South Beach Polaroids

lizzard_nyc · March 1, 2012

Evening all,
I recently got back from Miami where I decided to shoot most of this year's vacation on my Polaroids.
There is something about the place that begs to be shot with Polaroids.
I love the way shooting w/ them slows me down and I love their imperfections and timeless quality.
I hope you enjoy this post, I know I loved every second of shooting and the waiting period to see what if anything "develops".

1. top shot is my mother-in-law in the bathingsuit with her Cuban relatives/friends. THe bottom shot are my kids and their cousin standing in nearly the exact same spot nearly 55 years later.

2. I know the yellow cast is overwhelming--they were standing infront of a yellow wall. I still love the shot because my girl looks like a little Miami Cuban.
Shot on a Polaroid 660 w/ Impossible project film, px600 first flush film.

3. a SP, shot on a Polaroid land camera 195 Rangefinder w/ Impossible project film called Paul Giambata 100 film (it peels apart after developing).

4. Shot ona Polaroid land camera 195 (same as above)

5. Shot on a Polaroid 660 w/ IMpossible project film, 600 first flush black frame.

6. Info same as above--Shot on Ocean Drive

7.

8.

9.

Kinkajou · March 1, 2012

Woot! I love them

#s 5 and 6 are awesome... looks like they're straight out of the 1950s!

I'm trying to feel out some Impossible film myself... but after 2 or 3 packs I can't tell yet whether I suck or the camera sucks (I did get it for $8 at a thrift shop). I'm having a really hard time getting images even remotely close to being properly exposed. How many packs did you go through on this trip?

lizzard_nyc · March 1, 2012

Kinkajou wrote: »

Woot! I love them #s 5 and 6 are awesome... looks like they're straight out of the 1950s!

I'm trying to feel out some Impossible film myself... but after 2 or 3 packs I can't tell yet whether I suck or the camera sucks (I did get it for $8 at a thrift shop). I'm having a really hard time getting images even remotely close to being properly exposed. How many packs did you go through on this trip?

I was so surprised at the ease of the black frame--quick exposing, less tempermental and such lush images.

My first 3 packs or so SUCKED! that was a little over a year ago and it was also with the orginal Impossible film and I still have a box left which I just don't like. It was really extremely finicky and Impossible was still playing around with their products, they are selling them cheaper now, but to me it's not worth it.

The film they have now is so much better! I don't know if you know that the image has to be shielded from any light as it gets ejected from the camera. I tape the black carton that gets spit out at the beginning of the pack to the camera so that as the film comes out it's covered and then I keep them together with no light exposure at all for like 2-3 minutes then I put it face down somewhere until it's done developing. Any light upon ejection will make it come out all sorts of wrong.
I also found that the sx70 film is so gorgeous in color and can be used on the 600 cameras though you have to increase the exposure.
My absolute favorite is the land camera and the peel apart film though. I like the rangefinder and that you have to expose it properly and get the aperture just right, it's not just about framing, then you have to time the developing time before peeling apart.

I'm addicted.

For this vacation I went through 3 packs of 600 film and 2 packs of the peel apart (though I still have a few frames left in the camera).

VayCayMom · March 2, 2012

LOVE THEM! Could you post the first one in a larger size? I am impressed at the great lengths you went to , job well done!

lizzard_nyc · March 2, 2012

VayCayMom wrote: »

LOVE THEM! Could you post the first one in a larger size? I am impressed at the great lengths you went to , job well done!

Thank you Trudy. I know I will look back on these Polaroids in my later years with great nostalgia.
I like that I scanned them in, but I absolutely love to have them in my hand. Me and the kids do our Miami treck yearly and I know it will be one of those things they remember forever and I am doing my best to document it.

Here is the first shot at a larger size--Isn't my mother-in-law a trip? She has only gotten better with age, an incredibly cool woman.

Very odd Trudy--when I upload the shot at a larger size, it shows it at a larger shot , but when I come back after going to another page, it's back to being smaller again.

Here is the link to the shot so you can see it bigger if you would like.
http://lizzardnyc.smugmug.com/Other/Polaroid/21192553_6cvGhT#!i=1731641527&k=R6wP9fd

ONe more shot to add--only because I wanted Kinkajou to see the xs70 film shot on a 600 camera with the dial for the exposure pushed to the right (higher exposure) that's really the only trick to make this film work on the 600. The colors are so freaking gorgeous! Plus it documents the only time I let the kids have coffee. We head to starbucks in the mornings on our bikes and grab mocha frappaccinos under the palm trees.

FishEyeJohn · March 2, 2012

These are gorgeous Polaroids, I used love the vintage look of them. I have now had them made into large prints for a present for my neice who is studying photography!

here is one oy my favourite shots I took from a trip to Berlin last year, we went to this incredible museum as well.

lizzard_nyc · March 2, 2012

FishEyeJohn wrote: »

These are gorgeous Polaroids, I used love the vintage look of them

here is one oy my favourite shots I took from a trip to Berlin last year

Thank you for the comment fisheyejohn. I am currently going through a love affair with the polaroids.

Do you remember what you shot this on and what film? I like the blue tint very much, though it doesn't particularly look like a polaroid to me.

Qarik · March 2, 2012

gooood stuff liz! we need more SP though without a camera in the face!

zoomer · March 5, 2012

What a fun project. Love love number 7.

FishEyeJohn · March 5, 2012

lizzard_nyc wrote: »

Thank you for the comment fisheyejohn. I am currently going through a love affair with the polaroids.

Do you remember what you shot this on and what film? I like the blue tint very much, though it doesn't particularly look like a polaroid to me.

Hi there,

thank you! I actually remember now (I apologise for the misinformation) it was in fact a Fuji instax 200 which delivers wide format instant photos! Thats why it gives a vintage effect!

Here are some more to show you the feel for them.

lizzard_nyc · March 6, 2012

Qarik wrote: »

gooood stuff liz! we need more SP though without a camera in the face!

ha!

I was showing off my badass little camera

It was all about my Polaroid 195 on that shot--
Thanks Qarik.

lizzard_nyc · March 6, 2012

zoomer wrote: »

What a fun project. Love love number 7.

Thanks Zommer,
It's funny, once I scanned and uploaded #7, it was hard for me to resist editing the digitized version of the shot (the light leaks), but I left it as is. I have to remind myself that polaroid isn't about perfection. It's also one of my favorite shots.

lizzard_nyc · March 6, 2012

FishEyeJohn wrote: »

Hi there,

thank you! I actually remember now (I apologise for the misinformation) it was in fact a Fuji instax 200 which delivers wide format instant photos! Thats why it gives a vintage effect!

Here are some more to show you the feel for them.

ah ok--that explains it.
The colors somehow look more "modern" on the fuji than the polaroid.
It's too bad everything but the cat is in focus.

FishEyeJohn · March 14, 2012

I know bit shaky pictire but I kinda like it that way, makes the cat look almost not real!

jeffreaux2 · March 16, 2012

These are a lot of fun. Thanks for sharing.

I love antique photos and gear. I have several cameras that I have bought and restored to working condition. My favorite is a medium format Yashicamat. It is a TLR camera with a top viewfinder/focus screen. Here is is below.

And a portrait taken with it....

I also have these two...
The correct film is no longer produces for them. I plan to use them for TTV or "through the viewfinder" photography. Search flickr for some great examples of that from others. Basically, you use a macro equipped DSLR to shoot through the imperfect viewfinder of the old cameras.....

JamesCroftPhotography · March 17, 2012

Love #9's storytelling! It would be great to go back to leaving everything to the camera and film choice, but you know what they say, "New habits die hard"

lizzard_nyc · March 18, 2012

jeffreaux2 wrote: »

These are a lot of fun. Thanks for sharing.

I love antique photos and gear. I have several cameras that I have bought and restored to working condition. My favorite is a medium format Yashicamat. It is a TLR camera with a top viewfinder/focus screen. Here is is below.

And a portrait taken with it....

I also have these two...
The correct film is no longer produces for them. I plan to use them for TTV or "through the viewfinder" photography. Search flickr for some great examples of that from others. Basically, you use a macro equipped DSLR to shoot through the imperfect viewfinder of the old cameras.....

Hey there thanks Jeff,
I am drooling over the medium format shot, I'm dying to delve into that. I just don't ebay since you never know what you are getting and I don't fix cameras myself. So far I have gotten extremely lucky with garage sale finds or unbeleivably great hand me downs.

I like the idea of shooting thru your Duaflex
w/ your DSLR--I've seen some samples and have enjoyed the work. If nothing else they make for really great pieces for your collection.

lizzard_nyc · March 18, 2012

JamesCroftPhotography wrote: »

Love #9's storytelling! It would be great to go back to leaving everything to the camera and film choice, but you know what they say, "New habits die hard"

Thank you!
#9 I like for that very reason. You know exactly what's going on, it's not a portrait, it does tell a story.

I'm mixing my digital habits w/ my film habits and finding a happy medium. Very happy medium.

jeffreaux2 · March 18, 2012

lizzard_nyc wrote: »

Hey there thanks Jeff,
I am drooling over the medium format shot, I'm dying to delve into that. I just don't ebay since you never know what you are getting and I don't fix cameras myself. So far I have gotten extremely lucky with garage sale finds or unbeleivably great hand me downs.

I like the idea of shooting thru your Duaflex
w/ your DSLR--I've seen some samples and have enjoyed the work. If nothing else they make for really great pieces for your collection.

I have bought several pieces of photography and home audio related gear on ebay and have always recieved the goods "as advertised".

The Yashicamat only required a good cleaning and a new set of light seals. The old ones were a sticky/gummy mess, but I found a guy (on ebay) who makes light seal kits for it. Replacement was tedious, but not difficult. These are the foam rubber seals around the film door that keep out light.

Including the aqccessory lenses, I have abot $300 invested in that set up.

It is a blast to take to car shows, and draws a lot of attention.

South Beach Polaroids

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