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We at Impossible are excited to tell you about a fantastic photography and travel competition just launched by Persol to win a brand new Leica M-E and a trip to the Venice Film Festival!

Eyewear brand Persol have just added to their impressive selection with the Reflex Edition, the latest collection of three glasses inspired by classic vintage cameras. To celebrate, they’ve launched the Persol Reflex Edition Photo Contest, giving you the chance to win a trip for 2 to Venice and a brand new Leica M-E that embodies the philosophy of the famed Leica M-System in its purest form.

Running until June 15th 2013, the contest asks you to submit Black & White themed photographs to be judged by Persol’s esteemed jury. They’ll evaluate based on the craft and aesthetic of each photograph. On top of winning a trip for 2, as well as a new Leica camera, the winning artwork will also be exhibited during the Venice Film Festival.

For more details, and to enter, head to www.persol.com/usa/collections/reflex-edition.

Note: Open only to US Residents

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Hi friends, and welcome back to 8 Exposures, our ongoing instant film interview series. This week, we are very happy to present you with French photographer and filmmaker Sarah Seené…

1) What kind of Polaroid camera(s) do you use?

Since I began to work with instant film, I use a Polaroid 636 Close-up camera from 1992, which my dear aunt gave me. When I was a child, I used this device to photograph my grandmother’s animals…

2) Why do you like instant photography?

What interests me in the instant photography is its spontaneity, suspense and surprise. I prepare my instant photos a lot… During one hour or two, I set up costumes, sets and make-up which are going to give sense to the central characters of the photo. It is the contrast between the direction and the speed of the development that interests me and, of course, the magic grain of the instant photo, inimitable.

When the photo comes out, my heart is beating at top speed ! For me, instant photography is synonymous with emotion and sensation!

3) What is your earliest memory of instant film?

A few weeks ago, my mother offered me her first photo of me when I was an infant, and it was a polaroid. Obviously I didn’t remember taking this picture… But I do remember very well the very first Polaroid I made: when I was 7, the day of Christmas with my Grandma, we had just decorated the Christmas tree, I was so happy to decorate it with her,...Read All

Photo by Megan Kirschenbaum

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Hello, friends! We are happy to announce the winners from the September-October round of our ongoing photo contest in collaboration with SNAP! Magazine. The theme for September/October was “Road Trip.”

Winning images come from Megan Kirschenbaum, Thomas Preyer, Gord Iversen, Genevieve, Amber Mahoney, Ashley Saldana, Jade Sheldon, Amalia Chimera, John Carleton and Toby Hancock.

The 10 finalists will receive $5 off their next purchase with Impossible.

Congrats to Megan Kirschenbaum for her Grand prize winning image! Megan will receive a pack of Impossible Film and a mystery prize from Team SNAP!

The theme for September is Plastic! We now have an official SNAP! x Impossible Gallery on our site. For more details on the collaboration, click HERE.

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Hello friends, and welcome back to Viewfinder, our ongoing series in which we bring you interesting projects people are working on incorporating Impossible films. Many of you have jumped at the opportunity to share the photo-illustrations you’ve created using the new Impossible Photo Pen set in our Make Your Mark gallery. Our good friend Ben Innocent has gone especially pen-crazy, creating some beautiful pieces of photo art…

“My work with the Impossible Photo Pens started as a bit of fun on old Impossible images for me, but the more I used them the more they become another way by which you can connect with a photograph and express yourself with the Impossible films. It began with discarded images but now I find that I will shoot with the purpose of illustrating. Just looking in the Make Your Mark gallery there is a real variety of amazing designs that display a little bit more of the personalities that created them. For me, the pens help create a comic book feel and a slight detachment from reality of the image without totally losing the photograph itself. The pens are just so great and very effective on the Impossible films. A medium well-worth exploring for any that don’t have them yet.”

Thanks to Ben for sharing! To see more of his photo-illustrations, click HERE.

Have you picked up a pack of Impossible Photo Pens yet? Grab a set now and submit your creations to the Make Your...Read All

Photo by Kisha Bari

Master an Iconic Tool in the History of Analog Photography!

The Impossible Project NYC Space is excited to welcome back a classic workshop on the most celebrated of Polaroid cameras, the SX-70. On Sunday, May 20th, the Impossible team will host a three hour interactive workshop on maximizing Impossible film in the Polaroid Sx-70 Camera. Our introductory workshops are designed to give you the confidence you need to let your imagination run wild! We’ll discuss the features of the SX-70 camera and focus on shooting techniques to ensure you achieve the best results out of the newest Impossible films available.

Let’s talk about PX, baby!

Tackling the Impossible takes time, dedication and expertise − and we can all get by with a little help from our friends. Come join in on the ever-growing Impossible community for our first ever Analog Feedback Night.

On April 26th, The Impossible Project NYC Space invites YOU to showcase your favorite Impossible images to knowledgeable peers and fellow enthusiasts. Spend the evening reviewing your work and getting feedback while making new analog-loving friends. This is your chance to connect with other artists and photographers involved in the instant film community!

The night will take place from 6-9pm in The Impossible Project NYC Space. Come with originals or digital files on a USB flash drive. Bring your friends!

• When: Thursday, April 26, 2012, 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM
• Where: Impossible Project Space, 425 Broadway, Floor 5, NYC 10013
• Registration: (212) 219 3254 or nycspace@theimpossibleproject.com
• FREE and open to the public

UPDATE – WORKSHOP HAS BEEN CANCELLED! We apologize for any inconvenience.

Spring into the Magic of Spectra!

Continuing our Impossible Workshop series, we are pleased to announce the return of a classic workshop on one of our favorite cameras, the Spectra. The Impossible Project will hold a three hour interactive workshop on maximizing Impossible film in the Polaroid Spectra Camera.

In the workshop, participants will be guided through the ins and outs of the Polaroid Spectra series camera with a knowledgeable Impossible expert staffer. Workshop participants will learn introductory and intermediate techniques to master their Spectra camera including exposure, functionality, and accessories. The workshop will include an in depth overview of shooting Impossible Project film including light shielding and temperature control.

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Ongoing Exhibition MOMENTUM
1st of March – 26th of June 2012
A 200 square foot show of our
best and brightest new films for the
SX-70 camera. PX-70 & PX 100 UV+
images by a group of our select US
photographers.

For more info please visit:
http://www.the-impossible-project.com/projects/exhibitions/momentum

Emulsion Lift

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Announcing a brand new addition to the ever-growing Impossible Workshop Series! On March 25th, 2012, The Impossible Project Space NYC will host its first workshop on alternative techniques in analog instant image making. The workshop will cover three techniques: image manipulation, emulsion lifts and negative bleaching. These classic procedures are revived by Impossible materials, revitalizing techniques that have been lost with the extinction of certain film types. These techniques will give you the freedom to play with your images, allowing you to expand your skill set to create distinctive works of art through experimentation. Participants can expect to work in a small group with an expert Impossible team member to learn and create together!

• When: Sunday, March 25, 2012, 10am to 1pm
• Where: Impossible Project Space NYC
• Registration: (212) 219 3254
or nycspace@the-impossible-project.com 
• Fee: $75 (includes 1 pack PX 680 Color Shade and all tools necessary for workshop)

Maurizio Galimberti @ Meet the Impossible Photographer, 3 March 2012, Vienna, Austria. Photo by Eva Mühlbacher

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We are excited to present and invite you to a new global Impossible talks series: Meet the Impossible Photographer introduces you to inspiring contemporary photographers passionate about working with Impossible film. These unique meet and greet sessions will allow you to directly learn from professionals, and the photographers will be on hand for an in-person Q&A – ask them all your Impossible questions and get a glimpse behind their work and experiences!

Maurizio Galimberti held the first of our upcoming Meet the Impossible Photographer events last Saturday, March 3 in Vienna. You have the chance to join this inspiring session on the following dates:

16 MARCH
@ Impossible Partner Store Barcelona ->click for details

31 MARCH
@ Impossible Booth at Photoshow Rome -> click for details

MAY (tba)
@ Impossible Project Space NYC (tba)

Perfecting Impossible Techniques with a Classic Camera!

Back by popular demand, The Impossible Project is pleased to announce the return of The 600 Workshop at the NYC Space! On Sunday, March 11, the Impossible team will hold a three-hour interactive tutorial on getting the best out of the classic Polaroid 600 camera and Impossible’s film range. The workshop is designed to explore the full potential and versatility of any 600 series camera, including personal tricks you’re not likely to learn anywhere else! Workshop participants will then be guided on an interactive photo walk with one of Impossible’s experienced staff photographers, exploring and capturing the richly photogenic cusp of SOHO, Chinatown and Little Italy. We’ll finally re-convene back at the space to discuss images, ask questions and talk about image preservation techniques.

WHEN: SUNDAY, MARCH 11, 2012, 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM
WHERE: Impossible Project Space: 425 Broadway, 5th Floor, Between Howard & Canal Streets
REGISTER: nycspace@theimpossibleproject.com or +1 212 219 3254
Please notify when registering if renting a camera at no extra cost!
FEE: US$ 50 (price includes 1 pack PX 680 Color Shade FF & Frog Tongue)

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The Impossible Project is thrilled to announce a partnership with Holden Outerwear to celebrate 10 years of creative and cutting edge outerwear. Holden is proud to support Impossible on their mission to bring analog instant photography back to life by offering limited edition Holden X Impossible camera kits, which will include a Holden customized and refurbished vintage SX-70 Polaroid camera, Holden X Tanner Goods leather camera case, and a custom Holden X Impossible co-produced instant film and filter presented in a custom wooden box.

To activate this collaboration, Holden chose 10 well known photographers to use Impossible film to shoot and capture their vision of an independent lifestyle through instant photography…

This Thursday evening together with Polaroid, we are excited to host the opening of INSTANT REVOLUTION – the first in an upcoming series of artistic collaborations throughout 2012, celebrating the launch of the Polaroid Classic line.

For this unique exhibition, the artists provided us with feedback on their experiences using Polaroid cameras again with original Soft Tone Image film.

GARY BASEMAN
“I wanted to use the camera the way I originally used such a device in the 1970s and 80s…to capture an immediate memory. My art is about discovering one’s ‘True Self,’ and Polaroid cameras have been an important tool in assisting in this truthfinding and free expression.”

Gary Baseman

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POLAROID and IMPOSSIBLE present
INSTANT REVOLUTION

To celebrate the collaboration between Polaroid and Impossible, The Impossible Project NYC Space will host a very special group exhibition dedicated to showcasing five of the world’s freshest contemporary photographers. For more than 60 years, the instant image has been a revolutionary aspect of how artists create, consider and define analog photography. The five artists featured in INSTANT REVOLUTION all take different approaches to illustrating their relationship with analog photography.

Featuring photos captured with the last original Polaroid Spectra film production run from 2008, one of the first products introduced as part of the Polaroid Classic line, five of the world’s most dynamic and contemporary artists have contributed to INSTANT REVOLUTION: Gary Baseman, James Franco, Maripol, Mary Ellen Mark and Jennifer Juniper Stratford. INSTANT REVOLUTION will be shown at The Impossible Project Space NYC from February 9 to March 23 2012 and on our official website. The Opening Reception will take place on February 9 from 6pm to 9pm, in the presence of the artists and with refreshments provided.

POLAROID and IMPOSSIBLE present
INSTANT REVOLUTION
at The Impossible Project Space NYC

As one of the few and privileged Impossible “Partner Store Plus” spaces in the USA, our friends at Aperture Tremont are hosting their first workshop ever, offering you an exclusive perspective on new Impossible films, tricks and tips.

During this hands-on workshop they’ll be covering techniques of working with Impossible film and vintage Polaroid cameras. The workshop will be ran by Aperture owner and photographer, Scott Meivogel, plus Cleveland Polaroid expert, Tim Logan. Tim shot for our One Hundred Impossible Portraits event last year, with fantastic results!

Finally, 1/3 of the workshop will be spent photographing two live models dressed in perfect vintage attire. Participants are guaranteed to leave with photographs that’ll knock their socks off, taken with the latest Impossible film! If you have your own Polaroid camera, please feel free to bring it. If not, they’ll have loaner cameras for you to use while you’re there.

Registration is $39.99 and includes a pack of Impossible film as well as refreshments. Registration can be completed by calling 216-574-8977, or purchasing on Aperture’s website HERE.

The good doctor.

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Another topic we got requests for was when the mirror in the camera gets stuck up out of place or mid cycle for one reason or another. This can often be recognized by a black VF and a camera that won’t close all the way.

There’s actually a couple tricks to getting your mirror back in place. If your camera is empty and you have an empty pack, you can try to put that in the camera and fire it a few times, or put the pack in, pull it out, back in, out a couple of times letting it cycle each time you close the door. This may get the camera back into the proper rhythm of things so that when you put a full pack in, everything is where it should be for proper operation to take pictures.

More after the jump…

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Analog instant film has been an integral part of the fashion world for decades. For this installment of our “Viewfinder” series, our featured photographer Jorge Valle sheds light on how Impossible films can not only refresh a photographer’s attitude, but also help communicate a unique style in an industry so dominated by digital photography.

“I’m 29 and I live in Madrid, Spain, but I’m moving to London in a few months. I work as a graphic designer, but my big passion is photography. That’s the reason why I left my job in Madrid and moved to New York City, where I spent the last three months of 2011 taking some courses and workshops at the International Center of Photography. While I was in the Fashion Photography course I noticed that almost every picture was taken with digital cameras, and at that time I was a little bit tired of digital. I needed to make something different. So inspired by my teacher Andrea Blanch, who always wanted us to go further, I created for my last assignment a fashion editorial with pictures taken with Impossible Film. And the result was exactly what I wanted, something fresh, natural and with attitude. It’s funny how instant film is considered something refreshing now, when it was so common in the fashion industry not so long ago!

More after the jump…

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This past Thursday, we were so grateful to celebrate the opening of Oskar Landi’s Also in India exhibition at the NYC Space! With his debut show at Impossible, Landi portrays the country through dry image transfers of original Type 679 Polaroid film, revealing imperfections and faint colors reminiscent of early photographic processes and hand coloring techniques. Attendees took in the many textures of India as portrayed by the artist and enjoyed delicious artisan chocolate from FINE & RAW!

Those wishing to see the exhibition may visit the Impossible NYC Space any time during store hours: Monday through Friday 11am–7pm and on Weekends 12pm–5pm until February 9th. Thanks so much (and congratulations!) to Oskar and everyone who attended!

Jimmy Pardo

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You’ll find Rick DeMint, founder of Portroids and his Spectra camera behind every red rope and at every press conference worth photographing. For this installment of our “Viewfinder” series, we take a look at only a few of the thousand (!) instant images he’s shot of inspiring personalities over the past decade.

“My name is Rick DeMint and for over 8 years I have been documenting my life and the people I’ve met by taking Polaroid portraits of them and having the photos autographed. I call them portroids and have collected almost 1,400 so far. From my home in Fort Collins, Colorado, I’ve been lucky enough to be able to travel to many places and I always make sure to have my Polaroid Spectra camera with me, plenty of film, and a Sharpie. I enjoy attending film festivals, comedy events, theater, and just seeing who I may meet by exploring various cities.

In association with the comedy podcast Never Not Funny, for the past two years I have taken portroids (Polaroid portraits) backstage at their 12 hour marathon podcast Pardcast-A-Thon. For this year’s event I exclusively used the Impossible Project PZ600 UV+ Silver Shade Black Frame film to take portraits of each of the guests, the hosts, and associated crew.

More after the jump…

The good doctor.

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We put out the question to you all about what kinds of tips you all would like to hear. One topic we heard several times was about cleaning and maintenance of your folding SX-70 and SLR 680 cameras.

There are a few simple things you can do to help keep your cameras running well and looking good. Now not to sound like a broken record, but I again cannot stress keeping your rollers clean. You can refer back to our Door swapping post about how to get the door off your camera to make cleaning easier and safer. Then you can go back to our first video with Dave about cleaning rollers for how to do this.

After that you can keep the inside of your camera clean with a can of compressed air or an air blower some of you may have for keeping lenses clean which can help keep dust out of the film compartment of the camera (more after the jump!).

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Photobooth, the world’s only Tintype and Polaroid portrait studio, exhibited our good friend and fellow Impossible photographer Brandon Long last Friday, January 6th, and Brandon has been kind enough to share a sneak peek of his SX-70 shots with those of us that couldn’t be in San Francisco!

See more of Brandon Long’s dreamy portraits on his flickr!

Amassing four separate worldwide journeys over the past decade, Oskar Landi translates multiple communities of India with a unique visual language, when discovery through spoken word was insufficient. Landi was born and raised in Italy and has lived and worked in New York since 1998. His personal projects have been recognized by the International Photo Awards and Prix de la Photographie Paris as well as numerous publications worldwide.

On Thursday, January 12th, Oskar Landi’s “Also in India” opens on the south wall at The Impossible Project Space NYC. With “Also in India,” Landi portrays the country through dry image transfers of original Type 679 Polaroid film, revealing imperfections and faint colors reminiscent of early photographic processes and hand coloring techniques. Conditions such as uncontrollable humidity, heat, dust and expired photographic chemicals caused unexpected but enchanting consequences even for the artist. The resulting exhibition is a visual introduction to the rich cultures of India dependent on Landi’s astounded curiosity.

Oskar Landi – Also in India
At The Impossible Project Space NYC
January 12, 2012 – February 9, 2012

More after the jump…

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This past Sunday, The Impossible Project celebrated the meticulous art of the Instant Photogram with Patrick Winfield ! Although mastering Patrick’s techniques proved to be quite challenging, workshop attendees worked diligently in the pitch dark to craft wonderfully surprising photograms of their favorite objects. After giving an inspiring history of the photogram, Patrick took the class through a series of integral steps in making photograms possible. Using jewelry, toys, cassette tapes, colored filters and many other assorted items, attendees took turns in a blacked-out NYC Space with only a pack of opened film, a flashlight and their newly acquired skills.

As you can see from our blog’s gallery, the results were fantastic! Thank you to all who participated and to Patrick Winfield of course! We hope he returns very soon to lead another workshop filled with more secret techniques.

Feel free to sign up for our weekly newsletter to always stay up to date on everything Impossible. Call 212-219-3254 or email nycspace@the-impossible-project.com for more info.

On Saturday, December 3rd, from 5pm-6:30pm, artist Patrick Winfield will appear in person at The Impossible Project Space NYC to present a brief slideshow history of The Photogram. Then, using Impossible instant film material, he will demonstrate his own distinctive techniques to create photograms similar to the ones pictured here.

Attendees will be supplied with one pack of Impossible color film, a Polaroid 600 camera, flashlights, transparencies and colored gels. You’re welcome to bring your own photogram objects also! Each participant will get 10% off any store purchase the night of the class.

Don’t miss this very rare opportunity to be involved in an exclusive interactive class by one of the world’s leading instant artists!

More after the jump…

Continuing the series of Impossible Art Works featured on the South Wall at the New York City Impossible Project Space, we are proud to present French born photographer Bruce Soyez-Bernard and his latest work, entitled “Ensemble #1, #2, #3, #4.”

Currently based in New York, Bruce began as a photojournalist in Africa for two years before transitioning into Beauty and Fashion photography in Paris and New York for prestigious clients such as Harper’s Bazaar, Cosmopolitan and Schwarzkopf.

These four composite pieces, called “Ensemble,” are a continuation of Soyez-Bernard’s photographic work on the body. Finding inspiration in shapes, skin texture, color and light. Taking several images with different crops and levels, the frames are then re-united, the body put back together, or part of the body, as a final collage.

While using The Impossible Project’s film range, Bruce pursues this process with a focus on the film grain, format and the “happy accidents” of this specific instant medium to create impressive life-size abstract pieces.

More after the jump…

Thanks to our great pals at Gorilla vs Bear, Flavorpill’s Flavorwire recently featured an image shot with PX 70 PUSH! in their slideshow “Strange and Brilliant Polaroids of Famous People.”

We cannot argue – the 21 images are indeed strangely brilliant and form almost a history of instant film since the 1960’s. Gorilla vs. Bear’s PUSH! shot of The Walkmen is included with the likes of Johnny Depp ironing toast, Andy Warhol with a skull on his skull and James Marsden looking like he just woke from a week-long bender.

Check it out!

To celebrate our country’s forefathers, we at the Impossible NYC Space are hosting sales all week long! We’ll be announcing the sales every morning, and announce each sale on our Facebook and Twitter pages. Sales will then be catalogued here:

Monday, Feb. 21 – PZ600 UV+ for $20/pack
Tuesday, Feb. 22 – 10% off all in-stock Polaroid cameras
Wednesday, Feb. 23 – Type 100 Chocolate film $15/pack
Thursday, Feb. 24 – Polaroid Spectra/Image film $20/pack
Friday, Feb. 25 – 15% off all books, bags and accessories

More after the jump…

Our new PX70 PUSH! film needs a LOT of light to soak in all those wonderful colors you want to capture. Recently, the Impossible team has been testing PUSH! with flash bars and the colors are looking brilliant.

More after the jump…