Exposure Compensation

Impossible Project PX600 BlackFrame PP - St Clair Avenue

2012-01-30T09:19:00.000-05:00

I shot this yesterday out the window of my office building. I was here working on a lot of retouching for a project I hope to be able to share soon and decided to quickly take this photo since I didn't have the time to get out and walk around. This is St Clair Ave in the Warehouse District of downtown Cleveland shot with my SX 70 Sonar and an ND pack filter.

I've been slowly working my way through this pack of Impossible PX600 Black Frame Poor Pod. I've had it loaded in my camera for some time now, but winter has really cut down on the amount of shooting I do. I'm trying not to rush through the pack, but at the same time I really want to load up some of the new PX 70 test film I just received.

As I mentioned before, I will be helping out with an Impossible workshop this upcoming weekend, and, I figured that would be an optimal time to test the new film. I'm looking forward to showing a couple new people how great Impossible's films have become and how much fun analog photography can be. Hopefully, all said and done, I'll have a few good shots on the new PX 70 to share from the event as well.

Impossible Project PX600 BlackFrame PP - Black Cat

2012-01-24T09:40:00.000-05:00

A black cat on black frame from the Impossible Project. Shot with an SX70 Sonar and ND pack filter. That about sums it up... Hopefully I'll be shooting a bit more in the near future...

Fuji Instax - w/Ashley K

2012-01-20T13:49:00.000-05:00

As I mentioned a few posts ago, my last shoot with Ashley was the first time that I got to mess around with a Fuji Instax (since she was kind enough to bring hers). Personally, I was a bit skeptical. I don't know if it was the fact that this is supposedly the current instant technology, or if it's because the camera looks like a giant toy, or even just the fact that I'm a huge fan of vintage Polaroid cameras and the Impossible Project's films, but I was skeptical none the less. After a little tinkering though, I was pleasantly surprised with the outcome of some of the images.

The colors are pretty true and using the camera is about as easy as it gets. There are a few different controls that give you a little bit of control over different aspects of the shot (lighten, darken, flash on or off, etc). I was surprised to find that I actually preferred the flash on with this camera. Shooting mainly Polaroid cameras with Impossible film I almost exclusively shoot without flash. I've always found that it washes out the image or gives terrible flat light. The flash on the Instax, however, really did add some punch to the photos. Used in combination with the "lighten" setting I was able to get a very Terry Richardson type of look - something like the two images below.

Overall, I kinda like the camera. It's fun to use and I got some cool shots from it. I don't know that I'll be getting one for myself anytime soon, but given the chance I would definitely shoot with one again.

Iphoneography - Now I always have a camera...

2012-01-17T10:03:00.000-05:00

Let's be honest. I'm probably one of the last people under the age of 60 to buy a smart phone. Up until about a month and a half ago, my phone was only really capable of making calls and sending text messages. It didn't even do that very well. So, about early December, I broke down and bought an Iphone 4.

One of the things that really swayed me into this phone, of course, was the camera and photo applications with it. Once I had the phone in-hand though, I wasn't quite sure about it. Most of the time I completely forgot I even had a "camera" with me. When I did remember, I found most of the applications lacking the control I wanted and the resulting photos to be a bit lack luster. Over the past couple weeks though... I think I've gotten used to it.

I would go as far as to say that I almost treat my phone more like a portable camera now than a do a phone. I like the ability to be able to shoot anywhere at anytime, and, like any other camera, it has it's unique little quirks that make you look at, consider and shoot a little differently than you would with an alternate camera in-hand. Obviously this camera still isn't a DSLR, the filters are most often inaccurate to the film processes they mimic, and there is still a lack of control for me in certain aspects of shooting and editing. However, it is fun, the photos have a decent quality to them and it gives me one more way to do something I enjoy, which is to take photos no matter the method.

So far in my early goings with the Iphoneography craze I've been mainly using a combination of the Camera+ and Instagram apps. I've even started to get into stacking filters a bit by saving and reimporting multiple iterations of photos to give me another level of control with the editing and grading of the photos. I would love to find some more applications that are worthwhile for both shooting and editing photos right on my phone. If anyone out there has any suggestions or preferred methods please feel free to leave your thoughts and ideas in the comments of this post.

I will try to keep my Iphone photos here on the blog to a minimum (like the rest of my digital photography) but I can make no guarantees considering the amount of photos I will inevitably take and want to share. In the meantime, if you'd like to keep track you can always follow my account studiotim on Instagram... which I hope will also lead me to a few new people to follow.

Lost Fuji FP-100B - Niagara

2012-01-10T09:20:00.000-05:00

I really should start a recurring feature on this blog that is dedicated to the lost and forgotten images I have floating around my hard drive. I don't know if it's that I go back and look at images after a time and decide that I like them more, or, if I just sometimes have little else to update with. Either way, it's becoming kind of common for me to sift through my photos and find something that I like but haven't posted.

Above is one that I liked from the moment I peeled the back off it. But, as is likely to happen from time to time, it got lost in the shuffle of uploading and updating with other photos. This is from an April 2011 trip to Niagara Falls, NY. The day we planned to head to one of the observation area's over the falls, the weather was pretty cold and wet. However, it had it's moments when the rain stopped and left a beautiful cover of foggy clouds, which is what you see here. This shot is from the NY side of the falls, looking at the Canadian side where the boardwalk and attractions would be... but with the clouds all you can make out is the Ferris Wheel rising up out of the fog.

Love finding things like this.

Impossible Project PX100 Test Film & An Upcoming Workshop

2012-01-05T14:19:00.000-05:00

As I mentioned before my lengthy winter break, my last shoot with Ashley resulted in the use of multiple different instant films. I only ended up taking two shots with my SX70 and the Impossible Projects PX100 Test film I had loaded in it, but I just so happen to like both of them.

Now onto a completely unrelated topic - For anyone who reads this blog, is interested in learning more about shooting with Impossible Project's films, and is semi-local to the Cleveland, Ohio area... I have good news. Aperture Photography & Variety, one of the few Impossible Project partner stores in the US, will be hosting their first Impossible Project workshop on Saturday, February 4th from 1pm - 3:30 pm.

The workshop, run by Aperture owner and photographer Scott Meivogel and myself, will focus on working with Impossible film and vintage Polaroid cameras. We will discuss everything from the basics up through our own personal tips and tricks, and, the final part of the workshop will be spent photographing two live models which almost guarantees you will walk away with a few great photos.

Registration is $39.99 and includes a pack of Impossible film. If you need a loaner camera, we'll hook you up with that as well but please try to let us know in advance. Registration can be completed by calling 216.574.8977, or by purchasing on Aperture's website.

This event will be a great time, and, if you've been considering taking up instant photography with the new Impossible films then this is your opportunity. Hope to see you there!

Fuji FP-3000B Negatives - Editorial with Ashley

2011-12-21T10:42:00.000-05:00

Monday night I got the chance to get back in the studio and shoot a couple different set-ups with Ashley. She's someone I've worked with quite a few times before and if you browse back through my archives you can probably find a few photos from those shoots as well.

It's been a while since I've done a shoot with anyone. Looking back through my posts here, it appears that my last was probably around mid to end of October. It's been even longer since I've been in the studio. Whenever nicer weather rolls around I'm so tired of being in the studio that I go almost exclusively to shooting on location. Of course, by the time the weather turns again I miss being in the studio... having lights and control.

These images were taken with a Polaroid 250 and Fuji's FP-3000B film pack. I've always enjoyed shooting this film, but I think these might be some of my favorite images to come from the 3000. Where a lot of people think the high ISO of the film gives them the ability to go out and shoot a lot of low light photos (which I've done from time to time) I still like to bring it into the studio when I get the chance. With a lot of light the dynamic range and sharpness of this film is really spectacular. While these negative scans are pretty accurate, they still don't really hold a candle to what the tones look like when you are holding the final exposure in your hand.

Also, to reference something I've talked about before on here in regards to light-leaks with this camera and with pack film in general - I think I have solved that problem with my Polaroid 250. I believe what I thought to be light leaks before, is actually just an uneven development caused by inconsistent pressure when the film is being drawn through the rollers. Recently I've been mindful to squeeze my camera's body and apply extra pressure in the area of the rollers when I am pulling these pack films through. So far, I've noticed far fewer (if any) wasted shots that used to plague me with pack films and specifically with the Fuji films.

There will probably be a few more posts from this shoot in the upcoming days. Besides Fuji pack film, I shot a couple images with the new Impossible PX 100, some great digital stuff, and played around with an Instax for the first time. All of that and some thoughts regarding shoot locations throughout the winter months should be coming your way relatively soon.

Until then, Happy Holidays to everyone.

Impossible Project PX100 Test Film - Photos & Features

2011-12-15T13:46:00.000-05:00

Here are a couple more shots on the new Impossible Project PX 100 Silver Shade UV+. I took these just last night after work since I still had four shots left in my camera. Just a couple photos of cameras, books, etc. that I have sitting around my place.

Again, this film really does have some great dynamic range to it. Just like my first shots with this film, I also notice how sharp it can be, and how well it can handle shallow depth of field. Also like my first couple photos, these were taken with the lighten/darken wheel about two notches towards darken as the new PX 100 seems to shoot a bit fast. You'll also notice a bit of blur in these, but I was shooting handheld and lighting with nothing more than a pole lamp.

If you want to check this film out yourself, the Impossible Project just announced its official release today. You can read a little more about it on their newsletter (which I might just happen to have a photo in) and you can also find it as the featured deal of today's Impossible Advent Calendar.

Thanks once again to Impossible for selecting one of my photos to use in their newsletters, and of course for producing yet another great new instant film. I can't wait to see what's next!

Dredgers Union - Video Follow-Up

2011-12-12T09:26:00.000-05:00

the Dredgers Union from Dredgers Union on Vimeo.

As promised, here's the video we (Uppercut Motion & Sound) put together for Dredgers Union. If you missed my earlier post and you have no idea what I'm talking about, you can check it out right here.

Impossible Project PX100 Test Film - Nutcrackers

2011-12-08T16:39:00.000-05:00

Today is a very exciting day. My shipment of the new Impossible Project PX 100 Silver Shade test film arrived this morning and I was lucky enough to find some time this afternoon to take a few photos with it. For the sake of being in the holiday spirit, I decided to do a series of portraits with a couple nutcrackers that were sitting around the office.

So far, I'd have to say this film is just what you've come to expect from Impossible - Quality product, and a beautiful next step in their ongoing production of integral films. There is a lot of beautiful contrast and the film overall seems to be very sharp. I've taken four shots now, and this post displays my best three of the afternoon. The first was really my only problem shot, and that was only a minor overexposure that could very well be due to the early SX70 that I took these photos with. I've really never run a pack of film through this particular camera myself, but since my normal SX70 Sonar still has some Black Frame in it I figured I'd give this one a go. After that first photo, an adjustment of two notches on the darkness wheel resulted in the photos you see displayed here.

This final photo does have a bit of an issue at top of frame, but that would be my fault not the films. Being that the early SX70's lacked a tripod mount, I had this camera propped up on a music stand and leveled with a sweatshirt. This last frame just happened to get caught in the sweatshirt when it was coming out of camera, which I imagine is why there is a little issue along the top of this photo.

Overall, I think this is some great film and I'm pretty glad that I got the chance to test it out early. I look forward to running the rest of what I have through the camera to see what else I can come up with.

Impossible Project PX100 Orange Flash - Alphabet Blocks

2011-12-07T08:55:00.000-05:00

Just some old wooden alphabet blocks. I shot these at my parents house a couple weekends ago with some Impossible Project PX 100 Orange Flash using an SX 70 sonar. Not much else to say - I just thought this turned out kinda cool despite not being able to make out much of the letters on the blocks. The shapes and tones are interesting.

Impossible Project PX100 Orange Flash - At Dredgers Union

2011-11-30T09:35:00.000-05:00

At work we are producing a little video piece for a local retail store called Dredgers Union. Dredgers considers themselves a "lifestyle store," that has men and women's apparel, home goods, kids and just about everything else in between. It's a great store located right in the hustle and bustle of the E. 4th Street neighborhood. Co-owners Danielle and Sean have done a great job in bringing a little retail back to the city and have done so in a way that feels like a big, national chain... and I don't doubt that someday it will be. If you happen to find yourself in the area, I definitely recommend checking out their beautiful store.

Now, these photos probably aren't what you'd expect from what I just described, and rightfully so. Being that we are producing a longer format piece with them I was fortunate enough to get to check out their offices/design space. Dredgers is highly focused on "Domestically Produced Values," and in that vein they have a domestically produced private label of apparel and home goods. The photos in this post were taken in that design space and focus on a few of the dress forms that were sitting out. Both were shot on a Polaroid SX-70 using Impossible Project's PX 100 Orange Flash... a film that I've given up trying to predict, but enjoy either way.

If you'd like a little more insight into Dredgers Union stay tuned to their website and blog over the coming weeks and you should find the final video piece we've put together for them.

Impossible Project PX 600 Black Frame PP - Wrigleyville

2011-11-22T09:32:00.000-05:00

I think these are the last of my photos from Chicago. At least, the last of my photos that are on instant/integral film. There are a few more floating about on 35mm Ektachrome slides, and, some yet to be developed ones on 35mm Rollei ATP that I'm pretty excited to see.

These photos were taken the last day of our trip to Chicago. We were actually entirely packed up, large coffee's in-hand, getting ready to hit the highway. There was one last thing I wanted to see though, if only for the sake of seeing it, and that was Wrigley Field.

What you see at top is (obviously) not Wrigley Field, but an eatery within walking distance in Wrigleyville. I ended up liking this photo better than the one I took of the actual stadium - though that photo is great for what the subject matter is, I personally find it very uninteresting. The photo of the 'EAT' sign down the road though... I rather liked.

However, for the sake of posting it, here is that shot of Wrigley as well.

Both shots were captured on an SX 70 Sonar with Impossible Project's PX 600 Black Frame "Poor Pod."

Kodak Professional Porta 160NC / Yashica D TLR / - Covington Bridge

2011-11-18T10:31:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I mentioned that I had gotten two rolls of film developed and posted a few of the scans of my 35mm slides. The other roll was a Kodak Porta 160NC 120, and above is a scan of one of the photos that was on that roll (run through a Yashica D TLR). This bridge, which you might remember from an earlier post, is a suspension bridge that spans from a little neighborhood called Covington, in Kentucky, over to Cincinnati, Ohio. I really like all of the images of this bridge that I ended up with.

Kodak Ektachrome Elite 200 Slide Film - Chicago Architecture

2011-11-17T15:13:00.001-05:00

I just recently got back a couple different rolls of film - one 35mm and one 120. I generally don't shoot entire rolls at once, so there really is a variety of things on each of them. I usually don't send things out to be developed very often either, so the things on each roll are from really can date back quite a ways.

These images are some from my Chicago trip back in early October. This is all very city oriented, much of it in fact coming from the architectural boat tour that we took the last day in the city.

These are, as you can probably tell, from the roll of 35mm that I was talking about - some Kodak Ektachrome Elite 200 iso slide film. I ran this roll through one of my favorite cameras that I rarely end up using. It's an early Canon FTb with a 55mm f/1.2 lens. Both the camera body and the lens were my Dads before he handed them down to me, and, if I remember correctly he bought this outfit when he was in the navy. It's what he used to shoot film on when he was out on the aircraft carrier, and luckily, it made its way back in extremely good condition.

Fuji FP-3000B Negative - Ashley K

2011-11-10T13:22:00.000-05:00

Since my post the other day on finding a misplaced, forgotten photo I've been wondering what other things might be laying around that I've forgotten about, never scanned, misplaced or otherwise. So, I decided to go through some things to see what I might find. The first thing I grabbed was a box of older Fuji FP-3000b negatives, many of which I have already scanned or posted along the way, and that is where I found these two images of Ashley that I had yet to scan.

If I remember correctly, these were taken sometime right in the beginning of spring when it was still quite chilly outside. We had picked a bunch of wardrobe for the day, but because we were planning to shoot outside and it was still pretty early in the morning (AKA to cold for me) we decided to do a couple photos in the studio with available light. Fuji's 3000 iso film is pretty good for this kind of thing. It lets me shoot on the fly, with minimal light, and still get some decent results. These are simple, almost the type of polaroid you'd submit to an agency, but I kind of like the way they turned out. Just another example of why you should go through your old work every now and then to see what you might of missed.

Impossible Project PX100 Orange Flash - Chagrin Beverages

2011-11-09T10:21:00.000-05:00

Another quick update today between the many jobs I'm engrossed in. Today's photo was taken in the Chagrin Falls area about two weeks ago while out meandering through one of the last nice weekends. Chagrins a fun little town with a lot of old charm like this, and, this just happens to be a great store to pick up any number of wines or beers that you can't find a lot of other places.

Taken with an SX70 sonar and Impossible's PX 100 Orange Flash. The temps were still a little cooler than normal, so there is a hint of the black and white tones, and where I warmed the photo a lot more of the oranges and browns. I still have a few packs of this film left... it might be great for cold weather shooting.

Lost Impossible Project PX 600 Black Frame PP - Erie's State News & Variety Store

2011-11-08T09:32:00.000-05:00

I came across this photo yesterday sitting on a shelf in my office. Someone had pulled it out of the bottom of a camera bag while packing up for a shoot and left it sit. I completely forgot that I had taken this. It must have been overlooked in the bottom of the bag when I got back to Cleveland, and there it sat unscanned until today. It appears to have been battered and bruised a bit along the way, but I just consider that a little extra character.

The shot itself is of a State News & Variety Store in the older parts of downtown Erie, PA. I believe this was taken in early September, probably during the Labor Day weekend. There was a big car show stretched across the downtown area of Erie that we were attending and along the way I took this photo. Shot on an SX 70 Sonar with Impossible's PX 600 Black Frame "Poor Pod."

It's kind of a nice surprise to come across a photo you've forgotten about... I guess it's just another thing to love about instant films tangible nature...

Polaroid Type 100 Sepia - Natali

2011-11-07T09:23:00.000-05:00

Things have been kind of busy as of late, so I've not really gotten much time to post new photos here (or take new photos for that matter.) So, I will quickly throw this photo up from a couple weekends ago when I headed down near the Columbus, Ohio area to work with a model there named Natali. This was the first location that we shot at, somewhere behind an old factory building that may or may not still be used today. I shot mostly digital that day (and some 35mm yet to be developed), but this is one of the few instant shots that I did end up taking. Shot on a Polaroid 250 with expired Polaroid Sepia.

I hope to get some more things scanned soon, so, hopefully new updates will be a bit more frequent in the days to come...

Polaroid Type 100 Sepia - Wrigley Clock-tower & Sears/Willis

2011-10-24T10:43:00.000-04:00

Just a couple more images from Chicago. Both shot on a Polaroid 250 with Expired Polaroid 100 Sepia. Above, the Wrigley Building's Clock-tower, and below, the Willis (Sears) tower shot from the water.

Impossible Project PX 600 Black Frame PP - Congress Hotel

2011-10-14T09:03:00.000-04:00

For some reason, this is one of my favorite buildings that I saw in Chicago. It's not one of the big sky scrapers, just one of the older buildings along the oldest part of Michigan Avenue. Maybe it's because it is not only a great looking building, but also appeases my affinity for signs. Either way, here is the Congress Hotel - Shot on an SX 70 Sonar with Impossible PX 600 Black Frame Poor Pod... my favorite Impossible film.

Impossible Project PX 600 Black Frame PP & Expired Polaroid Sepia - 57 Ford Fairlane

2011-10-11T09:28:00.000-04:00

Taking a reprieve from my Chicago photos, though I do have a few more to post, I thought I would share a couple images of a really beautiful '57 Ford Fairlane convertible. This little car is one that we just recently used while shooting a commercial, which I unfortunately can't share yet. Luckily though, I had a few of my cameras in my truck that morning and was able to snap two shots between takes.

The top image is Impossible Project PX 600 Black Frame "Poor Pod," shot on an SX 70 Sonar using an ND pack filter. The bottom, an expired Polaroid Sepia Type 100 shot with a Polaroid 250.

Enjoy.

Impossible Project PX100 Orange Flash - More of Chicago

2011-10-07T11:14:00.000-04:00

Here are a few more of the Impossible PX 100 Orange Flash images that I took while in Chicago. You'll notice quite a bit of difference in some of the images in respect to how much of the orange is coming through.

These two top images were taken the last day downtown, which happened to be one of the nicer days. It was a little warmer out than the previous couple days, and that brought up a little more of the orange color in the photos. Below, are two of the images I took on the first day in Chicago... which happened to be pretty cold and slightly rainy at points. You can see the orange is less, and, I noticed with these that for quite a while they took on a strange look right out of camera. They looked like solarized images, all of the darks were bright blue as if they were not developing. What I thought was a waste of a frame, though, ended up continuing to develop over time and came out closer to a black and white image.

And finally, just to wrap up with the Orange flash images from this trip, here are two more from the architectural boat tour... including the Willis Tower, which, some of you might still refer to as the Sears Tower.

Impossible Project PX100 Orange Flash - Marina City

2011-10-06T09:13:00.000-04:00

Here are the first two images from this past weekends trip to Chicago. Both are of Marina City, two towers that take up an entire Chicago city block. I've always loved the look of these buildings and it was very cool to stand there and see them in person after having seen them in so many movies, TV shows, album covers, etc.

Both images were taken with my Polaroid SX 70 Sonar and the Impossible Project PX 100 Orange Flash, which, I get wildly different results from every time I shoot depending on available light, temperature and the amount of time the film has been loaded in the camera. The top image was taken from the opposite bank of the river, and the second taken from a boat during a Chicago architectural tour (which if you've never done, I highly recommend as a great way to see the city.)

More from this trip soon, including some sepia, black frame and sooner or later my 35mm scans...

Impossible Project PX600 BlackFrame PP - The Warner Theatre

2011-09-29T09:34:00.000-04:00

One of Erie PA's oldest, most historical buildings - The Warner Theatre. Originally opened in April of 1931 with the showing of the movie The Millionaire. Seen here on Impossible Projects PX 600 Black Frame "Poor Pod." Shot with an SX70 Sonar.

Impossible Project PX100 Orange Flash - U.S. 26

2011-09-27T10:29:00.000-04:00

Just a few orange flash shots from this past weekend. I didn't get a ton of shooting in, but I got a few decent shots. These three were all taken with an SX70 Sonar and Impossible's PX100 Orange flash along U.S. Route 26 in Fairview, PA., just outside of Erie.

The top two are what looked to have been an old school house at some point, but oddly enough he awning actually say's something about it being a floral shop. The one below is from one of the many, many fascinating motels that surround Erie.

More updates coming soon. I'll be off to Chicago this weekend for the first time to attend a wedding. Considering I've never been there I'll be taking quite a few cameras and look forward to updating upon my return.

Impossible Project PZ680 & Expired Polaroid Sepia - Kinzua Dam

2011-09-16T10:58:00.000-04:00

While in Pennsylvania for Labor Day weekend we made our way up to Warren, PA., and the Kinzua Dam for a few hours. I had been to the Kinzua before, but from a different access point. Kinzua damn was completed in 1968 and is one of the largest dams in the US east of the Mississippi River. It provides flood control, power generation and creates the largest lake in Pennsylvania - the Allegheny Reservoir or Kinzua Lake.

The photo at top was shot on a Polaroid Spectra with Impossible Project PZ 680. I love this film, this camera and how great the colors are coming along... The bottom two photos were taken with a Polaroid 250 using some of the expired Polaroid Type 100 Sepia that I picked up from one of Impossible's big film sales. The film originally expired is '09, and, so far I am getting many different results from just one pack. These specifically are very warm/sepia toned while others have been much closer to a black and white.

Impossible Project PX600 BlackFrame PP - Presque Isle Motel

2011-09-15T13:46:00.000-04:00

It's pretty crisp and cool around Cleveland as we creep into the middle of September. It's hard to believe it's already been more than two weeks since a Labor Day weekend filled with oddly high temperatures.

This year, I spent my Labor Day up in Erie, PA... which at this point probably shouldn't come as too much of a surprise to anyone who has followed my blog recently. Tiffany and I spent a couple nights out at her family's cottage near the lake. We had a few cookouts, rode our bikes, drove around town. Once or twice along the way, I got out one of my cameras and took a photo or two.

These two images are from of the old Presque Isle Motel. It's an old, dilapidated building that appears to have been shut down years ago. I've been dying to shoot this place since we drove past it a couple months ago, but, despite the number of times we've been in Erie there just hasn't been time. Labor Day, however, finally gave me the opportunity and the storm clouds that threatened all day couldn't have worked out any better.

These were both shot with an SX70 sonar using some of my favorite film from the Impossible Project - PX600 Black Frame Poor Pod. Unlike most of what I've shot from the Poor Pod batch, these actually show the signs of the Poor Pod. But, like I've said many times before, it's these uncontrollable aspects that really make analog photography what it is. Considering the content and composition of the images... I think it worked out perfectly.

Impossible Project PX100 - Orange at Night

2011-09-13T10:10:00.000-04:00

I've been exceptionally busy with work lately and haven't had time to update as I would like to. I have some great photos to post from my Labor Day weekend, but I haven't had time to get all the images resized and the post written yet.

So, instead, I will quickly share this photo. This is the Impossible Project PX100 Orange Flash that I recently got, and the first of the shots that I've taken with it. For those who don't know, here's how Impossible describes this film:

"Experimental, alternate chemical components were used in this limited production batch of PX 100 Silver Shade film creating unexpected characteristics. The color of these images will be orangish/brownish and light sensitivity is very low resulting in rather dark tones"

Low light sensitivity with rather dark tones.... so of course, I figured why not shoot at night. Well, really, that's the only time that I had free and I couldn't wait any long to take a few photos. I wasn't sure that I would even get any results at night, but I think this turned out alright all things considered. Definitely orangish in tone, but pretty well exposed.

I think these limited, experimental runs are great. I love the odd results, the unknown aspects of the film and the fact that I can get great deals on multiple packs. Keep on keeeping on Impossible Project.

Photograph Info:

Location: Cleveland Ohio

Camera: Polaroid SX70 Sonar

Film: Impossible Project PX100 Orange Flash

Canon 5dMII - Ashley

2011-09-02T11:12:00.000-04:00

I said I would post some digital, so here's some digital.

Also, I should have a few updates next week, as I hope to be taking many photos over this long weekend. Enjoy your Labor day!

Impossible Project PZ680 - Spectra Fashion

2011-08-29T11:02:00.000-04:00

With everything that has been going on in the past couple weeks I have rarely found time to get out and take any photos. Of course, that also means that I've had even less time to try and set up and coordinate a shoot with someone else. Luckily though, now that the gallery show is coming to a close, the art sale is over and I've had a weekend in town... I've managed to once again have a little photo shoot.

With all of the great work that I've been stumbling upon lately, and the fact that Tiffany got me the Helmut Newton Polaroid book, this shoot has been a long time coming. Ashley is a model that I have worked with a number of times before, so it was easy to knock out three looks this past saturday morning. Of course, I shot a majority of this work digitally, but what I'm displaying here right now is some of the instant photos from the day.

These were all taken with my newly acquired Polaroid Spectra using the Impossible Project's PZ 680 color shade. This was only the second time shooting with this camera, and the first time with this film. I am definitely a fan of both and love the wide cinematic format the Spectra is known for. Impossible's PZ 680 is pretty much in line with what I've come to expect, and love, with all of the Impossible films. Great color, contrast and quality that is constantly improving.

Stay tuned the next couple days and I will probably post a few of the digital images from the weekend as well.

Photograph Info:

Location: Cleveland Ohio

Camera: Polaroid Spectra QPS

Film: Impossible Project PZ 680

Polaroid Softtone Type 1200 - An Affinity for Signs

2011-08-26T14:20:00.000-04:00

This past Tuesday Aperture had their second polaroid walk. We traveled the Ohio City area as a group, shooting all kinds of instant photos along the way. I had a bit of trouble this time around finding things that inspired me to shoot. In fact I often find it difficult these days to shoot an entire pack of film at once... partially because I'm picky, partially because of cost.

Anyways. I did get these couple photos that I liked, and, both happen to be of signs. No surprise to me really, as I often find signs to be interesting and have taken photos of many signs over the past couple years. I love that they are often all that remains of original buildings, businesses, etc. There's just some kind of an affinity I have for signs I guess.

On another note, you'll probably notice that these photos are a little different for me for another reason. This is some 2009 expired Polaroid Softtone Type 1200 film. I shot it using a Polaroid Spectra QPS, which is one of the new cameras that I picked up from the supposed "junk," shop in Erie this past weekend. The Softtone is a great film, but almost too accurate for me. It's sad to see these types of films dying out, but I'm glad that I've gotten the chance to shoot so many of them before they are gone completely. I'm excited to shoot Impossible's new PZ 680 to see what else I can get out of this camera...

Fuji FP-3000B - Another weekend away

2011-08-22T09:59:00.000-04:00

I haven't posted any new photos in a while. The recent gallery show over at Aperture took up a lot of my time as I rushed to get everything ready. Following that I had the art sale to get ready for. Then I realized I hadn't even taken any photos in two or three weeks, which is a quite a while for me since I started shooting film. So, even though I was away this weekend, I managed to sneak in a few photos.

We left late Friday night after a successful art sale and headed up to Erie again for the weekend. Water slides, cookouts, babies, the usual great stuff an Erie weekend consists of. Finally, Sunday morning we landed in "Midtown," Erie to browse a local junk shop because I can never have enough junk. And that's where all of these photos took place.

Midtown is a prime example of what I love about small towns. There is always an area that never seems to change. It almost hangs on too long. Buildings are fading and repurposed. Billboards advertise products you can no longer buy. Spray paint is the decoration of choice. But still, you can see the charm of the place. For what it is and what it used to be. Midtown isn't necessarily all of these things, it was actually quite active for a Sunday morning, but the images it created definitely portrayed that feeling to me.

As for the junk shop... It served me well. I arrived back in Cleveland with 10 new cameras. Mostly polaroid.

Photograph Info:

Location: Erie PA

Camera: Polaroid Land 250

Film: Fuji FP-3000b

And the winner is...

2011-08-10T13:08:00.000-04:00

The contest has officially concluded, and I would like to thank everyone that participated. As promised, using Random.org, I have randomly drawn a winner for the contest who will receive the print of their choice. Without further ado, the winner is.... Mr. Tyler Schuld. (It's probably fitting since as he said in his reply to the contest post, he's probably been following my blog longer than anyone)

Now... for a special surprise. I've decided that I am in a good mood, and the Random.org generator is fun to play with. Accordingly, I'm going to give away 2nd and 3rd place prints as well! So... lucky winners Sara Misconish and Emily Manino will also be receiving a print of their choice in a smaller 8x8 format.

Once more, thanks for everyone's participation and everyone's support since I began all this. Winners... let me know which of the three photos you'd like!

Cleveland Magazine & Some other Housekeeping

2011-08-08T10:53:00.000-04:00

I am very proud (and flattered) to say that I have a little article about me in this months issue of Cleveland Magazine regarding my addiction to instant and analog photography. The article appears in the Lake Effect section, which according to Cleveland Magazine is "the forecast on the people, places and things we love." I've been rather fortunate this year with how much attention my hobby has gotten me, and I'd like to thank Cleveland Magazine for deciding to do this little write-up about me. I'd also like to thank Kristen Hampshire who is the very talented freelance writer that interviewed me and put this article together... I couldn't be happier with how it turned out. If you aren't a subscriber and you'd like to check it out you can find a copy of this months issue in most Cleveland stores, or, read the article online.

Moving along... point number two of this post is to remind everyone that this Friday will be my first solo show over at Aperture in Cleveland Ohio. The show will feature mostly work from the past year and all of the work will be either instant or medium format photography. For those interested, there will also be a few beers to go around as well as a possible "punch," and some delicious finger foods... all of these things made possible only because of all the wonderful people I know. Here once again is the poster for the show:

Thirdly, I would like to once again throw out there that you still have time to enter my little drawing for a free print. The details for how to enter are at the linked post, and, you still have until midday Wednesday to enter. I know, because of my site metrics mostly, that there are many of you out there that read this blog regularly that have yet to enter this giveaway. Let me say this... even if you don't want it, I would appreciate you pretending you did and entering anyways :)

Finally, last but not least, I wanted to make you all aware that if you miss me at my show this Friday (or you just love me so much you want to see me again) I will have a few photos at a wonderful little event "Art in the Petit Parc," at Chartreuse on Madison Ave. in Lakewood the evening of the 19th. The lovely ladies of Chartreuse have been kind enough to invite me and my work to take part in a lovely patio party and art sale. So, even if you are sick of my work, you should come out anyways and support all of the other talented artists that will have work on display, and, enjoy one of the cutest little patios in all of Cleveland!

Impossible Project Newsletter - PX70 Push

2011-07-28T16:59:00.000-04:00

If you get the chance, pop on over to the Impossible Project's site to check out their most recent newsletter and a great offer on the last batch of PX70 PUSH! for your SX70. You might just notice while you're there that the top image in the newsletter is my very own PX70 PUSH! image from Sara's Diner at the Gateway to Presque Isle in Erie, PA.

PX70 is definitely one of my favorite films from Impossible, and, a big part of what got me started in the world of instant photography. I'm very excited to have one of my images featured on their Newsletter. Thank you Impossible! Keep the great products coming.

View the full newsletter here.

My 100th Post - Your Chance to Win

2011-07-27T11:57:00.001-04:00

Today marks my 100th post to this blog. What started out as a rarely updated, read by few, personal project in May of 2009 has really grown in the past year with my re-exploration of analog and instant photography. When I began this blog, it was more of a personal outlet for my photography with hopes attached of making it big. While that hasn't happened there has been a lot of growth with my work, myself and my blog. Because none of that would be possible without you as a reader, I've decided to fall in line with millions of other blogs and run a giveaway with my 100th post. Here's how it's gonna work:

I will be giving away one free print (12in x 12in) to a randomly selected winner. The winner will have their choice of print from the three selections below:

Parasol on Impossible Project PX70 Push

Willow on expired Polaroid Chocolate

Edgewater Pier on Rollei Retro 400s

To Enter

1. For one entry, you must follow my Twitter page @StudioTim and then tweet the following - I just entered @studiotim's giveaway contest for a chance to win a free print! http://bit.ly/nbiQ9j #giveaway

2. For a second entry, you become an official follower of this blog using your Google, Twitter, Yahoo or OpenID and leave me a comment on this post letting me know you are now following (follow can be found at the top righthand side of this page)

3. I use Random.org to pull a winner from all entrants, contact them to find out which of the three prints they want, and then mail them their print of choice (which, if for some reason, they want signed... I will sign)

This contest will run from today, July 27, through Wenesday, August 10th at 12 noon EST., and is open to contestants internationally. Winner will be selected August 10th and announced here on this blog shortly after.

Thank you to everyone who has been a fan of this blog, shared it with friends and followed along. Good luck!

** As a matter of housekeeping, I would also like to point out that I have recently added the functionality to share posts from this blog via multiple social networking sites - You can find those buttons below - Share away! **

Impossible Project PX600 BlackFrame PP - Rick Ross and Taking Back Sunday

2011-07-25T10:33:00.000-04:00

Sometimes my job takes me to interesting places, and other times it lets me meet interesting people. For quite some time now the studio I work for, Uppercut Motion + Sound, has been doing a series of videos with Microsoft Zune and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. As different musical artists are passing through town on their tours they stop by the Rock Hall and do a quick interview and walk through which we film and edit.

Just recently I started shooting a quick polaroid of the artist/s right before the interview begins, and then right before we wrap I have them quickly sign it. This past week I snapped two such photos, above of Rick Ross and below of Taking Back Sunday. They definitely aren't the best photos I've ever taken, but I think the memorabilia factor still makes them interesting.

I don't think I'll be taking these photos with everyone that rolls through from now on, but, I do hope to get a couple more before it's all said and done.

Photograph Info:

Location: Cleveland Ohio - Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Camera: Polaroid SX70 Sonar

Film: Impossible Project PX600 SS Black Frame PoorPod

Fuji FP-3000B - Some suitcases, a bike, and you should come my show...

2011-07-22T10:21:00.000-04:00

The more I shoot with Fuji's FP-3000B the more I like it. The tonal range and contrast to the film is really nice, and, the fact that I can leave it sit or carry it around with me without peeling it until I am home is even nicer. Of course, if I'm not on the move, the ability to peel the film after a quick 60 seconds is also great, because lets face it, I'm impatient when it comes to seeing how a photo turned out. There's really just a great flexibility to this film, I need very little light to get a good shot, and there's always something fun about shooting with my Polaroid 250 (mostly the looks and questions that I get from people while I'm using it)

These two photos are from polaroid week. After the polaroid walk, while everyone was sitting in Aperture getting their shots scanned for the Aperture blog post, I pulled out my 250 and shot these photos with the last two sheets of film left in my camera. I really like the way the suitcases came out and the fact I was able to get such a good exposure with the little daylight that was left streaming through the window.

I guess this would also be a good time to mention... If you like these photos, or any of my photos, I will be having a small show Aug. 12th at Aperture in Cleveland, Ohio and these prints (along with many more that you've seen on this blog) will be available for purchase. More info in the show poster below... Of course, in the off chance you would like a print but live no where near Cleveland, you can always Email Me as well and we can try to work something out.

Impossible Project PX 70 Color Shade - Polaroid Walk Follow Up

2011-07-18T15:06:00.000-04:00

During a post from last week, I talked about Aperture's first ever Polaroid Walk in honor of Polaroid Week as well as my first experiences with the Impossible Project's PX70 Color Shade. I thought I would do a little follow up to share a few more of the photos from that days walk.

The first, seen above, is a photo of an arcade bowling game at Prosperity Social Club. Being indoors without a tripod, this image was shot perched atop a bar stool and had an exposure of around 2-3 seconds. I always find that I get really nice colors with long exposures (or, if nothing else, warmer, contrasty colors). Another long exposure from that night (below) was shot in near darkness with just about a 14 second exposure. I shot this little piano with my SX70 propped up on a wallet and tabletop while inside the Literary Cafe.

I did take a couple outdoor shots along the way as well. The first, being a very good example of the color that can be pulled out of the new PX70, was someone's bright yellow front door. And then there's a set of two images taken along one of Tremont's sidewalks... a simple paper lantern and a tree wrapped in lights.

Of course I wasn't the only person walking the neighborhood and shooting Impossible's film that day... As luck would have it, I convinced my girlfriend (we'll call her Tiffany) to come along as well despite having never picked up a polaroid camera before. Aperture was nice enough to be loaning out cameras for the walk, and Tiffany got to shoot the Impossible PX70 as well using a non-folding SX70 Button. Even though I have never posted anyone else's work on my blog before, I thought these two images were a great example of the new PX70 and how wonderfully saturated the colors can be... not to mention, these photos are pretty nice for her first outing with instant film.

Photograph Info:

Location: Cleveland Ohio

Camera: Polaroid SX70 Sonar/ SX70 Button

Film: Impossible Project PX 70 Color Shade

Impossible Project PX600 BlackFrame PP - Little World

2011-07-14T16:08:00.000-04:00

This idea has been in my head for a while now. I've been contemplating exactly how I would do it, and what would look the most realistic. So, a couple weeks ago I shot a little test shot and went from there. Today I finally shot the first of what I hope to become a larger series that I'm calling "Little World." This was the second photo that I took int his setup after only one small adjustment.

As of right now, I'm not going to detail how exactly I shot this... but, I will say that it was achieved in camera with no manipulation in post. I scanned this photo direct out of camera, resized and posted. Later on down the road, I will go into a little more detail and post the process behind this and future shots.

Hope you like... and for this, I recommend a click through for a full view...

Photograph Info:

Location: Cleveland Ohio

Camera: Polaroid SX70 Sonar

Film: Impossible Project PX600 SS Black Frame PoorPod

Impossible Project PX 70 Color Shade - Big Grill

2011-07-13T16:10:00.000-04:00

As I mentioned earlier, this week is Polaroid week. In honor of the event, Aperture had a little Polaroid walk last night with about 10-15 people. We pretty much walked around town, with a few planned stops, and took some really great photos along the way.

Almost all the film used throughout this first walk was from the Impossible Project. This triptych was made with an SX70 and the new PX 70 Color shade from Impossible. The film is definitely a nice step forward from the earlier PUSH!, with much more color, very little artifacts or spotting, and a touch less sensitivity to light. I would like to mention though, as with the PUSH! before, that this film does still seem to have a bit of a reaction to heat which can still be used to your advantage to pull extra saturation and contrast from your photos (which makes sense considering heat usually plays a roll in any chemical process)

Overall, I think this film is great. Grab a pack, turn your lighten/darken wheel all the way to darken, shade the film and enjoy the final product.

More coming soon!

Photograph Info:

Location: Cleveland Ohio

Camera: Polaroid SX70 Sonar

Film: Impossible Project PX 70 Color Shade

Polaroid 100 Chocolate - Andrea - #RoidWeek

2011-07-11T12:11:00.000-04:00

Today marks the official start of Polaroid Week 2011 - the tenth year for Polaroid week.

To start things off, I am posting two images shot on expired Polaroid Chocolate with a Polaroid Land 250. These images are of Andrea, from our shoot a few weeks ago, and were taken down in the Flats of Cleveland, Ohio.

To see more great Polaroids all week long be sure to check out the official Polaroid Week Flickr group, the official Facebook page, or just follow the hashtag #roidweek on Twitter.

And of course, keep checking back to my page throughout the week as I continue to update with instant photos all week long... including some new, yet-to-be-taken photos from this weeks Polaroid Walk hosted by Aperture!

Impossible Project PX600 BlackFrame PP - Kiwi

2011-07-08T09:17:00.000-04:00

Kiwi is delicious, and, it photographs nicely.

Photograph Info:

Location: Cleveland Ohio

Camera: Polaroid SX70 Sonar

Film: Impossible Project PX600 SS Black Frame PoorPod

Rollei Retro 400 - Yashica D - Edgewater at Night

2011-07-07T09:23:00.000-04:00

Here are a few more images from my recent roll of Rollei Retro 400. Both of these images are from Edgewater Beach, which, I'm sure you recognize from many previous posts. The Pier, above, was taken about half an hour after sunset... It was almost entirely dark out save the lights along the Pier. This would probably be my favorite shot from this entire roll of film.

Now this Tree has obviously been on this blog before as it's one of my favorite things about Edewater beach and one of my favorite things to shoot in that area. This photo was taken just as the sun was setting off to the left of the tree there, about a two second exposure. The full view of this photo is really great, you start to notice all the little details like the two ghostly people standing just to the left of the tree...

Photograph Info:
Location: Edgewater, Cleveland OH
Camera: Yashica D
Film: Rollei Retro 400

Rollei Retro 400 - Yashica D

2011-07-05T11:33:00.000-04:00

I recently got back some medium format negatives that I had developed over at Aperture (since they now offer film processing, printing, etc.) These particular images are of an old trike that I picked up from an antique mall...which you might remember seeing from an earlier post.

Both of these were shot on a Yashica D using 120 Rollei Retro 400. This is the first roll of film that I've had processed from this camera, and, the first roll of Rollei that I've ever shot... I have to say, I absolutely love the images that I got from this film and this camera. The tonal range of the Rollei is beautiful.

Be sure to check back in the next day or so for a couple more images from this roll.

Photograph Info:
Location: Parking lot, Cleveland OH
Camera: Yashica D
Film: Rollei Retro 400

Impossible Project PX600 BlackFrame PP - AndreaMJM

2011-06-27T17:11:00.000-04:00

I got the chance to work with Andrea this past weekend. She's a traveling model, from San Francisco, and since she was in town for a couple days on work we were able to get together for a few hours and shoot. I didn't take very many instant photos, just these and a few on chocolate I'll post later, but there are definitely some good shots coming when I develop my next rolls of medium format and 35mm.

The two images here, of course, are Impossible's PX600 Black Frame from the Poor Pod pack shot through an SX70 with ND pack filter. These turned out all kinds of funky from direct sunlight exposure and some nice 80-85 degree temps... But still, I like them.

Photograph Info:

Location: Cleveland Ohio

Camera: Polaroid SX70 Sonar

Film: Impossible Project PX600 SS Black Frame PoorPod

Impossible Project PX600 BlackFrame PP - St. Theodosius

2011-06-21T09:49:00.000-04:00

This is a pair of shots that I took yesterday afternoon after work. I've been meaning to shoot this church on instant film for a while, I even stopped there once to do so, only to find out that I had already shot the last frame from the only pack of film I was carrying with me at the time. I guess it's for the best, because I'm quite happy with how these turned out and pair together.

For those who don't know, this is St Theodosius Russian Orthodox Cathedral. It's located on the westside of Cleveland in a little neighborhood called Tremont. It was built in 1912 and is another of Cleveland's historic buildings. If it looks familiar and you've never been to Cleveland, it's probably because this cathedral is best known for it's appearance in the 1978 film The Deer Hunter with Robert De Niro and Meryl Streep.

Photograph Info:

Location: Tremont, Cleveland Ohio

Camera: Polaroid SX70 Sonar

Film: Impossible Project PX600 SS Black Frame PoorPod

Impossible Project PX600 BlackFrame PP - Black and White

2011-06-20T15:22:00.000-04:00

st john cantius - cleveland ohio - polaroid sun 600

When I first started taking photos, it was almost immediately with a digital camera. First I had a brief stint with a 35mm camera, many rolls of poorly shot film and a sudden realization of the cost of film and developing. Soon after digital became my learning tool, and stepping stone, to where I am now... giving me the ability to shoot more photos for less money and continue to evolve my processes with just a single cost.

Ultimately, though, digital had another side effect that I didn't realize until later on. I never shot much black and white. I loved looking at black and white photos, admired those who could do it, but I never liked the look of my digital photos converted over to black and white. To this day, it's still something that I rarely do when I shoot digitally.

museum center - cincinnati ohio - polaroid sx70

My return to film, however, has definitely been my return to an appreciation of black and white photography and my return to learning how to shoot in black and white. For me, color has always been a big part of what and how I approach a photo, or, my post processing of digital photos. It's definitely been a learning process to stop thinking in color, to actually ignore color, and to focus simply on differences in contrast, lines and shapes as they occur in the frame.

hathaway brown school - cleveland ohio - polaroid sx70

I think I'm reaching the point where I can more efficiently see in black and white, and more importantly, accurately reproduce that image onto film.

Fuji FP-3000B Negative - Cleveland War Memorial Fountain

2011-06-17T17:01:00.000-04:00

I took this shot back in April for a friend of mine. She was looking for a Cleveland centric photo to gift to someone who had moved away. She recommended this fountain in the Cleveland Mall which is known as Cleveland's War Memorial Fountain (or as the Fountain of Eternal Life... or Peace Arising from the Flames of War) The fountain is the city's memorial to people who served in WWII and was designed right here in Cleveland at the Cleveland Institute of Art in 1964.

This photo of the fountain was taken on a Polaroid Land 250 with Fuji FP 3000B, and, what you see above is an inverted scan of the paper negative from the film. Definitely one of my favorite shots from the Fuji peel-a-part films to date.

Photograph Info:

Location: Cleveland Ohio

Camera: Polaroid Land 250

Film: Fuji FP-3000b Neg

Impossible Project PX680 First Flush - Cleveland Guardian

2011-06-16T16:16:00.000-04:00

One of Cleveland's Guardians. These guys sit poised on the ends of the Lorain-Carnegie (Hope Memorial) Bridge. The Guardians have been around seemingly forever, making them some of Cleveland's most recognizable landmarks. The original Lorain-Carnagie Bridge was finished in 1932 at the cost of 4.75 million. In 1983, the bridge saw renovations and was renamed the Hope Memorial Bridge after the family of Bob Hope whose family was a group of Cleveland stonemasons. This bridge is now on the National Register of Historic Places.

Photograph Info:

Location: Cleveland OH

Camera: Polaroid SX70 Sonar

Film: Impossible Project PX680FF w/ND pack filter

Polaroid 100 Chocolate - Ferris Wheel

2011-06-15T13:59:00.000-04:00

Another image from my visit to Waldameer park in Erie, PA. Expired Polaroid Chocolate shot on a Polaroid 250.

1Hundred Impossible Portraits in Films & Grains Magazine

2011-06-14T16:16:00.000-04:00

Considering this is the week that my article about the 1Hundred Impossible Portraits comes out in Films and Grains Magazine, I thought it might be appropriate to share a couple photos from that night. If you are new to this blog, or don't remember what the 1Hundred Impossible was all about, you can read more info about it in one of my earlier posts or visit the 1Hundred Impossible Website.

There are so many great portraits from the night, that it's really hard to pick favorites. The magazine article will only feature about 40 of the images, but you can still see them all on the website, and of course... you can still buy the book.

Here's a little sample of what the article in Films and Grains looks like (which you can buy here or at Aperture where the event took place):

And just for fun, here's a few more images as well.

Impossible Project PX600 BlackFrame PP - '57 Chevy Bel Air

2011-06-13T12:19:00.000-04:00

I was at a wedding this weekend in Chagrin Falls. It's a really quaint little town about forty-five minutes outside of Cleveland. There are lots of little boutiques, a popcorn shop, restaurants, and just outside of the local police station this '57 Chevy Bel Air that is done up to look like an old school police car. This is really the only photo I had time for this weekend, but I will most likely be heading back in the future for some more photos.

Photograph Info:

Location: Chagrin Falls Ohio

Camera: Polaroid SX70 Sonar

Film: Impossible Project PX600 SS Black Frame PoorPod

Canon 5dMII - Theresa

2011-06-11T10:50:00.000-04:00

Sometimes I still shoot with a digital camera... just so I don't forget how to. From my recent shoot with Theresa over at Edgewater Beach.

Photograph Info:

Location: Edgewater Beach

Camera: Canon 5d MII

Lens: Canon 24-70 f/2.8 L

Polaroid 100 Chocolate - Manchester

2011-06-09T14:40:00.000-04:00

As I mentioned last week, when I posted this skyline, I had a recent shoot with a model who was traveling through the area. We did a bunch of the normal digital stuff, and then I shot a bit with my Polaroid 250 and my SX70. Here are a few of the shots from the 250 on expired Polaroid Chocolate... all taken on Edgewater Beach.

Photograph Info:

Location: Edgewater Beach

Camera: Polaroid Land 250

Film: Polaroid Type 100 Chocolate/Exp 2009

Impossible Project PX600 BlackFrame PP - Waldameer!

2011-06-06T10:58:00.000-04:00

Erie, PA has one of my favorite places to visit - Waldameer Park and Water World. This is one of those places I used to go as a kid with my entire family. We would camp in Erie every summer, and one day of our vacation we would always spend at Water World riding the water slides. Sometimes, once thoroughly water logged, we would hit the amusement park side of Waldameer for a couple rides and an Elephant Ear.

I've always been a fan of the americana feel and nostalgia of an amusement park or carnival, and Waldameer is definitely the kind of place that offers up that type of feeling and imagery. At top is the classic amusement park swings that I shot with the Impossible Project PX600 Black Frame on an SX-70. Below, a creepy clown who tops the garbage cans in the area of the park filled with kids rides.

I've always wanted to take some photos in an amusement park and I'm really happy that I got to do it with instant film. Nostalgia deserves analog...

Photograph Info:

Location: Waldameer Park Erie PA

Camera: Polaroid SX70 Sonar

Film: Impossible Project PX600 SS Black Frame PoorPod

Impossible Project PX600 BlackFrame PP - Cleveland Skyline

2011-06-03T14:56:00.000-04:00

I was out after work Wednesday evening doing a quick photo shoot with a traveling model who was in town. We shot along the waterfront for a bit and exhausted the last hour or so of sunlight. I had shot some Impossible PX600 Black Frame from my Poor Pod batch and still had a few frames left in my SX7o while I was heading home. It was just after sunset, not quite dark out yet, so I decided to stop along the way and see what I could get from this film at dusk knowing the SX70 would meter and allow me a longer exposure. It only took one shot to get something I was happy with, and here it is... Beautiful Cleveland Ohio.

Photograph Info:

Location: Cleveland Ohio

Camera: Polaroid SX70 Sonar

Film: Impossible Project PX600 SS Black Frame PoorPod

Impossible Project PX600 BlackFrame PP - Suspension Bridge

2011-06-01T15:49:00.000-04:00

Another shot on the Impossible PX600 Black Frame Poor Pod... this time with no undeveloped patch.

Once again, this is from my recent travels. The bridge seen here is a beautiful old suspension bridge that spans the river between downtown Cincinnati and a little town called Covington in Kentucky. This was taken from the Covington side of the river with an SX70 Sonar and ND pack filter. Definitely one of my favorites from this film, and from this most recent trip.

Photograph Info:

Location: Covington, KY

Camera: Polaroid SX70 Sonar

Film: Impossible Project PX600 SS Black Frame PoorPod

Impossible Project PX600 BlackFrame PP - Flowers

2011-05-31T10:25:00.000-04:00

Some of my early results with the Impossible PX600 Black Frame Poor Pod. I shot these two images this past weekend on a trip to Cincinnati, but these flowers were actually shot just over the Kentucky border in the garden of a very large, beautiful church. It was about 85-90 degrees at the time of these photos, which resulted in the sepia tones. Lovely.

Photograph Info:

Location: Covington, KY

Camera: Polaroid SX70 Sonar

Film: Impossible Project PX600 SS Black Frame PoorPod

Impossible Project PX70 PUSH - Trike

2011-05-25T13:40:00.000-04:00

Picked this trike up from an antique mall a couple weeks ago. I was buying a few other things, and got the guy to throw the trike in on the deal for free. I've always loved the look of these, especially the older ones, so I'm glad to have finally found one for the right price.

Shot on Impossible Project PX 70 PUSH using an SX70 Sonar.

Photograph Info:

Location: Parking lot, Cleveland OH

Camera: Polaroid SX70 Sonar

Film: Impossible Project PX70 PUSH

Impossible Project PX680 First Flush & PX600 BlackFrame PP - The Viv Take 2

2011-05-24T17:08:00.000-04:00

Spent Sunday afternoon hanging out with Vivian in Cleveland (who you might remember from an earlier post) Naturally, I took a few photos.

The top photo is PX 680 FF with an SX70 and ND Pack filter. The second is the Impossible PX 600 Silver Shade UV+ Black Frame using a Polaroid 600 Sun (that Vivians Mom happened to score for $2 dollars). The Black Frame also happens to be from a Poor Pod bundle, however 7 shots into my first pack I still haven't had any undeveloped patches. We'll see what happens moving forward as I have a lot more of that film to shoot.

Photograph Info:

Location: Cleveland OH

Camera: Polaroid SX70 Sonar

Film: Impossible Project PX680FF w/ND pack filter & Impossible Project PX600 Silver Shade UV+ Black Frame PP

Impossible Project PX680 First Flush - Summertime

2011-05-23T11:16:00.000-04:00

The weather this past weekend felt very summery... 70 to 80 degree temps and clear skies. So, in celebration, I spent most of my Saturday day-drinking in the best of company out on Whiskey Island.

Of course, I also took a little bit of time to snap a couple instant photos and test out my very first pack of the Impossible Project's PX680 First Flush. Here are three of those photos from Saturday, all shot with a Polaroid SX70 Sonar using an ND pack filter as opposed to the traditional stick on ND.

The PBR can is definitely a favorite from this weekends shots (though there are some others great ones I will be posting soon enough) as the colors are some of the best that I've been able to get out of this film or the Beta film. The other two below, are from the marina on Whiskey Island, and are the first two shots out of this pack.

Overall, I'm pretty impressed with this film and how it's handled. I was shooting in pretty high temps, got great results with little fuss, and there is nearly no speckling/mottling to be seen. If anything, I've gotten better results from the FF than the Beta and we all know that Impossible will only continue to improve the formula from here.

Photograph Info:

Location: Whiskey Island Cleveland OH

Camera: Polaroid SX70 Sonar

Film: Impossible Project PX680FF w/ND pack filter

Polaroid 100 Chocolate - Edgewater Beach

2011-05-19T11:38:00.000-04:00

A tree that sits out on the rocks at Edgewater Beach in Cleveland. Taken on expired Polaroid Chocolate with a Polaroid 250.

Photograph Info:

Location: Edgewater Beach

Camera: Polaroid Land 250

Film: Polaroid Type 100 Chocolate/Exp 2009

Kodak BW400CN - Mamiya 645

2011-05-18T21:58:00.000-04:00

In the very beginning of April I had to head out to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum to shoot some nighttime exteriors of the building for their Broll Package. I just happened to have my old Mamiya 645 manual in the back of my truck at the time, so I decided that while I was out I would take a few photos... which of course led to me staying out for about two hours shooting photos.

To start, I stayed pretty close to the Rock Hall and shot some 30 second long exposures around the lake and harbor. Unfortunately, I don't have a cable release for this camera, so these exposures have a touch of motion blur from holding the shutter open manually.

Once the wind off of the lake started to get to me, I started home through the flats, which I drive on a daily basis, and I saw the scene from the photo below. For some reason it struck me, and I had to stop and take a few frames of it as well.

Shooting long exposures with film was definitely a different experience for me, but seeing as how this was my first time (and this was the first roll of film I've gotten developed from this camera) I was pretty happy with how they turned out. I think I will definitely do some more images like this around the Cleveland area this summer.

And of course, since I had a couple frames left on this roll when I ended up in Erie a short while later, here is another (and last for a while) photo of the lighthouse on the north pier of Presque Isle.

Photograph Info:
Location: Cleveland OH, Erie PA
Camera: Mamiya 645
Lens: Sekor 80mm
Film: 120 Kodak BW400CN

Impossible Project PX70 PUSH - Foosball

2011-05-16T10:56:00.000-04:00

For those of you who don't know... outside of photography, foosball is pretty much one of my favorite things to do. I started playing it about five years ago when I started my current job because we had a table in our lounge. I hated it, and was absolutely terrible at it, but for some reason continued to play. It's now become something of an addiction (similarly to instant photography) and it was only a matter of time before I put the two together. So, here are some foosball images shot on the Impossible PX70 PUSH! with an SX70.

And... if you happen to - 1. like foosball 2. be in the Cleveland area, and 3. want to play - you can often find me at a little bar called Manja in Lakewood on a Friday or Saturday night....

Photograph Info:
Location: Cleveland OH
Camera: Polaroid SX-70 Sonar
Lens: Fixed
Film: Impossible Project PX70 PUSH!

Impossible Project PX70 Push - North Pier Lighthouse

2011-05-15T15:06:00.000-04:00

Another photo of the lighthouse on the North Pier of Presque Isle in Erie, PA. This was taken at the same time as the photos from my previous post - Fuji 3000B North Pier Lighthouse - but this is taken on the Impossible PX-70 PUSH! using an SX-70.

Photograph Info:

Location: Presque Isle Erie PA

Camera: Polaroid SX-70 Sonar

Lens: Fixed

Film: Impossible Project PX70 PUSH!

Impossible Project PX70 PUSH - Edgewater Beach

2011-05-12T10:42:00.000-04:00

This past Saturday Ashley got ahold of me to see if I'd like to go out and shoot some photos since the weather was nice. I was hanging out on my own for the weekend, cleaning and running errands, so taking some time off to take photos seemed like a good idea to me.

Since I really didn't have anything planned, I suggested that we just run over to Edgewater beach just outside of downtown to shoot something with a summery vibe. As always Ashley brought along some great outfit combinations to work with, and, I brought along a bevy of cameras. Interestingly enough, this was actually the first time I've gone out to shoot with someone and not had a digital camera with me. Shooting instant film and medium format used to be something I did in addition to my digital work, which was the mainstay, but more and more I am leaning towards shooting more film. I won't ever completely drop digital, but film has definitely revitalized photographing models for me. (I will post some of the medium format shots from this shoot soon)

Photograph Info:

Location: Edgewater Beach, Cleveland

Camera: Polaroid SX-70 Sonar

Film: Impossible PX70 PUSH

Impossible Project PX680 Beta & Fuji 3000b Negative - The Viv

2011-05-11T13:41:00.000-04:00

Above is one of the first PX680 shots from the beta film that I got to come out the way I wanted. It was taken with a Polaroid One Step and available light.

Below, is a shot from the same day using the Fuji FP-3000b peel-a-part film in a Polaroid 250. I scanned the negative for this photo, inverted, and did a little contrast adjustment. I like the negatives, there's a bit more information in the shadow detail. You need to tweak, but you definitely get a good photo in the end.

The subject for both of these great photos, is the one and only Vivian. Viv is Tiffany's niece/Goddaughter. She's almost one, and she makes taking photos look easy.

Photograph Info:

Location: Waterford, PA

Camera: Polaroid OneStep & Polaroid Land 250

Film: Impossible PX680 Beta & Fuji FP-3000b Neg

Polaroid 100 Chocolate - Ashley

2011-04-30T18:14:00.000-04:00

I bought a couple packs of Polaroid 100 Chocolate from the Impossible Project a few months ago.This is another of the peel-a-part films, but it was actually produced by Polaroid before they stopped making instant films. This is left over stock, so it's been expired since April of 2009.

As you can see, the film still holds up thanks to proper storage over the years. I've been holding on to this film since I got it, waiting for the weather to warm up a bit before I took it out. Peel-a-part films development time before peeling is dependent on the ambient temperature, and considering this isn't being made anymore I wanted to be sure it wasn't wasted.

So, we finally got a bit of decent weather, and I set up a shoot last minute with Ashely, whom I've shot with before. These were all taken in morning light, about 8:30-9:30. There's a bit of an issue with the contrast, but overall for my first time shooting the Chocolate I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. I still have two packs left, and I think I will definitely be getting a couple more before they're sold out entirely.

Photograph Info:

Location: Edgewater Beach & The Flats, Cleveland OH

Camera: Polaroid Land 250

Film: Polaroid Type 100 Chocolate/Exp 2009

Fuji FP-3000B - North Pier Lighthouse

2011-04-29T11:41:00.000-04:00

Recently I've been shooting with the Fuji-3000B using my Polaroid 250. I love the photos that I have been getting from this film and the flexibility that a 3000 ISO instant film provides. This is just one of the Fuji peel-a-part films, but it is definitely my favorite. It is also one of the few films left that leaves a paper negative, which can then be scanned and used to make prints from. I'll post an example of one of the negatives in a later post.

These photos, again, are from one of my recent weekend trips up to Erie. This lighthouse, located on the north pier of Presque Isle, is one that I have taken photos of many times before, but it's the first time that I have shot it since I started using instant films. Oddly enough, these photos were actually taken around 4 in the afternoon, even though they happen to look a little like evening/night shots.

You'll notice these photos are filled with flaws if you look at them fullsize, but I don't think it detracts from the look at all. Because we were out walking Presque Isle for a while, and I wanted to try and salvage the negative from these photos, I waited to peel them until we were somewhere I could let them dry. The additional time probably added to the darkness of the photos, and also caused them to stick to the negative when I did peel them, leaving some odd marks. There was also a problem with the first photo out of this pack, and in fixing it I obviously had some light leak in as well. But, again, it's these strange occurrences and problems are what make instant photography fun for me. Now a days people spend hours in post trying to emulate these kinds of errors and effects... I love seeing it happen naturally.

Impossible Project PX70 PUSH & PX600 - Travels

2011-04-26T16:50:00.000-04:00

I have a tendency to always want to get off the highway and take photos of the things I see. For one reason or another, it's never really seems to be an option. Every now and again, though, while you are driving by yourself you can manage to lose a little time and take a photo or two along the way. Here is one of those rare opportunities.

This old school motel is one I found just off the exit in North Kingsville, Ohio on my way east. I was technically supposed to be stopping for gas, but I really couldn't pass up the motel without stopping. Unfortunately, just as I pulled in it started to rain, and the wind began to kick up. I only had one shot of the Impossible PUSH in my SX70 at the time, so I ended up shooting this through the windshield of my truck as the rain started coming down. In the end, it worked out alright considering it was still a bit chilly... I just threw the photo on top of the defrost vents, turned the heat up, and jumped back on the highway.

This second photo isn't right off the highway, but still one that I took along my way a week prior. It was actually on the way home from Niagara Falls NY (which I will post photos of later), and it was one of those rare Sunday afternoons in April that we actually had nice weather. Not wanting to completely waste the sun on driving, we stopped in Erie and ended up along the bay front for the afternoon. I'm not even sure what this building is, but I liked the look of it and ended up with this photo... one of my favorites from the bay front.

Impossible Project PX70 PUSH & PX 680 - Presque Isle, Erie PA

2011-04-25T17:02:00.000-04:00

I know. It's been over a month since I last posted some photos here, but I'm back. I've actually been here most of the time. I've just been extremely busy with on thing or another and haven't been able to update as often as usual. On the bright side, my past three weekends have been spent out of town in different places, which means that I have had plenty of opportunities for photos. I actually have a stack of about 30 decent shots to share over the upcoming posts.

I have had the same four cameras with me each trip... a Polaroid SX70, Polaroid One Step, Polaroid 250 and an old Mamiya 645. So, almost all of my photos have been some type of instant photography, except the medium format. The films that I've carried with me are Impossible's PX70 Push, PX680, PX600 Silver Shade, and the Fuji FP100c, 100b, and 3000b. The medium format has just been loaded up with some Kodak BW400cn.

The most recent trip, was up to Erie, PA this past weekend. I was only there for a day, but was able to shoot quite a few photos around the Presque Isle area. The photo at the top of this post (shot on PX70 Push) is from Sara's & Sally's, a pair of classic 1950s diners, which you can find at the gateway to Presque Isle state park. We stopped here for lunch (Erie's own Smith's hotdogs) and afterward I wandered about and took a few photos. The two images below are also from Sara's & Sally's... (the first PX70 Push, the second PX 680)

After lunch, we headed out onto Presque Isle for a couple hours and were lucky enough to have great weather. Presque Isle is somewhere I've been going since I was a kid, so I love to go back and walk around the beaches and take photos along the way. What you see below is the last two shots from my first test pack of Impossible's new PX680. I've definitely had my share of problems with the first pack, but I think it is mainly that I picked up some light exposure along the way and have been shooting with a cheaper One Step in light of not having an ND filter for my SX70 yet. The photos that have come out, though, are really great. There is a ton of color in this film, and the fact that it isn't effected as much by post shot light exposure and temperature is a huge plus. The light leaks and mistakes that have shown up in these photos don't really bother me though... I don't shoot instant photography to get perfect photos.

Impossible Project PX70 PUSH - Emulsion Lifts

2011-03-21T15:16:00.000-04:00

These images, which you may have seen in an early post here, are emulsion lifts from Impossible's PX70 PUSH film. (click through for larger image)

For anyone who doesn't know, emulsion lifts have been done for years, but were originally only able to be done with peel apart films. Now, all of Impossible's new films are able to be lifted. Emulsion lifts are basically the process of separating the layers of the film and transferring the top emulsion layer to a new surface. You can see a video of the basic process here. One of the major benefits of lifting the Impossible film is that it stops all chemical reaction, just like peeling the film would, which means that your image will no longer fade or have a color shifts over time.

These images were my first attempt at doing an emulsion lift. It is a bit tedious, but I think the results are interesting. For these images, I didn't have brushes to work with, so I used cotton swabs. Besides the fact that they fall apart after some use in water, they worked out pretty well. For the transfer surface I picked up a couple different types of heavy stock watercolor paper knowing that it would hold up well and not have as much bend when it dried. This of course, is one of the darker papers that I bought which I used with these images because I wanted an older/antique look to the final images.

All in all, I was happy with the results, and as you can see from left to right I started to get the hang of it with repetition. I won't be doing this with all of my Impossible images, but it's a good tool to have when you want a different look or just want to preserve a photo.

Impossible Project PX70 PUSH - Bowling Alley

2011-03-18T14:41:00.000-04:00

Last weekend I was out with some friends. Since I knew we were going bowling in a pretty old school alley (Mahall's 20 Lanes) I took my SX-70 with me. I only got to take two shots, but I kind of dig them.

Photograph Info:

Location: Mahall's 20 Lanes

Camera: Polaroid SX-70 Sonar

Lens: Fixed

Film: Impossible Project PX70 PUSH!

Impossible Project PX70 PUSH & Impossible Project PX600 Silver Shade - Libraries

2011-03-08T15:45:00.001-05:00

After the trip to the Cleveland Botanical Gardens this past weekend, I headed over to the Kelvin Smith Library to take a couple more photos. The Kelvin Smith Library, part of Case Western, is really quite interesting inside, and somewhat modern in terms of Libraries. I had visited there before to do some filming for a TV Spot, and it quickly came to mind again when I was looking for some good indoor locations to shoot.

The main picture in this post, taken with an SX70 on PX70 PUSH, is definitely one of my favorite shots of the entire weekend. This old book was sitting on a shelf just like this...wrapped nicely in a ribbon, gold leaf edges, and a great worn leather cover. It was titled 50 Years of Make Believe. The photos below are from the same area of the library. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of rows just like this, and each is on a motorized track so that you can select which isle you'd like to walk down. These were taken with a Polaroid One Step on PX600.

From there, I ended up quickly browsing through another library down town, the Cleveland Public Library. In stark contrast to the first, this is a gorgeous old building... beautiful architecture, marble and stone, just an entirely different feel and look. These images, again, are with an SX70 on PX70 PUSH.

Next up, I hope to scan and share some emulsion lifts that I did with the images from the Cleveland Botanical Gardens...

Photograph Info:

Location: Cleveland Ohio
Camera: Polaroid SX-70 Sonar, Polaroid One-Step
Lens: Fixed

Film: Impossible Project PX70 PUSH! Impossible Project PX600 Silver Shade

Impossible Project PX70 Push - Warm is good. Warmer is better.

2011-03-07T19:15:00.000-05:00

This past Saturday was a day full of polaroid fun. I stopped over at Aperture and picked up a pack of PX70 Push, PX600 and a Fuji 100c. Enough to keep my busy for a few hours at least.

First stop of the day was the Cleveland Botanical Gardens. I knew that I could stay inside, out of the rain, it would be relatively warm, and there would be plenty of color.

It's no surprise to anyone shooting the Impossible film at this point that heat directly effects the development process of the photos. I used this to my advantage quite a bit during the 100 Impossible Portraits, and did so again with these photos.

What I have started to notice, is that the heat brings out the contrast and color saturation of the photos, which many people already know. What many people might not know, is how much heat, how long to heat, and how long heat can actually effect the development process. We already know that the chemistry of these images continues to change for hours, even days, after the image is captured. I have found that while heat has the most impact immediately after the image is shot, it appears to continue to effect the photo for at least 10-12 minutes after the development process has started.

For these images, I was already in a warm green house environment, but I knew from previous shots that more heat is better. I immediately placed these images under my armpit, the warmest place possible at the time. I also made sure that after a few minutes that I rotated the images so that one side didn't receive more heat and develop in a different way. I did this for at least 10-12 minutes per image, until each had reached full color and contrast.

Unlike the PX600, which is also effected by heat, I have noticed that the PUSH seems to react differently to heat. PX600 is effected quickly, and only the first few minutes seem to have a direct influence. Placing a PX600 image directly under your armpit will actually cause a very uneven development because of how much faster heat effects it. The PUSH, on the other hand, seems to react over a much longer period of time and likes a steady stream of heat. It's actually hard to cause the photo to develop unevenly, unless an extremely warm/concentrated source is applied directly to just one area of the photo.

The only down side to these particular images, is the fact that you are not allowed to have a tripod in the botanical gardens, which caused longer exposures to be a bit difficult. As you can see though, warm is good, but warmer better.

Photograph Info:

Location: Cleveland Botanical Gardens
Camera: Polaroid SX-70 Sonar
Lens: Fixed

Film: Impossible Project PX70 PUSH!

Punk Fashion (and some other things)

2011-03-03T10:13:00.000-05:00

Today, I have some more images from my shoot with Ashley. A little bit of punk fashion, featuring a one-of-a-kind handmade vest Ashley brought with her.

For the analog lovers, I've already posted a few polaroids of this shoot here, but as a consolation, I'll throw in a few more that go along with the Lazy Sunday post from early last month. Of course, these were shot on Impossible's PX600.

As for updates on other things...

It's been a little while since I've posted anything new here, mostly because I have been so busy keeping up with other things. As many of you already know, the 100Impossible website is now up, and has been getting quite a bit of traffic. People are enjoying sharing the photos, the video, and a few people have even bought a copy of the book. I've even been contacted by someone interested in purchasing a large 5'x7' print that features all 100 photos.

If you remember I mentioned before that I was going to have a follow up post on process and my thoughts on actually shooting the event. However, I recently found out that I will be having an 8-10 page spread in Films and Grains, so I've decided that I will keep much of that information for the article. If you want to know more, I guess you'll just have to pick up a copy of the magazine.

That's pretty much the news for now. I will say that I'm looking forward to things calming down a bit, and the opportunity to get out and shoot some more personal work in the near future. I'm already starting to consider what my next big project might be...

1Hundred Impossible Portraits - A summary

2011-02-18T10:53:00.001-05:00

It has been one week since my 1Hundred Impossible Portraits event at Aperture, and I think I have finally gotten most everything in order. I figured this would be a good time to put together a little write up of the event, and let everyone know about some of the fun things that are coming soon.

The goal of the event was to shoot 100 portraits in one night, and do it all on an original Polaroid SX-70. Of course, since Polaroid no longer makes film, everything was done with The Impossible Project's PX 70 Color Shade Push! which I have posted about many times in the past few months.

Needless to say, the event itself was a huge success. In fact, with more than 250 people showing up, I ended up shooting about 120 portraits instead of 100. (All the photos featured in this summary will be from those extra portraits, as I'd like to save the original 100 for the official launch of the website.)

It was really a great time meeting all the different people who came through the store that night. As part of the event, each person also filled out a small info card, something like a personalized mad-lib, which will hang with their portrait in the gallery over the next month. Not only will you get to see each persons photo, but you'll get to learn their occupation, inspiration and something they would like to accomplish with their life.

(image courtesy of Shelley Turk)

Up next for the 1Hundred Impossible Portraits will be the launch of a full interactive website. The site will feature all 100 photos, the personal bios, a link to the behind the scenes video of the night and the ability to order a book (which will feature all 122 photos). Look for that official launch to happen early next week.

Of course, I also want to take this chance to thank everyone who helped make this event possible. All of the sponsors (Aperture, Uppercut, & FoodGazi), the friends and family who helped keep the night in order, the guys running the video cameras, the band, and of course all the people who came out in support of instant photography.

I hope this little taste of the event is enough to satisfy for just a few more days, as I know many people have been chomping at the bit to get their hands on these photos. Also, look forward to a post in the near future on the details of shooting these portraits... light shading techniques, camera settings, and a new way of applying heat to photos throughout the development process and what kind of difference it makes.

So, enjoy the photos and don't forget to check back for the official launch of the website, video and book early next week. Thanks everyone.

Vintage Fashion

2011-02-09T14:55:00.000-05:00

I used to only share an image, maybe two, from each of my shoots here on the blog. In fact, I used to keep this blog mainly restricted to things outside of my portrait and fashion work. Lately, though, I have decided to continue to share images, sometimes many from the same model/shoot, as long as I feel the images are worth posting.

I think, after finally adding some analytics to my different sites, that I've realized my work actually gets many more views from my blog than my actual portfolio site. I'm not saying I'll get rid of my main site (just yet) but I think you will start to see more and more postings to this blog.

So, here again is Ashley in some photos from a recent shoot, in what was our first look of the day... a very vintage, very furry, white jacket. I think these are a little different than my usual images, but I think these turned out very "clean/editorialish."

Photograph Info:

Location: Cleveland Ohio, Studio
Camera: Canon 5DMII
Lens: 24-70 f/2.8L

Impossible Project PX600 Silver Shade

2011-02-07T16:35:00.000-05:00

Some Pola love from my most recent shoot. Impossible PX600 Silver Shade with a Polaroid One Step.
Enjoy.

Photograph Info:

Location: Cleveland Ohio, Studio
Camera: Polaroid One-Step
Lens: Fixed

Film: Impossible Project PX600 Silver Shade

Lazy Sunday

2011-02-06T18:54:00.001-05:00

Perhaps I just have a tendency to become smitten with my newest work, but I think I may have potentially taken some of my best photographs today. These are just two of many, many great photos that I got working with Ashley for the second time.

Hope you enjoy, click through for lager images.

Photograph Info:

Location: Cleveland Ohio, Studio
Camera: Canon 5DMII
Lens: 24-70 f/2.8L

Impossible Project PX70 PUSH Part IX & Impossible Project PX600 Silver Shade IV

2011-02-02T15:45:00.001-05:00

In the spirit of gearing up for the 1Hundred Impossible Portrait event, here's some pola fun.

Enjoy.

Photograph Info:

Location: Cleveland Ohio, Studio
Camera: Polaroid SX-70 Sonar, Polaroid One-Step
Lens: Fixed

Film: Impossible Project PX70 PUSH! Impossible Project PX600 Silver Shade

Hello Cleveland

2011-02-01T16:29:00.000-05:00

The view from the 33rd floor of the BP building downtown, where I was shooting this morning. This is a stitch of 16 photos.

If only I had my Polaroid...

Photograph Info:

Location: Cleveland Ohio, BP Building
Camera: Canon 5DMII
Lens: 24-70 f/2.8L

Consumed.

2011-01-30T17:48:00.001-05:00

I've been completely consumed by photos today. Looking at them, thinking about them, taking them; it's a nice place to hide. Naturally, the progression took me to retouching another photo from my last shoot that I haven't had time to get to yet, and I'm glad it did... I really like the way this turned out.

(as always, I recommend clicking the photo for full view)

Photograph Info:

Location: Cleveland Ohio, Studio
Camera: Canon 5DMII
Lens: 24-70 f/2.8L