SUSTAINABLE PROSPECTS : WEEK 12 – polaroid experimentation
8TH DECEMEBER 2019
In June 2019 I started my MA with Falmouth university as part of an accredited education programme.
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SUSTAINABLE PROSPECTS PROJECT DEVELOPMENT WEEK 12 FINAL WIP – https://www.bambino-art.co.uk/sustainable-prospects-project-development-week-12-final-wip/
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This module I have experimenting with using polaroid film. I am a bit of a collector of instant cameras, and own a couple of old original 600’s, the instax mini, and a lomography instant camera amongst others.
I decided to experiment with polaroid for a couple of reasons.
Firstly, I had the polaroids here, I love their look and feel.
Secondly, kids find them great fun, which has led to some really interesting conversations about how they work, and explaining about film and digital. I knew this from my photography club I used to run, so figured I could use it in the photoshoots with the families , and it would be a great tool to use if any of the kids weren’t interested in the photoshoot when I got to them.
The last reason was actually just a bit of fun. I had, last module, been asked to experiment more this module, I did this seriously within my chosen field of digital playing with light and shadows, colour and tones and portraiture. The other feedback I got last module was that the images looked too nostalgic, so I figured why not experiment by playing with that , in the most obvious and playful way , and produce images on polaroid, something that really is nostalgia inducing !
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A week or two in to the module I decided to buy the new polaroid print lab to experiment with specifically being able to take shots from off my canon 5d mk4 and print them onto the polaroid 600 film. To do this, you download the polaroid app, transfer the photos from the mk4 onto the iPhone, and then use the phone along with the polaroid app to print the images.
You’ll have to ignore the ridiculous fruity borders, I went for these as they were in the polaroid sale with 50% off and the film is so expensive 50% off was too good to miss. I figured if I liked them and wanted to use them I could always edit it out.
I was interested as to how the professional images from what would end up being my WIP would translate to polaroid. The results have been quite illuminating. They feel totally different tot he original images. None look or feel ‘better’ , even the best of the polaroid can’t feel ‘better’ because it is like comparing two totally different things like
Video : Printing from the print lab. It’s a bit of a faff and takes a long time sometimes to line it up correctly ….
THIS IS ONE OF THE IMAGES PRINTED FROM THE MK4 TO THE PRINT LAB …
OVERALL I THINK IT TRANSLATED QUITE WELL. THE COLOURS AND TONES WEREN’T QUITE AS RICH WITH THE PRINT LAB AS THEY ARE WITH SHOOTING STRAIGHT FROM THE 600 BUT I STILL LIKED THE DEPTH OF THE COLOURS .
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- Kirsty mk4 – polaroid lab experiment
BELOW : THE POLAROID EXPERIMENTS FROM THIS MODULE. INCLUDES IMAGES STRAIGHT FROM TE POLAROID 600 AND FROM THE POLAROID PRINT LAB
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BELOW : PRODUCED WITH THE POLAROID PRINT LAB . IT SEEMS TO WORK MUCH BETTER WITH DARKER IMAGES WITH HIGH CONTRAST THAT LIGHTER IMAGES
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THE TWO IMAGES BELOW WERE TAKEN DIRECTLY WITH THE OLD POLAROID 600
I DEFINITELY STILL PREFER THE FEEL AND LOOK OF THE FILM TAKEN THROUGH THE 600 THAN TO THE PRINT LAB.
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FAILURE #1
THE IMAGE BELOW WAS TAKEN FROM THE MK4 AND PRINTED ON THE PRINT LAB. THIS DEFINITELY DIDN’T WORK AS WELL. THE LIGHTER AREAS ARE FAR TOO MUCH OVER EXPOSED. AGAIN THE DARKER AREAS LOOK AND WORK MUCH BETTER.
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FAILURE #2
THIS IMAGE FAILED SPECTACULARLY. IT WAS AN IPHONE IMAGE TAKEN OF A SCIENCE EXPERIMENT MY SON HAD SET UP IN THE KITCHEN AT HOME, AND THEN PRINTED ON THE POLAROID LAB. AGAIN, IT SEEMS THE POLAROID LAB CAN’T COPE WITH LIGHT IMAGES.
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