Fun With Polaroids - Scanning a Negative

A Positive Negative of Model Kiona Waters of LModelz Model Management

Sometimes you just have to have some fun.  "But, how do you have fun Steve?" Well, one way is to pay around with Polaroid cameras.  I almost always take one to a photoshoot and snap behind the scenes shots.  Film is still available through FujiFilm (for Pack cameras), FujiFilm for Instax cameras & The Impossible Project for Polaroid cameras.

Last weekend I used a Polaroid Colorpack III.  A plastic pack camera.  Here she is:

This photo was actually taken a couple of year ago by SF based street photographer Eric Kim.  This was my "street photography" camera of the day

It takes really nice / crisp images with FujiFilm FP-100c "peel apart" film.  It's "Professional". I mean that's what is says on the box, so it must be true.  For Sunday's model shoot I used a pack of B&W FP-3000B.  Unlike the color version of the film, the B&W version is no longer produced.  Therefore it's pricey.  I think I paid $21 for the pack.  Here it is:

And this is what the back of the peel apart looks like once you pull it from the camera, let it develop and peel off the photo.

The negatives that I used to throw away

Know what I see?  That's right, I see a negative.  For giggles, and that "fun" I mentioned above I decided to scan the backing into Adobe Photoshop and then "reversed" the image.  And - wait for it, a positive image appears as shown above.   Does this have a practical purpose...no, but who said all film photography had to have a practical purpose.  And just to think I used to throw the backing papers away...no more, no sir, no more.

Try it yourself, it's "fun"

Model Shoot Equals Polaroids

You might know I also shoot digital, and when I do it's fashion & beauty photography in studio.  What I normally do is whenever I do a model shoot I also play around with a pack or two of film in one of my Polaroid or FujiFilm cameras.  Here's a few shots from my photoshoot with model Eclipse Monday.  The nice thing is that they are instant (obviously) and most of people I shoot have never seen them.  It's a fun give-away at the end of a shoot.  I even have one of the Polaroids signed & hang it in the studio.

Here are some recent Polaroid's using a Polaroid 600 Silver Express & a Polaroid ColorPack III.  The ColorPack used a pack of Fujifilm FP-100C & The Polaroid a pack of Impossible Project 600 B&W.  Tons of fun to play around.

Polaroid ColorPack III Goodness

I had an editorial fashion model shoot this week in studio.  Did I mention that editorial & commercial fashion with digital is what most of my photography focuses on?  One of the things I do during a model shoot is play with assorted instant cameras for behind the scenes shots.  This week's shoot with Danish model Marie Smed was no different.  

One of the cameras I used was my trusty Polaroid ColorPack III with Fujifilm FP100-C film and Sylvania flash cubes.  The camera and the flash cubes are older than my model.  Just for fun I did a split image shot just for giggles.

I enjoy instant photography

Polaroid Goodness Compliments of FujiFilm & The Impossible Project

I did a recent commercial fashion shoot for an Indianapolis fashion boutique called LuckyB Boutique.  Of course I used digital.  However, while doing the shoot I whipped out my Polaroids.  This time I used my newly purchased Polaroid Silver Express (600 film) and a Polaroid ColorPack III Land camera.  For the ColorPack I used a package of FujiFilm FP-1000C & a flashcube.  For the Silver Express I used a pack of The Impossible Project's 600 Color.

It is always fun, and my young models had never seen a ColorPack camera.  Fun

FujiFilm FP-1000C with a GE Flashcube against a white wall

The Impossible Project 600 Color during hair & makeup

Pictures I've Taken - Polaroid Colorpack III Land Camera

One of the most fun Polaroid cameras that I have (and I have A LOT of Polaroids), the Colorpack III. This is a Land camera.  You know the type with the peel apart film which you pull out the side of the camera.  You can still buy film from FujiFilm and the quality is primo.  I use this camera regularly during model shoot for giggles and for just tooling around town.  A more "official" blog post to follow ASAP.