Blog

Welcome back to Dr. Love’s Tips, our ongoing series in which Impossible USA’s Camera Resource Manager Frank love addresses common film and camera questions. This week: The Secret of the Ooze.

We’ve had some people write in recently saying they had a frame of film here and there occasionally with blue liquid ooze coming out of the back top of the frame.

This ooze is in fact the developer chemistry. It is stored in 3 ‘pods’ at the base of the film. It is this that actually gave instant integral film that fat border on the bottom, purely from a functional standpoint.

The reason the chemistry occasionally oozes out the top, is very similar to why you’ll get the ‘undeveloped patch’. You see, the chemistry is spread from the pods through the frame as the film passes through the rollers of the camera. Now the amount and thickness of this spread is taken to an exact science, however, there are always some variables that can affect this. If shooting in cooler or warmer temperatures, or from one camera’s set of looser rollers to another’s tighter set, this can affect the spreading thickness. Also, if rollers are dirty, this creates uneven spots of spreading on the frame, which lead to white spots on your photos, but can also unevenly distribute the rest of the chemistry.

Depending on the circumstances, you can either be left with insufficient coverage, and the ‘undeveloped patch’, OR you can end up on the opposite extreme,...Read All

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 next monthly Analog Feedback Night.

Next Thursday, May 31st, come by the NYC Space to show off your work. Talk film and photography with like minded instant enthusiasts over a few beers. Discover new camera and film secrets, geek out and maybe even get your work featured on The Impossible Blog – this is your chance to connect with other artists and photographers involved in the instant film community!

WHEN: THURSDAY, MAY 31, 2012 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM
WHERE: Impossible Project Space NYC 425 Broadway, 5th Floor Between Howard & Canal Streets
RSVP: Email rsvp@theimpossibleproject.com or call +1 212 219 3254
FREE and open to the public!

• 
• 
• 
• 

To celebrate the recent opening of Traces of Time, the vibrant new exhibition to open on our South wall, photographers and fellow travelers Varial and Fabrice Nadjari will visit the NYC Space to talk about their experience shooting Impossible film in the remote deserts and villages of the Wakhan corridor, Afghanistan. Guests will have the opportunity to ask the artists about their shooting and survival techniques and hear the inside story on their adventure. If you haven’t had a chance to see this unique exhibition, Traces of Time will be showing in the NYC Space until June 1st.

While you prepare your burning questions for the artists, check out their story on The New York Times LENS blog or listen to their interview on NPR!

WHEN: THURSDAY, MAY 24, 2012 from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
WHERE: Impossible Project Space NYC 425 Broadway, 5th Floor Between Howard & Canal Streets
RSVP: Email rsvp@theimpossibleproject.com or call +1 212 219 3254
FREE and open to the public!

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Last weekend we were lucky enough to host TWO special events with Italian maestro and analog instant master photographer Maurzio Galimberti at the NYC Space.

During his visit to New York, Maurizio shared his experiences and thoughts on the instant analog medium and on his transition from Polaroid to Impossible films. Some lucky guests were selected as subjects for some of his unique instant mosaic work, and the Impossible team was there to capture a video of the action.

To send him off in style, The NYC Space will host one final event with Maurizio, a farewell pizza party and documentary screening!

Come by The Impossible Project NYC Space on Tuesday the 22nd of May for a one time screening of a wonderful documentary on the photographic life of Maurizio Galimberti. If you missed the chance to meet him earlier this month, now’s your chance to eat pizza and drink some beers with Maurizio himself at this informal event.

MAURIZIO GALIMBERTI DOCUMENTARY & PIZZA PARTY!

WHEN: TUESDAY, MAY 22ND, 2012 from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM
WHERE: Impossible Project NYC Space, 425 Broadway, 5th Floor Between Howard & Canal Street
FREE and open to the public!

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Hello, Impossibles! Welcome back to 8 Exposures, our instant film Q&A series. This entry brings you photographic Frenchman Thomas Krauss…

Q1) What kind of Polaroid camera(s) do you use?

A: From the moment I fell for instantaneous photographs I‘ve tried different ones, but mostly those that use 600 film. The very first one, the trigger, the Archduke of Austria, was the fruit of an exchange for a Holga. Lately I’ve mostly been using an SLR 680, a 690, and an instant Type 100 back for my 4×5 camera.

Q2) Why do you like instant photography?

A: I honestly don’t know, my banker is after me. My wife and him agree so much in restraining my buying frenzy that I’m beginning to think there’s something between them…My photographs lack perfection. I don’t master any of the parameters at shooting…

Q3) What is your earliest memory of instant film?

A: The one and only time during my childhood when I used a Polaroid was for Manu’s birthday. Manu was the little fair-haired boy who lived opposite us. (Since then he has grown and moved).
The boy I’ve always known.
The boy I cycled with.
The boy I watched the Tour de France with – the boy who made me hate the Tour de France.
The boy I played Monopoly with – the boy who made me hate Monopoly…So maybe he’s the one who made me hate birthdays and love Polaroid!

Q4) What’s your favorite Impossible film type?

A: Meat is my hobby-horse. The colour of meat. I’ve...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.

Photo by Adam Custins

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Last week at the NYC Space we had our first ever Analog Feedback Night. Impossible photographers and enthusiasts gathered to discuss their images in an informal open table discussion. The night was a warm gathering of like minded individuals and an excellent way for people to meet other passionate Impossible photographers. We discussed shooting methods, differences in film types, and the advantages and disadvantages of shooting analog instant film in various settings. Adam Custins came in with his portfolio and talked about how he integrates instant film into his commercial work. Dave Knapik was preparing for an art exhibition (up now!) and requested input about framing and presentation methods. We also had some great imagery shown by Josie Keefe, Patrick Tobin and Wendy Strauss.

Analog Feedback Night will be a reoccurring event at our space. If you miss those art school class critiques or just want to discuss other people’s work while getting feedback on your own, come to the next Analog Feedback night on May 31st!

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Hello, instanteers! Welcome back to 8 Exposures, our instant film Q & A series. This entry focuses on New York-based Maritza de la Vega…

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

Primarily I use an SX-70 Alpha, and an SLR 680 SE for integral film and a 440 for pack film. I recently acquired a Keystone 60 Second Everflash (a non-Polaroid pack film camera) that I really like to use and that is slowly replacing my 440. I have a few other Polaroid cameras but I don’t really use them very often.

2) Why do you like instant photography?

I like that it is instant, of course, but also that it’s tangible. It’s great to hold an image in my hand and admire it without the aid of a brightly lit screen!

3) What is your earliest memory of instant film?

??I don’t have specific early memories of instant film, but I do feel that it was a constant part of my world especially from the late seventies through the mid-nineties.

(More after the jump!)

Photo by Lou Noble

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Hello, again. Welcome back to 8 Exposures, our instant film interview series. This week, we bring you a lovely lady from the west coast, photographer Laura Taylor…

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

A: The SX-70 is my main camera, though I have a couple other Land cameras that I like to play around with.

2) Q: Why do you like instant photography?

A: It’s just magical to me. I love that the photo is tangible like a small treasure. The element of surprise is fun, too. You never know exactly what to expect because forces out of your control are at play. All of these aspects create a special experience, and beautiful photographs.

3) Q: What is your earliest memory of instant film?

A: When I was in preschool, I had a Polaroid photo taken of me sticking my head through a big wooden cut out clown. I still have that Polaroid.

(More after the jump!)

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

• 
• 
• 
• 

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)

The good doctor.

• 
• 

Hello again, Love Patients! This week Dr. Love explains a little about Impossible films’ light sensitivity…

Some of you may wonder why Impossible film needs to be covered from light when it first comes out of a camera when Polaroid film didn’t. If Polaroid film could be exposed to light, why can’t Impossible’s film be?

The short answer to this is…“Opacification Layer.” This is a layer within the film, that upon the spreading of the developer chemistry, reacts in a way that blocks out almost all light from affecting the lower (still light-sensitive) layers…of the film. As instant film has a regular film negative at its base, will still be sensitive to light until it’s been fully processed. Think of the Opacification layer, or opacifier, as a chemical curtain that needs to be drawn over the film to protect the image you’ve created…

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Hello, Impossibles! We’re happy to bring you another entry in our ever-popular question and answer series, 8 Exposures. In this episode, the man of the hour is George Weiss III, a photographer based in Philadelphia, specializing in weddings and portraits, with a love for analog photography…

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

A: I have a bunch, I’m a bit of a hoarder, er, I mean collector, but I primarily use a couple SX-70 Sonars, an SLR 680, and I have a 250 for packfilm.

2) Q: Why do you like instant photography?

A: Hmph, where do I start? I think the biggest reason is the fact that it has a life and a soul that can’t be found in any other medium. I love the feeling of anticipation I get when I’ve taken a photo and I’m waiting for it to develop or to peel it. It’s magic.

3) Q: What is your earliest memory of instant film?

A: I have a lot of pictures of myself as a child (probably in the 3-year-old range) that were taken by my grandfather but I don’t actually remember them being taken. When I was a young child in the 80’s, Polaroid photos were so ubiquitous it was hard to avoid them.

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Hi there, friends! Welcome back to 8 Exposures, our instant film question & answer series. This week, we spoke with Phoenix, AZ-based Sean Rohde…

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

A: Loaded Question! I mostly use my 190 and 195, but I also have a 180, Fuji Fotorama FP-1, Mamiya Universal, Crown Graphic with Polaroid and Fuji backs, SX-70 Model 2 (white), SX-70 Alpha 1 Model 2 (black and modified for 600), Colorpack III, Big Swinger 3000, and some other stuff, plus things I have owned and sold in the past, like a Konica Instant Press and modified roll film cameras, as well as various plastic hard case and folder cameras. I would love to have a 185 to complete my collection, but they seemed to have gone up in value in the past two years to some ridiculous prices. I have to use my cameras, not just look at them on a shelf.

2) Q: Why do you like instant photography?

??A: Well, certainly the fact that it is instant is a draw. Though sometimes I don’t peel my 100 and 80 for six hours so I guess they aren’t always so instant. There is just a certain quality that instant films have that film doesn’t have. Color shifts, textures…it all kind of gives photos a vintage quality that I like.

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Hello, Impossibles! Welcome back to 8 Exposures. This week, we spoke with Portland, OR-based photographer, illustrator and MAE student Jade Sheldon…

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

A: I have a small collection of Polaroid cameras that my grandparents have given me over the years. They love estate sales and whenever they come across a camera, they can’t resist getting it for me (you won’t catch me complaining). Not all of them are in working order, but they are beautiful to look at nonetheless. The main cameras I use for my instant film photography are my Sun 660 and Fuji Instax 210. I’m looking to add a Polaroid 195 to my modest collection.

2) Q: Why do you like instant photography?

A: I earned my BFA in illustration in 2009. That was four long years of sketches, thumbnails, roughs, color comps, second-guessing, finals, and critiques. Creating an illustration can take hours… days… even months. There is so much planning and so much preparation that goes into it. When I discovered instant film, I felt so free. With instant film, I could create a piece of original art in seconds.

The good doctor.

Two simple tips to help you whenever you experience trouble with your camera or film are…

1. Hold on to dark slides
2. Carry an empty film pack

When ever you run into trouble with your camera, having these tools with you can be invaluable to trouble shoot your camera without wasting precious, valuable film.

Upon the moment of realizing something isn’t quite right with your camera, you can simply grab a dark slide from your camera bag or pocket, and slide it into the camera over…

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Hello again, 8 Exposures fanatics! We’re back with another splendid entry in our instant film interview series. This week, we spoke with Andrew Millar…

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

A: I have quite a few SX-70 cameras; some work better than others but I mostly tend to use my trusty old brown SX-70 Land Camera 2.

2) Why do you like instant photography?

A: It can be unpredictable and love it when you try to control or play with the outcome and end up with something unexpected and unique.

3) Q: What is your earliest memory of instant film?

No one in my family owned an instant camera so my earliest memory would be going to get my passport photos done when I was a child in an old-fashioned photo booth.

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Hello, friends! We hereby present you with another entry in our instant film Q & A series, 8 Exposures. This week, we profiled California photographer Kristen Perman…

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

A: My favorite camera is my SLR 680. I actually have two of them, both in a delicate state from being dropped. I also love my Spectra camera, gifted to me by a good friend, who found it by her apartment dumpster in Philly. It’s clear, so you can see all the inner workings and it has proven to be a great conversation starter.

2) Q: Why do you like instant photography?

A: Instant photography taught me how to frame a photo and of course, to slow down. I’ve learned that the first shot is always the best, even if that first shot is not the best or your favorite.

3) Q: What is your earliest memory of instant film?

A: We always had a Polaroid camera around. There are random family photos throughout my childhood proving its existence even though I don’t remember it much.

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

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…

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Hello again from 8 Exposures! This week, we’re highlighting Maryland Event Planner and photo genius Jessica Hibbard Elenstar!

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

A: My collection is always expanding, but my favorites are SX-70s, Spectra ProCams, and Super Shooters. I always have at least two of each in case one breaks, and multiple cameras also come in handy for shooting different film types at the same time.

2) Q: Why do you like instant photography?

A: I’m drawn to the beauty of vintage cameras, the warmth of film, and the uniquely imperfect nature of each image. Even “bad” polaroids are good, and a nice reminder for a control freak like myself to be open to surprises.

3) Q: What is your earliest memory of instant film?

A: My grandmother’s Spectra camera. I still remember her opening the crinkly silver package of film. She insisted on taking a picture of the entire family at the dinner table when we were all together, so there are many vintage shots of me as a kid with food in my mouth.

(More after the jump!)

The good doctor.

We’re proud to introduce a new feature on the Impossible Blog: Dr. Love’s Film Tips. Each week, Frank Love, Impossible USA’s Camera Resources Manager, will provide guidance on how to get the best from your Impossible images. This episode concerns shooting Impossible film in cold weather…

With the temperatures dropping, there are some things to keep in mind when shooting instant film in cold weather. Since instant film is a film lab in each frame, the temperature you’re shooting in can greatly affect each frame you shoot, for good or bad. Something to keep in mind is any instant film needs to be at at least 50ºF/10ºC for processing…

(More after the jump!)

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Hello again, instanteers, and welcome back to 8 Exposures! This week, we spoke with Washington, DC-based Ben Shuster…

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

A: I have a couple SX-70s – the Original and the Sonar Onestep – and a Spectra for the current and past integral packs. For packfilm I go with either the Model 340 Land Camera or my Kiev 88 fitted with the Polaroid magazine. I also still have a fair amount of Type 80 series packfilm, and those go straight into my Holgaroid.

2) Q: Why do you like instant photography?

A: Like so many other people, I love its vintage coolness, nostalgia-soaked colors and analog unpredictability. It sets your shots apart from everything else out there. It can take a perfectly normal snapshot and make it perfectly unique. The variety of manipulation and lift techniques really make creative possibilities endless. AND! Name someone you know who doesn’t have a “make my photos look like instant film” app on their phone – you can’t do it. WE know what’s up. WE have the prints to prove it.

(More after the jump!)

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

We’re happy to bring you another entry in our popular instant film question-and-answer series 8 Exposures! This week, we proudly feature UK-based photographer and digital artist Jake Messenger…

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

A: Many! My favourites are my dad’s old original SX-70, and the SX-70 Sonar which belonged to his business partner. I also use a hefty 600SE; the quality you can get from it is fantastic, but it is a beast to lug about. My lighter pack-film option is a Land Automatic 250. I have a few other cameras knocking about – a Super Shooter, a 600 P, an SX-70 3000. On my shelf there are a couple of beauties for show: I love the 800 roll-film camera. Oh, and I have a pack-film back for my Holga!

2) Q: Why do you like instant photography?

A: I love the ‘thingness’ of instant: how you compose your picture, take it, and within a few minutes you have the physical object in your hand. While I love all kinds of image-making, the immediacy of instant is just magical. I love the fact that the film is its own darkroom, that once the image is there, that’s it – there are no processing decisions to be made.

(More after the jump!)

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Hello again, friends, and welcome back to 8 Exposures! This week we spoke to Britta Hershman

1) Q: What kind of polaroid camera(s) do you use?

A: For most of my instant photography, I use my trusty green OneStep Express, aka, the Turtle. Actually, I’m mildly obsessed with all things Italian, so I call it by its Italian name, la Tartaruga. It’s cute, green, and round, and I found it in a thrift shop in Naples, Italy. It was my first instant camera, so it will always hold a special place in my heart. I also use a Spectra, a Polaroid 330 for Type 100 peel-apart film, and a Polaroid Land Camera 800 for Type 40 series roll film, nicknamed the Dino because of its impressive size and weight. And also, sadly, because film for it is nearly extinct. It’s difficult to find, and the few films that are left have been expired for decades and are often dried out. So the chances of ending up with actual photos are slim, but once in a while it does happen. And every time it does, I’m reminded of why I love instant photography.

2) Q: Why do you like instant photography?

A: It’s a thrill to create tiny but complete works of art with a camera.

(More after the jump!)

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Hi again, 8 Exposures fanatics! We’re happy to bring you a special Sunday entry in our series. This episode, the star of 8 Exposures is Seattle-based designer, project manager and mom Brooke Castro…

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

A: I have 12 Polaroid cameras (there is no such thing as too many cameras, right?), but the ones I use most are my SLR 680 SE, SX-70, and a Polaroid ColorPack II.

2) Q: Why do you like instant photography?

A: I love that it has proved time and time again that the most beautiful or interesting photos aren’t always the ones you planned for or expected.

3) Q: What is your earliest memory of instant film?

A: When I was really young, my grandfather used to take family photos with a Polaroid camera. I can remember waiting, anxious for him to peel back the film and show my cousins and me the photo. (That Polaroid ColorPack II that I mentioned above? That was my grandpa’s camera.)

(More after the jump!)

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Hello, Impossibles! Welcome back to 8 Exposures. This week, we turned the spotlight on Long Beach, CA-based photographer Bradley Johnson:

1) Q: What kind of polaroid camera(s) do you use?

A: I use them all!…or at least, as many as I can get my hands on! Each camera has its own charm, but there are a few that I prefer more than others. I think that the SX-70 is the quintessential Polaroid camera. It does everything you would want a camera to do, and it uses instant film! My runner up would be the Propack. I know that many of my photographer friends will make fun of me for this, but it produces nice photos, and is relatively compact. I use the close-up, and portrait lens attachments (meant for the Polaroid 250, 360, 450 land cameras) to make it even more versatile. Also, it never has the jamming problem associated with Fuji pack film.

2) Q: Why do you like instant photography?

A: First and foremost is the instant feedback. However, with the advent of digital, that isn’t such a novelty anymore. I suppose the real reason I love instant film so much is the fact that each photo is an original work of art. There is no negative. The print you hold in your hand is one of a kind. There will never be another. Sure, you could scan and print a copy, but it will never be the same.

(More after the jump!)

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Hello, 8 Exposures fans! This week, the star of 8 Exposures is Bay Area Dog Portrait Aficionado Jesse Freidin…

1) Q: What kind of polaroid camera(s) do you use?

A: This is a dangerous question, because I am a collector. I own about 30 Polaroid cameras, all salvaged for around $5 from various yard sales over the past 10 years. Most of them are retired, littered throughout my apartment in some sort of display. But many of them work perfectly. My two favorites are the Spectra Image (which I now shoot exclusively with Impossible Film), and the Land Camera 103. They smell good, they feel good, they are like extensions of my body. If my house were burning down, I’d be the jerk with singed hair and 30 instant cameras around my neck.

2) Q: Why do you like instant photography?

A: Instant photography was my first love, and I fell hard. There is something so powerful about making the images in your head exist in the real world, and instant photography has always articulated my personal vision perfectly. As a photographer dedicated to analog means, I will never let go of the physical interaction I have with my cameras and film.

(More after the jump!)

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Hello friends, and welcome back to 8 Exposures! This week, we spoke with German photographic wizard Oliver Zelinski…

1) Q: What kind of polaroid camera(s) do you use?

A: There is a Barilla pinhole and some old plate cameras with Polaroid backs, a Macro 3, a couple of 636s, an EE100, an Image Spectra, two SX-70 Alpha, a 340, two EE44 and something in the cellar

2) Q: Why do you like instant photography?

A: Because of its own limitation and in connection the results + the smell on x-posed in polanoid.

3) Q: What is your earliest memory of instant film?

A: I remember my mum dissing grandpa’s Sun 660 and those unstable pictures with the boring frame.

4) Q: What’s your favorite Impossible Film type?

A: PX 100 FF and PX 680 beta.

5) Q: What are your favorite subjects to photograph?

A: Mr Giulio Stucchi but generally I am trying not to see the subjects as such but let them speak out. Then you can listen, looking at the picture…

(More after the jump!)

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Welcome back to 8 Exposures! This week, we spoke with the amazing Brad Elterman, who since the 1970s has been photographing celebrities and musicians such as Blondie, David Bowie, Michael Jackson and The Who!

1) Q: What kind of polaroid camera(s) do you use?

A: Polaroid One.

2) Q: Why do you like instant photography?

A: It’s so sexy.

3) Q: What is your earliest memory of instant film?

A: My mom was a painter and in the 70’s she went out and got an SX70. That was really something special. I still have it, somewhere.

4) Q: What’s your favorite impossible film type?

A: PX 680.

5) Q: What are your favorite subjects to photograph?

A: Modern Pop Culture

(More after the jump!)

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Welcome back to 8 Exposures! This week, we talked with LA photographer/sweetheart Jessica Reinhardt…

1) Q: What kind of polaroid camera(s) do you use?

A: I consider myself extremely fortunate when it comes to my cameras. I have four Polaroid cameras that I use all the time…as well as an ever growing collection of wayward cameras rescued from various states of neglect. I have two Land Cameras…a 360 that belonged to my father. He won it as a college student—-a top of the line set with filters, self-timer, cable release, and portrait lens—-the works. When I was in college he had it reconditioned and gave it to me as a birthday gift. It was the camera that really solidified my love affair with Instant Film. My other Land Camera is a 320 I found languishing in the supply closet at work. It had not been touched pretty much since it was purchased. My boss was impressed with what the camera could do with a fresh battery and some film. My Polaroid cameras that I don’t leave home without are two original model SX-70s. My first SX-70 was a Swap Meet find, complete with a carrying case and manual.

(more after the jump!)

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Welcome to another exciting edition of 8 Exposures, our new interview series highlighting interesting people using Impossible film. This week we talked with UK-based photographic wizard Dan Ryan.

1) Q: What kind of polaroid camera(s) do you use?

A: I’ve got loads of Polaroids in various states of repair, but day-to-day I normally use a battered, brown SX-70 Alpha and a nice and shiny 180.

2) Q: Why do you like instant photography?

A: I don’t know…Why do you like breathing?

3) Q: What is your earliest memory of instant film?

A: I have a bit of a false memory of instant film which, as it turns out was taken on a Kodak. It was a family snap of a walk, with dad and a backpack. I rediscovered it a few years ago in an old album. My modern love affair with Polaroid came at a party about 6 or 7 years ago, when someone pulled out an old 330 or something – I was blown away with the simple beauty of it.

(More after the jump!…)

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Welcome to another thrilling episode of 8 Exposures, our new interview series highlighting interesting people using Impossible film. This week we talked with Oregon-based instant film magicians His & Hers (Dave Tuttle and Whitney Johnson)…

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

Hers: Between the two of us, we have a lot of cameras. We actually have an entire closet devoted to cameras, accessories and film.

His: The cameras are in various working conditions, of course. I think we probably have only 30-40 total. There are more than a few that could probably stand to be donated for parts.

Hers: Ha! Only 30 or 40.

His: Yeah, it is a bit ridiculous considering we really only use the same ones over and over again.

Hers: I love my SLR 680. It has a tiny hole in the bellows that I have to tape every few months, a burn mark on the sonar from where I attempted to dislodge a piece of stuck straw with a lighter (note to others: this is not a good idea) and the entire top cover melted off on a Caribbean cruise (seriously), but it still works like a champ. It is the best $75 I’ve ever spent.

(More after the jump!)

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Welcome to another episode of 8 Exposures, our new feature consisting of 8 photography and instant film-related questions, accompanied by 8 Impossible images from the featured artist. This week, we interviewed Chicago-based photographer, rabbit-lover and life-liver Azuree Wiitala

1) Q: What kind of Polaroid Cameras do you use?

A: My favorite Polaroid camera to use is the SLR 680. Sadly that camera died while my husband and I were visiting my family in Puerto Rico last year. Since then I’ve been shooting with three Sonar One Step SX-70 cameras. Yes, three. They each have different film in them although I have to admit that I can never remember which has what film, which turns out to be a fun surprise, for the most part.

2) Q: Why do you like instant photography?

A: I am drawn to instant photography because it is…instant. I do not prefer to shoot digitally and find that I drag my feet to develop 35mm (which I also love to shoot) so instant film just makes sense to me. I also love the perfect imperfections that come along with shooting instant film.

(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…