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Welcome back to Dr. Love’s Tips, where Impossible USA’s camera resource manager Frank Love provides you with insight that allows you to get the best out of your Polaroid camera and Impossible film. This week: Shooting in Warm Weather…

It’s warming up again and even though we’ve touched on this topic before, it’s worth revisiting, for as the seasons have changed, so have our films.

Now everyone is surely familiar with our previous generation of COOL Films, but it’s possible that some haven’t yet shot our Color Protection films on those hot balmy summer days.

Just to start, whether it’s the COOL film or Color Protection film, the film is meant to be stored cool for best results. But, once you’re taking it out to shoot, you don’t need to keep the film at a refrigerated temperature. That said, if you’re going out on hot days, and plan to be outside for awhile, you will likely want to take some precaution so that the heat won’t affect the film.

There is one key difference to note between what you may be used to shooting (COOL color films and prior film generations), and the new Color Protection formula films. That being, COOL films when actually processing, would benefit from some extra warmth, giving the film a little boost in contrast and saturation. However, the new Color Protection formula does NOT react in the same way. The CPF films process best in those room temp/just below room temp conditions....Read All

Greetings, friends, and welcome back to Dr. Love’s Tips, where Impossible USA’s Camera Resource Manager Frank Love provides you with advice and insight on how to get the best out of your Polaroid cameras and Impossible film. This entry: Push it! Push it Real Good…

Taking some cues from our Flickr thread, we’ve had some people write in asking about how to shoot SX-70 or 100 speed film in their 600 cameras. Whatever your reasons, be it you’re in a pinch and SX-70 is what’s available, or you want to bring one less camera with you, or you’re going for a different look than your SX-70 gets you, there is always something you can do to trick your camera to think how you want it to…or at least close to it.

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

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Welcome back to Dr. Love’s Tips, our ongoing series in which Impossible USA’s Camera Resource Manager Frank Love provides you with valuable insight into the workings of instant film and cameras. This week: Why 8 Photos?

Many people have asked us…”Why only 8 frames instead of the traditional 10?”

The answer here is simple…yet complex. The simple answer is that there just isn’t room to put 10 frames of Impossible Film into a pack. Well then, how did Polaroid fit 10 frames into the same cartridge?

Here is where it gets a little more complex. Polaroid made nearly all their own materials, engineered collectively over 17 years; they were able to produce film that could eject out into direct sunlight moments after being exposed without harming the film, begin processing and stop all on its own…truly amazing. They had also done this with 10 frames of film to a cartridge.

In Impossible’s case, everything was there: cameras, cartridge size, and general functionality. The hard part here is that the old way of making the film was gone, no way back, everything for the film had to be re-engineered from scratch. So Impossible began a journey to create film that could function within these constraints, within this system of cartridges and cameras. There is very very little room for change in this system, but as the materials that go into the film HAD to change, it’s not surprising that the final product did vary a little from Polaroid’s.

The main difference is...Read All

Acclaimed artist and designer, Patrick Winfield (website=www.patrickwinfield.com) will return to the Impossible Project NYC Space to present his fascinating and distinctive photogram workshop. Well known for his vivid composites and alternative processes, Patrick will demonstrate his personal instant photogram technique with the Impossible film medium.

Welcome back to Dr. Love’s Tips, our ever-popular series in which Impossible USA’s Camera Resource Manager provides advice to help you get the most out of your instant film experience. This week, Dr. Love focuses on shooting in hot weather…

Now that most everyone is enjoying warmer weather, and with the introduction of our COOL Films, a lot of people have been asking about best practices for shooting on those balmy summer days.

Just to start, COOL film is meant to be stored cool for best results, but once you’re taking it out to go shoot, you do NOT need to carry along a little lunch cooler to keep the film…

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After some testing here at Impossible, we’ve come to realize our latest version of the new PZ 680 COOL film has some unique properties that we thought we should address. Here’s Dr. Love…

Some of the conventional wisdom that has come to be associated with how to work with our films, may actually lead to making your images look worse instead of better. Some things we want to point out are…

1. The film is NOT fast, as we originally reported. It actually tests a little slow. It is however VERY sensitive in opacification failure, EVEN with the use of a Frog Tongue. Be very careful to shield completely!
2. If you have tried adjustments to counteract blown highlights and crushed blacks (little latitude and range), there are some things that you might be doing that actually compound the problem.

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Hello, Impossibles! Welcome back to the wonderful world of Dr. Love. Today’s topic is one that has been requested a few times: The Long Exposure…

Some people have written in either having issues with blurry images and not understanding why they were getting them, or simply asking how to make a good long exposure with Polaroid cameras.

Before you attempt this, you must understand the concept of a long exposure. When the camera is exposing the film, moving the camera can cause a motion blur. When in well-lit conditions, the exposure is so short that little movements have no effect. In lower light however, you need to be more careful, especially with SX-70s, because of the slower speed of the film.

First you need to know your camera. The easiest rule to know is that if you’re using one of the many types of standard 600 plastic box cameras, the longest exposure the camera allows is 1/4 second. This is meant to help prevent blurry images in general, but would also make trying to take a shot at night w/o flash very hard as it would be too dark.

Using an SX-70 camera or a Spectra camera, one can get longer exposures, up to a few seconds. The exact maximum can vary on specific models. First of all, this means if you’re shooting in low light, you need to be sure to steady your camera, as you will likely have a blurry image otherwise. Bracing yourself and/or your camera...Read All

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Hello from Impossible! Dr. Love is back with another informative post in which he revisits the importance of shielding your images…

“Some people have asked some follow up questions to our Opacification post, and as the days are getting longer, we wanted to help stress the use of Impossible Films on those bright sunny summer days.

To simply summarize the main point from the opacification post, Impossible films are still sensitive to light in the first moments out of the camera. This is because the protective layer within the film that is there to protect the film can’t yet block out enough light in many situations that it needs an outside aide.

If the batteries in your empty Impossible film cassettes are running low and too weak to test old Polaroid cameras we have received a nice idea by Jasper Ellens. He simply bought a flat rechargeable 6 volt battery in the local hardware store and installed this in a empty pack.

Like this you get an empty film casette ready to quasi endlessly test your Polaroid cameras shutter and motor operation.

From its inception PX70 PUSH! film challenged photographers with its unique chemical composition and specific shooting requirements. Now that it has aged it has become a different beast all together – one that requires an extra level of taming. We recommend considering the following crucial points when working with PX 70 Color Shade PUSH! film:

LIGHT
A strong flash will support image details the best. Use of artificial or day light will create a more soft-focus effect.

DISTANCE
The closer the motif, the better the results!

MOTIF
Don’t go for the white horse in the snow. Only motifs that are rich in contrast and color will create decent results.

TEMPERATURE
PX 70 Color Shade PUSH! film has always preferred warm temperatures while shooting and processing (more than 15°C/59°F). Flickr Forum – Heating Your PUSH!

SHIELDING
Make absolutely sure that NO light at all hits the image as it ejects from the camera. Click here for all shielding methods

TIME
Be patient. PX 70 Color Shade PUSH! images need about 12 hours to to fully develop and display final results.

PRESERVATION
To make sure your PUSH! images do not fade over time or shift to a blue color due to humidity, we recommend lifting or peeling the image. Click here for a Lifting tutorial.

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…

The good doctor.

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This week, Impossible USA’s Camera Resource Manager Frank Love speaks about the dreaded divots!…

Something all of you have most likely seen by now, either in your shots or in shots we’ve posted, is that little patch that can occasionally show up on the top of our films. Depending on who you talk to, this can be called a ‘divot’, ‘undeveloped patch’, or even a ‘mushroom’ or ‘snowflake’ depending on its appearance.

Now, this phenomena is certainly not new with Impossible films, it’s simply that most people have either never used or forgotten about Polaroid’s earlier films that would have experienced coverage issues, or are only used to seeing it in expired film, that it’s gotten a little more attention of late…

(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!)

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!).

The good doctor.

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To Dry Age or Not to Dry Age: that is the question.

Many of you may have seen or at least heard about our Dry Age Kits. For anyone who is still asking themselves, “What is a Dry Age Kit and why do I need one?” I hope to answer some of your questions.

First of all the Dry Age Kit is all about preservation. As Impossible films are not 100% stable, there is one key factor in getting the frames to ‘cure’ or ‘set’, and that is oxidation. So long as the film is still ‘wet’ from the initial chemical process, it is slowly oxidizing, in the same way that metal rusts…

(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.

By popular demand, The Impossible Project is pleased to announce the return of The Spectra Workshop at the New York Space.
On Sunday, December 11th, the Impossible NYC space will hold a three-hour interactive tutorial on getting the best out of the Polaroid Spectra camera and the Impossible film range.

This workshop is designed to explore the Spectra camera’s full potential and versatility, including an outline of all the camera’s unique accessories and attachments. We will cover in detail all that The Impossible Project film has to offer, including shielding techniques, temperature control and identifying and managing each film type’s unique characteristics.

Workshop participants will then have the opportunity to explore all the photogenic wonders of SOHO, Little Italy and Chinatown with two of Impossible’s experienced staff photographers and then re-convene back at the space to discuss images, ask questions and talk about image preservation techniques.

More after the jump…

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…

Doctor Frank is back with another dose of Impossible Solutions. Now that winter is ahead, shooting Impossible Silver Shade film can be a bit more of a challenge…

Impossible America is pleased to present the next exciting workshop in our New York Space series.

Sunday August 21st, The Impossible NYC space will hold a 3 hour interactive tutorial on getting the best out of your Polaroid Spectra or 1200 type camera and getting the most out of all the Impossible film range.

After briefly exploring your Spectra camera’s full potential and versatility including unique accessories and attachments, we will then outline all that our new instant film has to offer. From shielding techniques to temperature control to identifying and managing each film types unique characteristics.

We’ll let you loose in the city streets to explore all the photogenic wonders of SOHO, Little Italy and Chinatown with two of our experienced photographers and then re convene back at the space to discuss your images, ask questions and talk about image preservation techniques.

Cost for the workshop is $75. Register today! Call (212) 219-3254 to RSVP or with questions; all major credit cards accepted.

• JULY 10 WORKSHOP FULL! EXTRA DATE ADDED ON SUNDAY JULY 17TH.

On Sunday July 10th, The Impossible NYC Space will hold a 3 hour interactive workshop on getting the best out of your Polaroid 600 camera and the most out of all the Impossible 600 films.

After briefly exploring your 600 camera’s full potential and versatility, we will then outline all that our new instant film has to offer – From shielding techniques to temperature control to identifying and managing each film’s unique characteristics.

We’ll let you loose in the city streets to explore all the photogenic wonders of SOHO, Little Italy and Chinatown with two of our experienced photographers and then re convene back at the space to discuss your images, ask questions and talk about image preservation techniques.

Time: 10:00am to 1:00pm
Special Introductory Price: $50 (includes one free pack of PX680 film and free use of a Polaroid camera)
Call the NYC Space to make your reservation today at (212) 219–3254

Doctor Frank is back with another installment of Impossible Solutions. Here he shows us how to properly handle and store film for optimal performance. He also explains how to safely travel with film, without risking xray damage to your film. Watch the video to learn how to pack your film, and learn films need special treatment in the airport.

Doctor Jon here with a very special installment of Impossible Solutions. Here Jon shows us how to refurbish the leather skin of an Sx 70, making it look new for the next generation of Sx 70 photographers.

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…

Hi everybody! Dr. Frank is back with another informative instructional video; here he shows you how to swap film packs without wasting any film. Watch the video to learn how to switch between packs of film, or change packs if the pack battery dies.

This short video gives you a list of common problems to look out for when buying a vintage SX 70 online or at a flea market. Frank explains how to visually check to make sure the camera is in working order; he lists the most frequent problems and what to ask the seller to ensure you are buying a quality camera.

Frank is back with another installment of Impossible Solutions! In this video Frank teaches us how to protect light sensitive film while its developing to avoid overexposure. If you are planning on shooting Color Shade, Silver Shade, or if your images ever turn out white, be sure to watch this video for some quick tips to get beautiful results.

Frank is back with another installment of impossible solutions, showing us how to deal with sticky packs of film that won’t eject pictures. Watch the video for easy to follow instructions to save time and film!