often smiles all around, all the way up to fits of hilarity.

As much fun as that is, the inevitable next step up the fun ladder is when you realize you can push around the emulsion of an SX70 print-does not work with any other Polaroid material-before it hardens. This is rather addictive and those so addicted can find themselves carrying around a little kit of pointy tipped things (of varying thicknesses for different width strokes). Embracing and perfecting (a matter of taste) this technique kinda makes one feel as though they are an artist (of some sort).

Then, once ya got the art bug, the serious amongst us move up to the Polaroid image transfer process. This requires the use of a 4x5 view camera and a Polaroid 4x5 film back in order to shoot and process 4x5 Polaroid print film. The process is as follows:

  • have a tray of water, a roller instrument and a squeegee, and sheet of heavy fine art paper ready

  • make an in-camera exposure onto Polaroid print film

  • put the paper in the water, soak thoroughly, squeegee dry but still damp

  • pull the film pack of of the back to start the film processing

  • before the processing is complete, peel the film pack apart, place and then roll the film onto the fine art paper

  • wait 10 minutes and then peel the film off of the paper

  • Voila, the dyes from the film will be transferred to the paper

The fun part of this process is that you now have an image on fine art paper and have the ability to add hand-coloring or any other embellishments to the print. Artist, indeed.

All of that written, my fun with Polaroid continued over into my professional work inasmuch as I made many manipulated SX70 prints and Polaroid transfer prints for quite a number of advertising clients and editorial assignments.

Unfortunately, as they say, all good things must come to an end. And, yes, there is a sad ending to this barrel o’ monkeys’ fun. To my knowledge, none of this is possible today. RIP Polaroid.

Photo captions (top-bottom, l-r): 1) my ex, 2) good friend and then par amour, 3) son 1, 4) son 2, 5) Pittsburgh magazine special issue ~ 24 hours / a day in the life, 6) national teen magazine article ~ teen life in a small West Virginia town, 7) regional magazine article - boxing gyms, 8) regional magazine cover ~ rebuilding the rust belt article, 9) University of Pittsburgh magazine ~ School of Dentistry article

PS I have created a new Fun with Polaroid gallery on my WORK page.

# 6616-20 / common places • common people ~ on the street, or not

from my single women body of work ~ (embiggenable)

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BEFORE ADDRESSING TIPS FOR PHOTOGRAPHING IN PUBLIC, I thought I would address the idea of what is street photography. It seems that the answer is open to question for some-the purists would say that it is pictures of people made while standing on an actual street using BW film in a camera with a wide-angle lens attached. Anything else is, well, quite simply, not street photography.

That definition is a little too tight-ass for me. Consider this from a more modern source:

“Street photography at its essence means candid photography of humanity. A street photograph is a real moment….Street photography can be done anywhere and people do not have to be present in the photo….It is a way of connecting with the world and bringing back the moments that stand out. ...It can be likened to a visual form of poetry – while beauty and form are important aspects of street photography, great street photographs often have something going on beneath the surface….There are hints, feelings, ideas, stories, or questions…”

That definition more closely aligns with my idea, re: street photography. However, I would suggest 2 other points; 1) color of BW, your choice-whatever works for your intent, 2) if people are not present in the picture, it should illustrate evidence of places / things that suggest a past or future human presence.

Re: tips for photographing in public. The first thing you should know is that I do not consider myself to be a street photographer. Rather, I am just a guy wandering around various streets around the world with a picture making device of some kind and my eye and sensibilities perpetually attuned to picture making possibilities. That written, I have managed to make quite a number of pictures that many would label as street photography. Be that as it may be, the fact remains that I have never consciously developed a street photography strategy.

On the other hand, I have relied upon simple common sense procedures. Assuming that one wishes to imitate the proverbial, somewhat inconspicuous fly on the wall, the operative word is “simple”, as in, keep it simple. It ain’t rocket science. Ya know what I mean? Say, like:

Simple # 1: Gear. A single, small, unimposing camera with small, unimposing WA lens. Preferably with standard metal trim cuz most people know that pros use black cameras.

Simple # 2: Clothing. No fashion statements or bright colors. If you can not blend in to the crowd, try not to stand out too much.

Simple # 3: Body language: Do not stand in any one spot too long. Act natural. Be casual. Look around, especially at things you have no intention of picturing. Ya know, cuz you are just a naturally curious sorta person.

Simple # 4: The act of making the picture. Point and shoot. Your picture making device must be set and ready to go. If you have to hesitate to make an adjustment, you risk alerting the subject and the decisive moment will probably be missed.

On an added note, in my experience, I have only one time ever been waved off by a subject while making a street photo. A simple shake of the head and a wave of the hand and that was it. Which leads me to believe that there is nothing to be anxious about when making street pictures. Especially so when one has mastered the art of being a fly on the wall.

An example: I am not small person - a reasonably fit 6’ 3” / 220 lbs with long (8 inches below my shoulder) very wavy light grey hair, most often seen wearing a black baseball cap with a bright KODAK logo on the front which nicely compliments my weirdly stylish eye wear. When out and about, it is SOP for me to hear, “Nice glasses.” or “I love your hair” - almost always uttered by women. All of which makes the following somewhat interesting….

….if you check out my single women gallery on the WORK page, none of those subjects ever knew I was photographing them. That despite the fact that 90% of the photographs were made relatively in close with a street photography “standard”, moderate WA lens. A prime example of discrete fly on the wall, point and shoot, and then disappear into the wind picture making.

polaroid transfer (simulated) # 2 ~ killing time

2 trees ~ Ft. Covington, NY (click to embiggen)

In the making of these simulated Polaroid image transfer pictures, I am first applying a retro lomography film look (of my own making) to the featured image. The polaroid border is a scan of one of my original transfers - one wich needs to be scanned again at a much higher res.

All of this playing around is little more than a can-I-do-it-? time killer while I try to get my head wrapped around a new picture making approach.

Polaroid transfer (simulated) # 1 ~ keeping on keeping on

Homestead Restaurant / simulated Polaroid transfer ~ Alexandria Bay / 1000 Islands, NY (click to embiggen)

There are times like now during which I feel as though (for me) I have made every picture there is to be made. That every picture I make is an act of repeating my picture making self over and over again.

While I continue to make pictures during these periods and eventually work my way out of it, this time seems to be different. I will continue to make pictures, however, at the core of it, I am actively searching for a new picture making means of expression.

That written, I don't believe I will find a new direction by thinking about it. It seems to me that my main sourse of action to is make lots of pictures about which I really don't care very much. In doing so, it is my hope, that I will stumble upon a some prick to my eye and sensibilities which will be the genmination of a new manner of picture making.

To be certain, by "a new manner of picture making" I do not mean a new style or technique. Rather, I mean an attention to a referent which is different from those to which I have been paying attention. Or, quite possibly an existing referent to which I have not been paying enough attention - my In Situ work comes to mind.

In any event, I'll just keep on keeping on and see what happens.