Welcome back to 8 Exposures, our ever-popular instant film Q&A series. This week, we’re very happy to bring you the photography of Carla Triolo…
1) What kind of Polaroid camera(s) do you use?
My favorite camera is my folding SX-70 Sonar. I take it with me everywhere. If not for the fear that I would roll over and crush it, rendering it useless and reducing me to a blubbering incoherent heap on the floor…I would snuggle with it in bed every night. It was the first Polaroid camera I was truly successful with. Out of all the cameras I have, I find it the most portable and it has always yielded great results. I also use a Spectra SE, a Polaroid Land Model 250 and my grandfather’s Polaroid Land Model 350.
2) Why do you like instant photography?
I love the unpredictability of instant photography. No matter how I picture an image turning out I am never 100% on point. You never know exactly what will happen. Also, I appreciate the fact that unlike digital photography, I can’t just delete and retake as I please. This makes me focus a lot more on what I want to photograph and how. I think the extra care and thought really shows through in the pictures. You can tell how much love was put into it.
3) What is your earliest memory of instant film?
I remember looking through old Polaroid pictures of my parents and falling in love with the nostalgia and the look of it all. My earliest memory using a Polaroid camera was when I was in high school. I had found a Polaroid Rainbow One Step in my parents’ closet. I was intrigued by it, ran to the store right away and bought myself some film. On the fly I just took some quick photos of friends but didn’t really know anything about how to use it so the pictures didn’t come out very well. Shortly after my friend dropped that poor camera and it no longer functioned properly. I mourned that camera for a week or so, and hung it around my bed post for years. That led to a break in my Polaroid obsession for about 12 years.
4) What’s your favorite Impossible film type?
That’s a tough question, they are all so great for different reasons. The film I am using quite a bit recently is PX 680 Color Protection. I use it with an ND filter in my SX-70 because I seem to get better results with the PX 680 film. But I am a big fan of PX 70 Cool film. The colors are always amazing. The film I am most surprised by would have to be PX 600 Silver Shade UV+. The speed at which it develops and the contrast that I always seem to get gives me a warm fuzzy feeling.
(5) What are your favorite subjects to photograph?
Common themes to my photos seem to be landscapes, statues and flowers. I really love to find beauty in decay, so the imperfections of an old weathered statue, or a rotting flower petal, really speak to me. Nothing is perfect and the attributes that make us different from one another are what make this world beautiful and that beauty is worth capturing.
6) Tell us about a project you’re working on.
A few months ago I started a project called “Face Lifts” which has taken a back burner to… well, life. I took different portraits, cut them up and would collage different facial features together. I found it a very calming process. But my recent obsession (besides going taking pictures in general) has been my Polaroid illustrations. I have been active in The Impossible Project’s, Make Your Mark contest and have fallen in love with the Impossible Pens. I find myself going through old photos to find something I can sketch over. Sometimes, I even take a photo with that in mind. I love that thanks to this contest, I have been handed this amazing way to bring 2 different mediums together with a really cool and unique result. Honestly, it’s something I’m not sure I would have attempted otherwise.
7) Who are your favorite photographers, instant or otherwise?
Ansel Adams has always been a favorite and I recently discovered his beautiful Polaroid photography. Truly some amazing landscapes and nature shots and I was surprised to find that he dabbled in instant photography. Another photographer I recently began to enjoy is Walker Evans. I don’t know much about him but was immediately drawn to his photography.
Some of my favorite photographers out there are the very talented people I have met through Flickr and Twitter. Ben Innocent has a natural talent and a fantastic eye. There is so much beauty in miss Kim Oberski’s photos. Her images always seem to convey a story. Some others are Toby Hancock, The Gentleman Amateur and Andrew Millar. I could go on and on. There are so many talented photographers out there, it really is amazing what these wonderful people can do with a camera.
8) If you could take a photo of anyone or anything what would it be?
I think if I could photograph anything it would be the Pyramids of Giza or a dig at the Valley of The Kings. I have always had a deep fascination with Ancient Egypt and its artifacts. Would be amazing to get up close to a real archaeological dig and document it through instant photography, maybe even get my hands a little dirty.
About Carla
I am 29 years old, working in New York as an Associate Art Director when I’m not working I am annoying my friends and family by dragging them on photo walks or stopping them mid-conversation to take a photo.
To see more of Carla’s photography, please visit her Tumblr and her Flickr photostream. You can also follow her on Twitter at @The_Kodachromer.
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