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No. 821

Viewfinder: Chris Garvi's Different View of Marseille

Patrick Tobin, | 3 hours ago

Welcome back to Viewfinder, our ongoing series chronicling interesting projects that incorporate Impossible film. This entry comes to us from Chris Garvi who wanted to show Marseille in a different light…

The idea came to my mind after I saw a photo exhibition on Marseille. Once more, the city was shown dirty and miserable. I’m used to seeing Marseille portrayed as filthy and deprived in each and every possible media, but I thought I’ve had enough! So, I decided there was a funny game to play: play at photographing Marseille from a naive angle. The Impossible challenge was then made possible: the only thing was to get a few Impossible films, blow the dust away from my SX-70 and just have fun. I focused on things I found pretty, and people I thought would embody my idea of Marseille. I found nice colors, and people whose generosity filled up my heart. I found joy, I found hope, I found the exact opposite of what people try to make us believe about Marseille. It depends on us to change our view on things cause things won’t change by themselves. Tell someone they’re pretty, they’ll feel pretty. But tell them they’re ugly…

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No. 818

Viewfinder: Clay Lipsky's "Echoes"

Patrick Tobin, | 14 days ago

Welcome back to Viewfinder, our ongoing series in which we chronicle interesting projects people are working on that incorporate IMPOSSIBLE film. This entry comes to us from California photographer Clay Lipsky

I gravitate towards images that hint at larger stories, photos that allow the viewer to make their own interpretations. Additionally, I enjoy emotive pictures that express the spirit of a place rather than the documentation of it. This series entitled “Echoes” seeks to follow both those tenets while exploring a dark, foreboding vibe inspired by reverberations of the past. I see the resulting images as metaphors for feelings of nostalgia, loss, the burden of memories and the desire to escape. I have just begun to develop this project and look forward to seeing where it will take me.

These photos were recently created in an abandoned hospital using a SX-70 with IMPOSSIBLE Silver Shade film. It was a creepy setting and I noticed an immediate synergy between the subject matter and the black & white film. The lighting varied greatly so a tripod was a necessity to combat the darkness. At times I tried to include some additional off camera lighting but had mixed results. One benefit of shooting indoors was that I did not have to shield the prints as they were exposed. After my experience there I wasn’t going to be surprised if I found some real ghosts captured on film, but nevertheless I think there is still a supernatural spirit to them all.

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No. 807

Viewfinder: Alison Turner's Reflected Identities

Patrick Tobin, | 34 days ago

Welcome back to Viewfinder, our ongoing series in which we chronicle interesting projects people are working on that incorporate IMPOSSIBLE film. This entry focuses on a project from our friend Alison Turner called “Reflected Identities”…

When I look in the mirror, what I see reflecting back at me is usually not how I feel inside. Under the superficial layer of skin, hair and eye color, I am much more complex than my reflection reveals. My internal struggles and search for self-identity has given me plenty of bricks to build the wall high, while holding down an internal mix of intense feelings of anger, loss, jealousy, vulnerability, love, sadness and confusion.

They say that you are a direct reflection of your friends and the people you choose to surround yourself with. If this holds true, all of my friends in this series are a collective self portrait of who I am. “Reflected Identities” has allowed me to see and understand these feelings by looking closer at the faces and bodies of the people who are closest to me who are also learning to accept who they are right now.

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No. 795

Viewfinder: James Joiner at Psych Fest

Patrick Tobin, | 48 days ago

Welcome back to Viewfinder, our ongoing series in which we chronicle interesting projects people are working on that incorporate Impossible film. This week, we bring you photos of Psych Fest, as seen through the eyes of our good friend and excellent photographer James Joiner

I knew from the moment I de-planed in Austin and felt warm, dry Texas air envelop me (at nine PM) that this was going to be a good weekend.

I was back in Texas for Psych Fest, an annual celebration of Psychedelic music hosted by locals The Black Angels. I say back because I had just been here a few weeks ago for the absolute madness that was South By Southwest, seven days of bourbon for breakfast and sleep being something that happened only when your face splashed forward into an empty tray of nachos while one of over ten thousand bands serenaded you at five in the morning.

No matter what happened, Psych Fest was going to be a vacation in comparison. This time around I was on assignment for a trifecta of magazines, paired with two different writers and armed with a backpack of Impossible film (thanks, Annie at Impossible!), my trusty SLR 680 and its digital counterpart.

After what would be my last good night of sleep for the duration and possibly more breakfast tacos than is technically healthy, Thursday was a mellow day spent prepping and bouncing between festival pre-parties, with the highlight being a wine tasting with rock n’ roll winemaker Charles Smith, who heartily drank beer and regaled us with stories of his wilder days. I should note that anyone who believes those “wilder days” are in the past is sadly mistaken, the man is nothing short of a force of nature.

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No. 748

Viewfinder: Gregory Geiger's "A Snapshot Of A Campus"

Patrick Tobin, | 105 days ago

Hello friends, and welcome back to Viewfinder, our ongoing series in which we chronicle interesting projects you are working on that incorporate Impossible film. This entry focuses on “A Snapshot Of A Campus” by Gregory Geiger

I was approached by Jane Androski, a curator working with the Higgins School of Humanities at Clark University to develop a collaborative photo project for their symposium on Diversity & Inclusion. The idea, in its nascent form, was to capture an aspect of our community and to reflect it back through an exhibit—which would serve as a backdrop for their events later that semester. She was familiar with my Farewell Series portraits and wondered whether we could take a similar approach.

At the time, I was reading Christopher Bonanos book, Instant: The Story of Polaroid and a particular quote from Edwin Land surfaced immediately in response to her idea (paraphrased):

A new kind of relationship is brought into being when members of a group are photographing and being photographed and sharing photographs. It turns out that buried within all of us, there is a latent interest in each other; there is tenderness, curiosity, excitement, affection, and companionability; a good-humored delight in each other.

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No. 738

Viewfinder: Nina Westervelt at NYFW!

Patrick Tobin, | 118 days ago

Hello, Impossibles! We are very happy to present you with a special Viewfinder. Our friend Nina Westervelt recently spent some time at New York Fashion Week with a Polaroid camera and a stash of Impossible film. Please enjoy Nina’s brilliant photos…

The Fall 2013 collections marked my 16th season attending NYFW. When I started working in fashion, my plastic Holga never left my side so it was a joy to get back to my film roots this season by shooting with Impossible Project.

My passion for covering fashion week stems from the pure chaos! Dozens of photographers battle for a model’s attention, so the challenge for me is to find that special moment amidst all the madness, to make an image where it seems like I’m the only photographer present. Which is why shooting with Impossible film is such a great experience, Polaroid cameras get any and everyone’s attention!

The agency I work with covers 250+ shows total during NYFW, so the days are long and the shooting conditions can be complicated when it comes to lighting, access and time constraints. Having my Polaroid in hand reminds me to keep calm and just enjoy myself, make a memory.

Extraordinary moments from the FW ’13 collections included meeting Chan Marshall of Cat Power, Sonic Youth’s Kim Gordon and the legendary Debbie Harry.

Special thanks to Nina for sharing her beautiful photos with us! To see more of her work, please visit her Tumblr.

No. 715

Dr. Love's Tips - Put Some Spring In Your Step

Patrick Tobin, | 145 days ago

Welcome back to another edition of 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: Viewfinder dysfunction…

Have you ever had the viewfinder on your SX-70 or SLR 680 suddenly go kind of…limp?

It’s ok, it can happen to 1 out of every 5 instant film shooters.

Symptoms can show themselves as:
1. a viewfinder that won’t fully close or open
2. what appears to be a black viewfinder when looking into it (see also: Mirror, Mirror blog post)
3. a small piece of metal sticking out the side of the skirt around the VF.

This can often be a simple issue in which the spring that hooks onto the mirror within the VF has come off the little bit of plastic on the mirror that it grabs to. So long as the piece of the mirror hasn’t broken, here’s a simple fix to put the spring back in place.

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No. 647

Viewfinder: Caleb Jenkins' "Growth"

Patrick Tobin, | 210 days ago

Welcome back to Viewfinder, our ongoing series in which we chronicle interesting projects people are working on that incorporate Impossible film. This week, we are happy to bring you “Growth,” a series by Caleb Jenkins

Last spring on April 1st I set out on a journey to document the process of growing a garden through a project titled “Growth.” That journey evolved into something much more special, something that taught me an abundance of skills dealing with both gardening and photography alike. When I began I had a plan, but quickly abandoned it when I realized that in order to document something so raw and unpredictable I had to go into the project as if I had no idea of the desired content, but only the outcome and meaning of the project.

I decided to document this particular garden because it is the garden my parents have had since I was a child. I felt it was something the Impossible community hadn’t exactly seen before, and I wanted to expose everyone to the art of gardening and how important it may be for families in the current economic struggles.

As I began to see the project truly take wind, I noticed major similarities between shooting my entire project with Impossible film and the art of gardening. Both mediums can be very unpredictable, and much like I found with instant photography, there were times I had no control of either the garden or the outcome of my photos. A photo could contain a divot in a crucial part of the subject or the weather could leave the garden in ruin. However, I embraced the unpredictability of using Impossible film. I found that I truly love the realness of shooting instant film. There’s no editing or photoshopping, so everyone knows that the image they see is exactly what the photographer captured.

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No. 641

Viewfinder: Bryant Eslava at New York Fashion Week

Patrick Tobin, | 217 days ago

Hello friends, and welcome back to Viewfinder, our ongoing series chronicling interesting projects that incorporate Impossible film. This week we’re happy to bring you a look back at New York Fashion Week through the beautiful photos of Bryant Eslava

New York Fashion Week is filled with glamour, celebrities, expensive clothing and much more. This season (Spring 2013) I decided to add to my digital/film gear by using Impossible Project film.

It was an interesting experience because when I’d approach anyone they would automatically give me their full attention and say “Woah, I haven’t seen one of those cameras in a long time” (I was shooting with a Polaroid SLR 680) and then I would ask them for a portrait.

It was also very competitive backstage…it’s filled with over 30 photographers whose lives depend on getting “that shot”. A couple times I would get yelled at or pushed out of the way by these photographers because they didn’t see me with a giant SLR and wouldn’t take me seriously but at least it got the attention of designers, celebrities and models when I brought out the camera.
Most of the time I would get asked “They still make Polaroid film?” and my response would be, “No, it’s Impossible Project film” then I would describe to them how the film worked and gave them a little bio of Impossible Project. Overall it was a great experience, I loved the analog feel instead of constantly looking at a screen and re-shooting an...Read All

No. 630

Viewfinder: Scott Achs' "Autumn Bliss in NH"

Patrick Tobin, | 231 days ago

Welcome back to Viewfinder, our ongoing series in which we present you with interesting projects people are working on that incorporate Impossible film. This week, we’re happy to bring you beautiful Autumn photos from Scott Achs

I usually think of myself as a contrarian, but from time to time, for the sake of inspiration, I find it important to experience a cliche. With this in mind, I put on my mid-October tourist hat, and along with my POLAROID ONE 600 and several packs of PX 680 Color Shade film I took to the road.

As I ventured through the dirt roads of backwoods New Hampshire, it was lovely to see how the fallen leaves maintained their color and how the stereotype of New England was fulfilled by a large maple, a barn, and an American flag.

I really appreciate what the saturation of the PX film does to the autumn season. It makes all the leaves softly vivid adding to the amazement of what maple trees can do to your eyes naturally. Perhaps for my next project I will consider tapping into my contrarian nature and photograph non-renewable energy sources and my love for Uranium…on Color Protection film, of course.

Thanks to Scott for taking part in Viewfinder! To see more of his photography, please visit http://blog.scottachs.com.

No. 620

Viewfinder: Ben Innocent's Photo Pen Magic

Patrick Tobin, | 238 days ago

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

No. 615

Viewfinder: Susan Sabo's "As a Child I Dreamt of Dogs"

Patrick Tobin, | 245 days ago

Hi Viewfinder fans! Welcome back to our ongoing series that chronicles interesting and exciting projects that incorporate Impossible films. This entry focuses on photographer Susan Sabo’s wonderful instant dog photographs…

My project, “As a Child I Dreamt of Dogs” combines photos with poetry and essays that together are about honoring, remembering and just experiencing our lives with dogs. Impossible Project film is the only film I could use for this project, because like our dogs, each shot is truly unique. When I shoot with my SX-70, there are often happy surprises and not-so-happy surprises, but each is beautiful and unique in its own way…just like my dogs.

A portion of all print and upcoming book sales will go to a variety of animal rescue & welfare organizations.

Thank you to Susan for sharing these fantastic photos with us! Please visit her website at susansabophotography.com.

No. 586

Viewfinder: Maximilian Rivera

Patrick Tobin, | 259 days ago

Welcome back to Viewfinder, our ongoing blog feature chronicling interesting projects that incorporate Impossible film. This week, we bring you Maximilian Rivera

My journey with Impossible Film started late last year when I made the decision to travel to NYC, LA & Miami to work with modeling agencies and the models they represent. I remember picking up a few Polaroid 600 cameras from local flea markets in Florida before going to Miami which is where I started my own trend of shooting one/two PX 680 Color Shade Cool photos of each model I work with and have them sign it. I love instant film for the feel it gives an image, plus you can hold onto it rather than digital. My goal at the end of this year is to frame my Impossible photos around my studio and start and end every year with one type of film.

To see more of Maximilian’s photos, please visit his Tumblr.

No. 590

Viewfinder: "Ray of Summer"

Patrick Tobin, | 266 days ago

Hello, instant film lovers, and welcome back to Viewfinder, our series in which we chronicle interesting projects people are working on using Impossible film. This week, we’re happy to present to you “Ray of Summer,” a photo book by Japanese photographer Ken Hirama and singer/songwriter Ray.

The “Ray of Summer” photo book was made limited of 100 copies and was only available at Ray’s annual solo live performance. Due to the great feedback, I wanted to share some of the photos. The book is a collection of Ken’s portraits of Ray using a folding SX-70 and PX 70 Color Shade Cool film

A great portrait comes from the mutual trust between the photographer and the model, therefore having known Ray since our early teens, we were both comfortable with each other. Rather than planning each shot, I would let her play in the park or the beach to bring out her natural charm. My job was to capture her charm using this unique type of film and understanding that it always produces an unexpected image. The choices we had to make upon choosing the right photos and the film was also difficult but with the help and support from so many, we were able to finish this beautiful book.

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No. 589

Impossible Photo Walk in Chicago

Patrick Tobin, | 268 days ago

Last weekend, our friend Katy Maziarz went on a photo walk with her husband and friend in the Chicago area. She chronicled the day using new Impossible PX 70 Color Protection film

It was a small group; there were just three of us in total: me, my husband CJ (a Pola newbie) and Justin Hunger. We went to the Chicago Botanic Garden on our walk. The Garden is 385 acres, with 25 distinct display garden areas, four “natural” areas, and several small lakes and waterfalls. So as you can imagine, there’s a lot to see and a lot to photograph, and it’s almost impossible to do the entire Garden in one trip.

We started off in the Heritage Garden, which is dedicated to the history of botanic gardens and has some very interesting fountains—and a statue of Carolus Linnaeus, known as the Father of Taxonomy. But we were more interested in the bountiful blossoms. Justin Hunger got some use out of his brand-new-to-him Macro 5 camera, as you can see in one of the photos posted!

From there, we moved through the Rose Garden and into one of my favorite gardens in the place, the English Walled Garden. Just as it sounds, this is a charming, quiet old-fashioned garden in which you can imagine young ladies strolling with their beaus, a stern-eyed chaperone somewhere behind. There’s a lovely bright blue bench which is our favorite place to sit.

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No. 583

Viewfinder: Matteo Rosso in Burma

Patrick Tobin, | 273 days ago

Greetings, friends, and welcome back to Viewfinder, our popular series in which we share interesting projects that people are working on using Impossible film. This week’s entry focuses on Italian photographer Matteo Rosso’s trip to Burma…

A year ago I decided to embark on a journey that would take me in a totally different direction from what I’m used to. I mean different landscapes, traditions, cuisine, way of living, people’s attitude…What better place than Burma? It was the best chance to combine my passion for instant photography with a trip to remember. So I stocked up on PX 70 film and I brought two SX-70 cameras with me (occupying a large part of my backpack). Before that moment I used to take very controlled and detailed photos with Impossible films, mostly with models in indoor or studio. So it turned out to be a very attractive challenge.

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No. 571

Viewfinder: Anielika Sykes' "Beyond the Surface"

Patrick Tobin, | 280 days ago

Greetings, instant film lovers. Welcome back to Viewfinder, our series that chronicles interesting projects that incorporate Impossible film. This week, we are happy to bring you Anielika Sykes

My fascination with water and light are at the heart of this series of diptychs in which self-portraits are paired with still life photographs. My Polaroid SX-70 Sonar camera, Impossible Project PX 70 film, water – first boiled, then cold – and hot press water colour paper are the tools that have allowed me to manipulate physical images. The process of being submersed in water has resulted in loose transfers to assume new life beyond the surface.

Each set of diptychs aims to relate the notion of memory: one, a self portrait in which I look out from a familiar place associated with childhood; and the other, a still life meant to capture treasured objects associated with someone the child holds dear. The self-portraits are for the most part, shot in the High Park area in Toronto.

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No. 563

Viewfinder: Kimi Selfridge's "This Is Our Youth"

Patrick Tobin, | 287 days ago

Welcome back to Viewfinder, our blog series that focuses on interesting projects that incorporate Impossible film. This entry, we’re happy to bring you Brooklyn-based visual artist Kimi Selfridge

I’m embarking on a journey to capture the world from my wonderstruck point of view. Working exclusively with analog film formats, I style my photo shoots and otherwise progress with little to no plan. Entering an uncontrolled environment, I’m able to react with a discerning eye to splice subject and setting, which lends itself to my commitment of never altering the photographs, allowing the work to remain honest and original.

All of my current public works are part of an ongoing personal project entitled “This Is Our Youth”.

To see more of Kimi’s photography, please visit her Flickr photostream

No. 551

Viewfinder: J. James Joiner's Impossible Folk Project

Patrick Tobin, | 294 days ago

Welcome back to Viewfinder, our series in which we chronicle interesting projects that incorporate Impossible film. This week, we’re happy to bring you J. James Joiner documentation of the Newport Folk Festival

It wasn’t until I loaded the backpack full of film onto my already sweaty back that I started to worry I may have made a mistake. Not only was it well over 80 degrees – and pushing 100% humidity – but I now had two days of serious shooting ahead of me with two cameras that were past the 30 year mark.

When I decided to do the Impossible Folk Project – the name an amalgamation of the project’s primary subjects, Impossible Project instant film and the venerable Newport Folk Festival – I made the determination that I had to commit fully to the concept, and left my usual digital SLRs on a shelf back home (In all fairness, I should admit that I did, at the last minute, slip my Fuji x100 in the glove box. But only as a “break glass in case of emergency” contingency. Or if I found myself out of instant film and with the time to take several minutes manually focusing each frame). Now here it was: go time, so to speak, and I was definitely having a moment of panic. Not only was I not well-versed in the way of instant photo taking (I generally shot my Polaroid cameras as a hobby, not in the so called professional capacity), much of that shooting had been done on expired film, which as you know can be, um, unpredictable?

After checking in for our press stuff and firing a few shots of the waiting crowd, shots I suddenly realized I couldn’t preview for at least a few minutes to make sure I had “caught” the moment, it dawned on me just how dependent we’ve all become on instant gratification (which is, of course, ironic since I was shooting with the OG “instant” format). Here I was, supposedly a seasoned “professional”, and I was getting panicky over whether or not I had managed to get a decent photo. Deciding that peace of mind (and restoring a suddenly shaky self-confidence) trumped any late-onset light damage, I pulled the pics out of my pocket (don’t worry, I have museum-quality pockets) and gave ‘em the mid-development once-over. Lo and behold, and with a great deal of the credit owed to the wonderful folks at the Impossible Project, they looked great.

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No. 544

Viewfinder: Massimiliano Muner's "Heaven"

Patrick Tobin, | 301 days ago

Welcome back to Viewfinder, our series chronicling interesting projects people are working on using Impossible films. This entry brings you Italian artist and photographer Massimiliano Muner

For these picture I have drawn my inspiration from a series of paintings by Ed Ruscha, an artist I am really fond of, where words and sentences often have no reference with the image below.

In particular, I have decided to play with the meaning of a word that refers to a specific idea: on one hand the sky as a changeable element of the physical world and, on the other hand, the transcendent idea of the sky connected with the concept of heaven from a religious point of view. The sky as a visible manifestation/symbol of an idea/ideal spiritual place: the pursuit for happiness.

The writing in block capitals, which is impressed on every shot, intentionally fades, in order to convey the idea of a condition (happiness, precisely) that is often evasive and changeable. Such project has been designed to convey the importance of pursuing happiness also in everyday things. The initial idea was to take pictures of ordinary objects with such writing impressed on it, but then I had to think about the subjectivity of such emotion and I have therefore found to be more appropriate to immortalize something that anyone sees every day, and the writing conveys an idea that is exactly the personal idea of happiness everybody has.

I was born in Trieste and I am 28. I have been cultivating the passion for photography for more than ten years, first beginning with digital cameras to then be attracted by the fascinating world of film. I collect Japanese and German cameras, as well as Polaroids.

Thanks to my pictures, which are cut and re-assembled together, in 2011 I won ISO600, the first instant photography festival, which took place in Milan. In particular, I have been using this peculiar technique for about two years, creating dynamic works. My polaroids have been on display in Rome, Milan, Wien and Trieste, both in art galleries and in other exhibition centers.

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No. 537

Viewfinder: Jonathan Pryce's "100 Beards"

Admin, | 308 days ago

Hello, friends. Welcome back to Viewfinder, our series in which we chronicle interesting projects that incorporate Impossible film. This entry focuses on a project by Jonathan Pryce, entitled 100 Beards

After moving to London at the beginning of this year, I got thinking about new projects that would be fulfilling and challenging. Having been a street style photographer for over 5 years, I thought capturing a specific trend would be interesting. On July 1st 2012, I launched “100 Beards, 100 Days”. I’ve always has a passion for mens’ style, shown in my blog AnotherGarcon so I thought the current public obsession with facial hair could be a nice place to start.

There are two main reasons for choosing this trend: beards are everywhere now and I’m fascinated with how trends emerge. Over the past few years, the beard has re-established itself as the ultimate accessory for the modern gentleman. I wanted to document the many beards I was seeing on a daily basis. Secondly, I have major beard envy – I can’t grow a good beard myself so I’m living vicariously through others.

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No. 530

Viewfinder: Clément Riere's "Still Waiting For You"

Patrick Tobin, | 315 days ago

Hello, friends. Welcome back to Viewfinder, our series chronicling interesting projects people are working on that incorporate Impossible film. This week, we present you with an exciting short film by French director Clément Riere, called Still Waiting For You. Here is a synopsis…

In the 1970s, a UFO port was built in a small town on the French west coast. In the 1990s, Jean-Philippe, a teenager who is fascinated by space and stars, suddenly disappears while visiting it. Today his brother Carl is confronted to disturbing documents that have remained secret for 20 years, and that could help him find out about what happened to Jean-Philippe.

From Clément…

The movie tells the story of someone going missing, according to what the main character, Carl, remembers. His memories take the shape of various archive footage: Super 8 films, videos and pictures. It was what this movie aimed at: telling the story of a character through visual fragments.

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No. 518

Viewfinder: Jeff Mather's "Jurassic Park" Music Venue

Patrick Tobin, | 322 days ago

Hello, old friends. Welcome back to Viewfinder, our series chronicling interesting and exciting projects people are working on that incorporate Impossible film. This entry has a musical bent, with images of musicians and bands by Jeff Mather, founder of Indiana music venue Jurassic Park

Jurassic Park was an idea I conceived early on in college at Purdue University in West Lafayette, IN. The music scene there for a long time was lacking of a small music space for bands to play, for both local and touring bands. When I wanted to see bands I liked, I found myself driving to Chicago or Bloomington, IN for shows, and I thought why not try to get those bands through West Lafayette? So I moved into a house with the full intent of turning the basement into a music space, and I built a stage, installed lights, bought a sound system, and started booking bands for every weekend.

In the beginning, most of the shows were either local bands or out-of-town bands with a local presence, but the buzz started early and Jurassic Park grew with each show. Every weekend, more people were showing up to the new and somewhat only music venue in town. As attendance was growing, so were the caliber of acts, including Reading Rainbow (Philly), coming off a tour with the Dodos, and Cast Spells (Dave Davison from Maps & Atlases).

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No. 516

Viewfinder: Fernanda Montoro's TED Talks Images

Patrick Tobin, | 329 days ago

Welcome back to Viewfinder, our blog series that chronicles interesting projects that incorporate Impossible film. For this entry, we are happy to present you with Fernanda Montoro’s Impossible images from TEDxMontevideo

I am a big fan of TED talks, so I felt very honored when the organisers of TEDx Montevideo commissioned me to work on a TED ‘memory album’ for their upcoming edition. They wanted my personal view on the event, a sort of backstage memoir. The location was a special one too: Teatro Solis, Uruguay’s oldest and most iconic theatre. For all of this, I knew immediately that it had to be shot entirely on IP film.

After talking with Impossible Project’s Anne Bowerman, who is always ready to advise and help whenever I need, we decided that PX 100 for the SX-70 and PZ 600 for the Spectra camera were the perfect films to capture the spirit of the event. They both work really well under low light conditions, and give those crisp, classic black and white tones that we all adore. I also added some IP film I had in my stash, mainly PZ 680 color shade and PX 600 First Flush film.

They all proved to be good choices and I felt immensely happy for being able to capture the incredible and unique energy that surrounds a TED talk on my Polaroid vintage cameras. It was a day full of insight and creativity, surrounded my amazing thinkers, and...Read All

No. 508

Viewfinder: Gregory G. Geiger's Farewell Portraits

Patrick Tobin, | 336 days ago

Hello friends, and welcome back to Viewfinder, our series chronicling interesting projects that people are working on that incorporate Impossible film. This week, we present to you a project from Rhode Island photographer Gregory G. Geiger

About 9 months ago, I was moving to New England and I wanted to do something that would capture those last few moments with my friends in California, before I moved across the country.

The idea was to take a single Black & White Impossible Portrait of each of them and not look at the picture until I made it to Providence. I took each of these with PX 100 UV+ film and a single click of my SX-70, in my empty giant walk-in closet; I used my only remaining desk lamp, an old sheet for a back drop. As each shot was taken I dropped them in an empty film box. I took that box, taped it shut, and packed the whole set in a random final knick-knack box that was loaded into the back of my car and put on a shipping truck the next day.

My car took a month for them to ship to my new place in Providence. When I finally got the stuff out of the trunk a few days later, I finally got to see the pictures I took.

I love that some of the shots are my friends putting on a brave face, or a forced smile, or even the still face with the sadness of that...Read All

No. 499

Viewfinder - "Fin" by Claire Oring

Patrick Tobin, | 343 days ago

Hello, Impossibles, and welcome back to Viewfinder, our series chronicling interesting projects that incorporate Impossible film. This week’s entry focuses on Claire Oring’s “Fin” series…

Be warned when crossing paths with mermaids. They are the most mesmerizing monsters in the sea, seducing your senses with their bewitching beauty. All those who you fall pray to their charms you will quickly meet a horrific end.

The tail was handcrafted from silicon by The Mertailor. He’s a wonderful man who looks like a mix between a pirate and Santa Clause. When picking up the tail we had a long discussion on mermaid folklore. He’s very passionate about what he creates. I wanted to shoot on Impossible film because I love the texture and soft color palette. I wanted them to look like they could be from any era.

Claire wishes to thank her production assistant Jax Partlow and her model, Tess Oakland. To view a behind-the-scenes video of Claire’s shoot, click HERE

No. 489

Viewfinder: Amanda Jasnowski in Europe

Patrick Tobin, | 350 days ago

Hello Viewfinder followers! Welcome back to our feature that celebrates interesting projects that incorporate Impossible film. This week, we’re happy to bring you Impossible shots from Amanda Jasnowski recent trip to England and France…

In mid-may I spent two magical weeks with loved ones exploring a new (to me) land. In England: Seaford, London. In France: Paris. Two weeks was not nearly enough time, but it was certainly better than none.

In England there was a lot of walking, everyday. There were the green rolling hills of the countryside and the brilliantly yellow fields spreading across the landscape. There were also delicious home cooked meals in the lovely Parkinson household. Visits to Lewes, Brighton and Eastbourne. The history in those towns and the architecture was surreal. Endlessly beautiful! I was also able to finally meet two photo-enthusiast friends living in London for a very victorious and fun photo-walk!

In Paris there were beautiful train rides, lots of coffee and good bread. We stayed with my great aunt and uncle. It was really good to see

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No. 479

Viewfinder: Karen Mirzoyan

Patrick Tobin, | 357 days ago

Welcome back to Viewfinder, our blog series that chronicles interesting projects people are working on that incorporate Impossible film. This week, we bring you Karen Mirzoyan

Here is just some pictures of one chapter of new big project about my relationship with my girlfriend. It will consist of 7 parts/chapters. This one is part 5: “Friends”, Close friends and acquaintances who helped me during hard times after I broke up with my girlfriend in LA.

I like to work with the Polaroid SX-70 and Impossible film. I really enjoyed the first editions of Impossible film with many defects. I bought many packs, and for me it was good, because i couldn’t control the results 100%, or know what kind of picture I would have in the end.

With pro cameras you control and know what you’ll have. But sometimes it becomes boring. The SX-70 and Impossible films always surprise me; sometimes something great, sometimes not what you expect.

And this is beautiful.

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No. 472

Viewfinder: Dylan Boyd's "Abandoned Oklahoma"

Patrick Tobin, | 364 days ago

Hello, Viewfinder addicts. Welcome back to our series in which we explore and present interesting projects people in the instant film community are working on that incorporate Impossible film. This week, we’re happy to bring you Dylan Boyd’s “Abandoned Oklahoma”…

“Abandoned Oklahoma” is a project I started earlier this year to showcase the beauty in Oklahoma’s long forgotten past. While Oklahoma has progressed, many of its treasures have still remained and yet been forgotten by most. This project has given me the opportunity to explore the back roads of Oklahoma searching for these lost towns and structures.

These places, such as old schools and churches, have been abandoned for years and yet still have all their features such as desks, chairs, pews and wall hangings. They seem almost untouched…

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No. 462

Viewfinder: Lorenzo Papadia's "Fade Point"

Patrick Tobin, | 371 days ago

Welcome back to Viewfinder, our series focusing on interesting projects that incorporate Impossible film. This entry brings you Italian photographer Lorenzo Papadia

I live and work in Italy as a photographer and my main occupation is to organize workshops and teach in photography schools. I create themed series of pictures, starting from an accurate analysis of reality, taking pictures of common objects, indoor environments, or urban places. ‘My’ reality is resorted out through my camera, so that it can reflect the great chaos generated by our life nowadays, which usually results in over-elaborated pictures. I think a photographer’s role is to give the observer all the instruments they need to analyze details, even common ones, which are usually ignored as the sight flies to other distractions.

My aim is to focus on details as if I were a child, amazed by new things the world has to offer. In other words, taking pictures becomes a further step in perceiving things so that I can get through their essence. The Polaroid and instant film help me in overtaking reality, making the result…

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No. 452

Viewfinder: Amber Mahoney's "Present Company Project"

Patrick Tobin, | 378 days ago

Hello again, Viewfinder fans. We are happy to deliver another exciting issue to your doorstep! This week, we turn our lens on Amber Mahoney, creator of The Present Company Project

My name is Amber Mahoney and I’m a documentary, fashion and alternative wedding photographer based out of DC and NYC.

I started The Present Company Project as a challenge to myselfI wanted to have a genuine interaction with someone I might otherwise never know. I wanted to stop fitting people into my world, but rather see them as they are. I thought if I could connect with others on this level it might make me a better artist, and more so, a better person. It started when I met Tyrone, just having my mind blown by a complete stranger, and grew from there.

So I’ve started carrying a Polaroid camera with me everywhere. When I see someone I’d like to know, I ask if I can take their photo. If they say yes, I ask: “If you could ask a perfect stranger anything in the world, what would it be?” or “What is one thing you’d like people to know about you?” I usually blush and get a bit flustered, but…

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No. 442

Viewfinder: Ray Lego

Patrick Tobin, | 385 days ago

Named one of the world’s best photographers by Lurzers Archive, Ray Lego loves shooting with Impossible Project film for commercial and personal projects. Some of his commercial clients include Nike, ESPN, Warner Brothers, Atlantic Records and Death+Taxes Magazine.

The Polaroid 690 is his weapon of choice and Impossible film is his ammo.

“I love the visual bombardments, from the moments of calmness to the ambush,” says Lego. “The Polaroid camera and Impossible film help me take random pictures that describe how we see – not all at once but in separate glimpses. Shooting the Impossible film on commercial projects is a great ice-breaker; the tactile and tangible quality of instant film is so unique, most subjects are in awe. On personal projects, experimentation, creativity, innovation with the film helps me push the envelope of photography.”

You can see more of Ray’s work at www.raylego.com

No. 434

Viewinder: Ignas Kutavicius' Instant Experiments

Patrick Tobin, | 392 days ago

Welcome back to Viewfinder, our blog series highlighting interesting projects that incorporate Impossible film. This week, we are happy to present Ignas Kutavicius

I was born in Lithuania at the ending of the Soviet Union era. These were the times when all foreign things were extremely rare and popular. At that time I had only heard of a camera that develops a picture moments after it was taken. I don’t think I even believed my friends when they told me about it, until I saw and experienced it myself. It was like magic! Unfortunately to own something like that you had to work in ships that go abroad or have special connections.

I started working with instant film as a photographer in the summer of 2008. My brother invited me to music and arts festival Satta Outside that took place in an old yacht club on the coast of the Curonian spit – a stone’s throw away from my hometown Klaipeda. Photography stores were selling their last reserves of Polaroid 600 film when I bought about 5 packs that I used for photographing the festival. I fell in love with this material from the first few shots and was extremely happy a few years later when I heard about Impossible Project and its important mission giving instant film a new life!

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No. 414

Viewfinder: Kyle Vaughn

Patrick Tobin, | 399 days ago

Welcome back to Viewfinder, our ongoing series showcasing interesting projects that incorporate Impossible film. This week, we bring you Texas photographer Kyle Vaughn

“My name is Kyle Vaughn, and I am a writer, teacher, and photographer in Dallas, Texas. As an artist, though I’ve predominantly worked as a writer over the last 15 years, I’ve increasingly turned to photography for inspiration and have even made a go at photography at a more professional level, publishing images and making and selling Polaroid posters. And though I continue on mainly as a writer, I’d say that photography somewhat saved my writing, teaching me how to better see the images I was after and how to study multiple points of view (even the inside of something), somewhat like the sculptor Auguste Rodin challenged his secretary to do. As it happens, his secretary was the poet Rainer Maria Rilke! I learned that as a writer, I am not separate from the things I am writing about, not somehow above the world, not in character nor in spirit nor in mind. I learned that I needed to interact with the world, be involved. That merging of the metaphysical back into the physical is what, in part, drew me to instant photography. And as an artist who loves to both preserve the important parts of my past, but also experiment, I have been fascinated and inspired by the Impossible Project from the moment I read of their plan to continue...Read All

No. 413

Viewfinder: Chloe Aftel at Coachella

Patrick Tobin, | 403 days ago

Recently, our good friend Chloe Aftel attended Coachella to shoot for Spin Magazine. While there, she also captured some beautiful, dreamy shots using Impossible PZ 680 film

Chloe says, “Using the new Impossible films at Coachella was a real pleasure. From the overcast days to the bright sunlight, I got nothing but extraordinary colors. The film really creates its own atmosphere that only enhances the lighting conditions of the day.”

No. 411

Viewfinder: Rambler's Bone

Patrick Tobin, | 406 days ago

On April 5th, American born photographers Mikael Kennedy & Sean Sullivan set out from Los Angeles, CA, deep into the heart of the country on a 30 day road trip to explore America, sponsored by Wolverine boots.

The project, titled Ramblers Bone, chronicles Sullivan & Kennedy’s trek east into the high deserts of New Mexico before turning north through the Rockies, into the wild lands of Montana, across to the Pacific for the last leg of their journey, bringing them down the California coast where the wilderness meets the water.

Mikael brought along some PX 70 film on his journey and he has captured some beautiful moments.

To see more of the duo’s photographic work from their trip, please visit www.ramblersbone.com/

No. 401

Viewfinder: James Erin de Jauregui

Patrick Tobin, | 413 days ago

Hello, Viewfinder fans. Welcome back to our feature celebrating interesting projects that incorporate Impossible film. This week, we bring you photographer and new father James Erin de Jauregui

“Shortly before my daughter was born, I began thinking of a personal project that I could do with her. Being a photographer, taking pictures of her was a given. So, I began to think of how I could challenge myself. I knew that I wanted to do something that wouldn’t be easy and would have lots of options to be displayed in a possible final art piece.

With that in mind, I decided that I would try my best to take at least one Polaroid of her a day. From there, I decided to limit myself to only SX-70 cameras. I do have a Polaroid 600 SE, a Spectra camera, a couple of folding Land Cameras, Polaroid backs for medium format cameras and a 4×5. I could try to utilize them all, but keeping this project to just integral film would give me a consistently-sized medium. Plus, the folding SX-70 is a great camera that can be taken anywhere without being cumbersome.

Another reason I choose to use Impossible Project film is because I really wanted this medium to work. Being born in the late 70s, it was easy to take Polaroid for granted. They were always there and available just about everywhere. Polaroid film was one of those items that you just never thought would be gone. However, when Polaroid ceased production in 2008, I was heartbroken.

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No. 381

Viewfinder: THE FIELD RECORDINGS

Patrick Tobin, | 420 days ago

Hi again, Viewfinder viewers. Welcome back to our series focusing on interesting and creative projects that incorporate Impossible film. This week, we bring you Connecticut Noise-Pop/Neu Wave band The Field Recordings, who have put together a limited edition Album/Photobook containing Impossible images…

“So this book is part of a Limited Edition of our first album, THE ELASTIC NOSTALGIA. The First Printing is 100 hand-numbered copies (50 with a CD / 50 with a Cassette) we’re self-releasing for Record Store Day.

The book is kind of a play on our name—what would a bunch of Field Anthropologists or Hobby Scientists use to make reports from the field? An old Polaroid camera, a label maker & a typewriter… So this is supposed to be their documentation of whatever it is they’ve seen. The lyrics are transcribed like they were overheard, the instant photos, the footnotes are their analyses… The idea came to me a year ago as we were finishing up the recording. And then I just wrote down a bunch of loose general phrases that I thought related to each song, like EMPTY HOUSES, HANDS WRINGING, 1951, HUMAN CIRCUITRY/ACTUAL CIRCUITRY, ARROGANCE, that kind of thing, and gave the list to my drummer (Jared Thompson, he took photos 1d, 3a, 5c, 6d, & 9d). And then I just carried my 680 or sx-70 or Spectra around wherever I went for the next 8 or 9 months, looking for things that...Read All

No. 376

Viewfinder: Peter Pawlowski's Instant Antarctica

Patrick Tobin, | 427 days ago

Ahoy, Impossibles! Welcome back to Viewfinder, our blog series focusing on interesting projects involving instant film. This entry provides you with a glimpse of the landscape of Antarctica, through the lens of an instant camera wielded by Pittsburgh native Peter Pawlowski…

“My obsession with the polar environment has been with me since my childhood. An alien land of ice and rock, remote yet teeming with life, its inaccessibility haunted me and tempted my urge to explore.

The opportunity eventually presented itself for me to actually travel to such a magical place as Antarctica…and as for capturing its mystique, the adventure that is instant film photography seemed the perfect match.

The Antarctic environment is not the most conducive to shooting with instant film. Cold is the enemy of chemicals and batteries, wildlife is always on the move, and lack of a zoom lens means you always want to get closer, despite having to keep your distance.

But the landscape never disappointed, and time was always on my side. I was prepared with plenty of film, having devoted much of my luggage space to the project. Lots of practice with my cameras at home allowed me to focus on the shot, and I’m very happy with the results.

There’s something special about holding these photographs, in knowing that they are truly a product of the Antarctic environment. The magic of instant film allowed them to be exposed, developed and printed in the atmosphere and energy of the place, and each time I wrote on the back of...Read All

No. 368

Viewfinder: Paul Reitano at Reason Rally

Patrick Tobin, | 435 days ago

Welcome back to Viewfinder, our series focusing on interesting projects and uses of Impossible film. This entry brings you Paul Reitano, who recently shot at the Reason Rally in Washington, D.C….

“Hey Polaroid nerds! I’m a wedding/portrait/event/whatever photographer that has begun incorporating polaroid and other film cameras into my work. I have gone through a steep learning curve with Impossible Project film, and finally, after much experimentation, arrived at the point where I can incorporate the film into a session and know I’m going to get unique and consistent results. I love the simplicity and elegance of the images that are created with my Spectra camera and Silver Shade film.

In this world gone mad with the exponential growth of digital technology (see Moore’s Law), I have found shooting on an instant camera and Impossible film to be a sacred act that serves as an antidote to needless complexity.

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No. 333

Viewfinder: Adam Goldberg's "Brother Sparrow" Music Video

Patrick Tobin, | 459 days ago

Welcome back, instant friends. This very special entry in the Viewfinder series chronicles one man’s epic journey through the music video production process. Our favorite Actor/Musician/Photog Adam Goldberg created a beautiful music video for Agnes Obel’s song, “Brother Sparrow” using only film. Here are his words:

“I was approached in late summer ’11 to submit a proposal for singer/songwriter Agnes Obel’s video. We shared the same record label (though her Platinum selling album eeks out slightly more revenue than my concurrently released Copper seller). Up until this point the only music videos I had directed were for my own songs. In fact I had wanted to do something like this—a video comprised solely or primarily of still photos—for my (Goldberg Sisters) “Skin of the Patriot” but once I heard Agnes’ song I was moved to throw my own music under the bus. Plus frankly I knew more people would see hers (or at least that’s what I thought at the time*).

After some back and forth with Agnes via the label she eventually chose my proposal—which was in essence to shoot the video entirely with instant films and a 16mm epilogue. I used Chris Marker’s film Le Jette, a film school favorite, as reference. It would be rather simple—an impressionistic piece featuring Agnes playing her protagonist wistfully biding her time by windows in her (our Brooklyn) apartment. There would be an underlying unease that would counterbalance the ostensible whimsy. By the time I was given the go-ahead,...Read All

No. 308

Viewfinder: Mark von Minden's "autumnsongs"

Patrick Tobin, | 476 days ago

Welcome back to Viewfinder, our feature highlighting interesting projects people are working on incorporating Impossible Film. This entry focuses on Colorado-based software engineer and photographer Mark von Minden’s autumnsongs series.

autumnsongs is an evolving analog instant photography series. Each autumn a set of new instant photographs are paired with a corresponding set of songs by a variety of artists which are then mixed into a DJ set by Mark. While autumn colors and leaves were the original subject matter, there is also a strong element of abstraction within the work. Ultimately, an overall theme of change and progression informs Mark’s approach to the project each year.

To see more of Mark’s series, please visit autumnsongs.net and his Flickr Photo Sets

No. 303

Viewfinder: Erin McGuire

Patrick Tobin | 483 days ago

Hello, fellow shooters, and welcome back to Viewfinder! This week, we train our lens on west coast student, computer tech specialist and photographer Erin McGuire

“I live on the western edge of the Mojave desert in the Palmdale/Lancaster part of Los Angeles county. It’s a diverse community with some areas being very well off financially and others that are literally living in the dirt. The area gets used by Hollywood quite often so there is a rich movie history here as well. The landscape is as diverse as the community because we are situated where the desert meets the mountains. There are oak trees mixed with Joshua trees, bobcats mixed with mountain lions and Mojave rattlers mixed with western diamond backs. The strange beauty of this place inspires me to shoot on a daily basis but it was Impossible Project film that got me moving in a fine art direction.

I have a deep, emotional connection with the land that I formed as a young child when we’d go camping in this area. Impossible Project film with its mysterious artifacts and its sensitivity to light creates images that, for me, embody the spiritual connection I have with the land. I’ve used PX 100 Silver Shade, PX 70 Color Shade, PX 600 Silver Shade, and PZ 600 Silver Shade. Impossible film is my film of choice for photographing this land and its inhabitants. I also love to shoot the Paul Giambarba Polaroid Chocolate film, which I also got from The Impossible Project, for the same reasons.

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No. 296

Viewfinder: Danny Sanchez

Patrick Tobin | 490 days ago

Greetings, Viewfinder fans. We are proud to present you with a shiny new entry, this week featuring San Francisco photog Danny Sanchez

“Hello instant film friends! My name is Danny Sanchez and I am an instant film photographer from the San Francisco Bay Area. Like many who grew up in the 1980s, I have fond memories of my parents pulling out the family Polaroid Sun 600 to capture important moments from my childhood. I never expected those happy moments would later resurface and ignite a passion for instant film in my adult years.

In the process of getting to know the new instant films by the Impossible Project, I have photographed many subjects from toys to botanicals, and experimented with multiple exposures. My latest direction has taken me into the night. While experimenting with night photography, it reminded me of one of my favorite college assignments, “the color of night.” This assignment opened my eyes to the magic of night photography, by seeing the effects of mixing available light, and exposing the mysteries in the shadows with long exposures. The question I asked myself, “what would happen if I brought the magic of instant film and night photography together?”

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No. 290

Viewfinder: Martin Cartwright's "Gray's Anatomy" Series

Patrick Tobin | 497 days ago

Howdy, friends, and welcome back to Viewfinder, our blog series that highlights interesting projects involving Impossible film. This entry focuses on UK-based software engineer and photo-artist Martin Cartwright who has created beautiful photocollages in his “Gray’s Anatomy” series…

“This project came about pretty much by chance mid-way through 2011. I had been loving the look of the Impossible films I had, especially the Black Frame PX 600, but was struggling for a subject. I mostly shoot landscape stuff and the only integral film cameras I have are a Spirit 600 and a run down Sonar Autofocus 5000, which don’t really work for me in that role compared to my Bronica. I’d seen the newsletter, and a little video on the Impossible blog, about turning Black Frame shots into transparencies by peeling them, and it seemed like a fun thing to try – especially since I’d been having real trouble keeping my shots from turning orange with age – but I still didn’t have a subject.

??So then on one of my occasional Saturday circuits of the local charity shops on the look-out for cheap and fun old cameras I stumbled across a copy of a facsimile reprint of the first edition of Gray’s Anatomy.

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No. 282

Viewfinder: Brittany Hollis

Patrick Tobin | 503 days ago

Hello again, Impossible friends! Our current entry turns our Viewfinder on NYC-based Brittany Hollis…

“My project is an ongoing one, there isn’t a set theme or thread running through it, just things that strike my interest and inspire me to snap a photo. I have a small but growing collection of Polaroid cameras, and I try to incorporate them into daily life as much as my digital camera. I’m really a pain to take pictures with, I normally go out with the digital, Polaroid, phone, and recently disposables as well.

I was born in the Midwest, raised on the East Coast, and travel constantly for work (I model). All the traveling gives me new places to go photo- and camera-hunting, which is great. My favorite place to take pictures though, is around my parents’ home in Berks County, Pa. Their house is surrounded by woods, horse farms, vineyards, and a small river – there’s always something interesting going on or some beautiful scene to capture.

I’ve always been very into instant photography, from the time my dad would snap pics of my sister and I as children, and then hand them to us so we could watch them develop. Back when I started modeling, the agents would take Polaroids of the girls to send out to clients, and casting directors would take snaps of models at castings as a reference to what we “really” look like. I got my first Polaroid camera in 2008 after goofing around in my NY agency’s office with my bookers — I was hooked!

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No. 275

Viewfinder: Christopher Robleski

Patrick Tobin | 514 days ago

Welcome back to Viewfinder. Our current entry focuses on an ongoing series of instant images of old Route 66 by Christopher Robleski, co-founder of the website Fading Nostalgia. Christopher has recently compiled his images into a book entitled, “Polaroid Photos from Route 66”…

“My passion for photography is matched only by my love of road trips, with traveling Route 66 at the top of that list. While heading out of my current hometown of Milwaukee, WI, to explore America’s roads, I’ve been troubled by how quickly our nostalgic past is fading from the landscape. It is my personal mission to travel this country and capture what still remains, and I have joined the ranks of many who seek to preserve these memories. I see Route 66—a 2448 mile stretch of meandering road from Chicago to Los Angeles—from a completely different perspective through the lens of a Polaroid camera.

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No. 268

Viewfinder: Jorge Valle

Jon Campolo | 521 days ago

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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No. 263

Viewfinder: Portroids

Jon Campolo | 525 days ago

Jimmy Pardo

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…

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No. 222

Viewfinder: Nick Leonard

Patrick Tobin, | 567 days ago

The title of “Impossible King of Las Vegas” belongs to Nick Leonard. His shots of the strip are stunning and beautifully capture the city’s long history. As Nick has been compiling photos of hotels and motels all over the Southwest for some time now, we thought he’d make for a great Viewfinder feature:

“I live in Las Vegas, NV and I am 18 years old (19 in Jan.). I began taking photographs in 2006 with a little point & shoot and progressed to a Nikon D40 that my mom bought me for Christmas. Soon after acquiring the Nikon, I found myself shooting lots of concerts for a local rock magazine. In my downtime, I also explored around town and shot whatever caught my interest.

One day while browsing through Flickr, I ran across many Polaroid-related groups and discussions with people stressing over Polaroid closing their film division. It’s unfortunate that such negative news spiked my interest in instant photography! After acquiring my first Sun 600 (another x-mas gift), I was hooked. The Polaroid bug bit me hard and I have a crazy range of instant cameras varying from many integral film cameras to pack film cameras. Finding the Impossible Project on the web and the variety of film they offer truly fanned the flames, not only for me but also my beloved Polaroid cameras, and I really appreciate their loyalty in keeping instant film alive.

(More after the jump!)

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No. 198

Viewfinder: Nate Matos

Patrick Tobin, | 584 days ago

Welcome back to Viewfinder, our newest feature highlighting interesting people and the Impossible projects they are working on. This week, we trained our lens on Nate Matos…

“I’m 24, living in (the dream of the 90s) Portland, Oregon. About a year ago I had decided I wanted to do a 365 project. It was something I had always been aware of but never found the gumption to do. I have a bad habit of starting projects and not completing them. I wasn’t sure how it would help me to complete it either if it was a series of snapshots I popped off with a digital camera either.

Lucky for me about 6 months prior to this I had made my first order from Impossible for a few packs of PX 70 First Flush and some PX 600 First Flush and instantly (pardon the pun) fell in love with the process. I was still very new to instant photography, other than the occasional photo with the family Polaroid, or the very few samples I still have from my iZone, which happened to be the first camera I ever purchased for myself. Since then however, I have amassed a small army of instant cameras. But I always seem to turn to the first SX-70 I purchased years ago.

So I saw starting a year long journey with Impossible film as a great commitment to both myself and the brand. I started out by planning very carefully things I could shoot in case I ran out of ideas.

(More after the jump!)

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No. 191

Viewfinder: Joe Western

Patrick Tobin, | 591 days ago

This new feature is a sister project of “8 Exposures.” It provides an opportunity for interesting people in the Impossible film community to tell us about themselves and the projects they’re working on. This first edition focuses on NYC-based photography student Joe Western.

“I’m 25 years old, living here in NYC. During my teenage years I spent lots of time photographing friends, or concerts I attended, all of which I captured using disposable cameras. I eventually was able to take some photo classes during my time at college, where I became completely hooked after learning the dark room process. While learning more about the history of photography, and discovering different artists, I began finding my own unique subject matter. What I eventually discovered by looking at different artist’s images, was that I was able to relate the most to portraiture, representing a certain time and place… one example being Brassai’s photos of his fellow artists in Paris’ Montmartre district. Another example is Nan Goldin’s work, which is essentially a diary full of personal references. I decided to take a close look at my own environment, attempting to find if there was anything there worth capturing.

(more after the jump!…)

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