When I bought my SX-70 for $20 on eBay, I really had no idea that I would be so smitten with the camera and the pictures that I am taking with it. I have found over the last few weeks that I have gotten better at predicting what the “polaroid effect” will do to an image and actively seeking out subjects that will benefit from that touch. I have been so happy with the results that I have created a new gallery in the “Current Work” section of the website. I have also set a goal for myself to take enough of these by the end of the summer to compile a small book, which I will probably make available through Blurb.com or another print-on-demand service.
It is fun to let go from time to time and improvise a bit with the camera. I had gotten so used to the razor sharp, perfectly composed photographs I tend to make with my Hasselblad that I had kind of forgotten that photography can be much more loose, where perfectly straight lines and tight compositions take a backseat to the overall “feel” of the image. It is freeing, and I also think it is giving me a much needed break so I can recharge before jumping into black and white when I go to Sicily next week.
6 Comments
Wow that last one really makes me regret not going to Brooklyn when I was over in NYC. There must be some amazing views.
It’s also refreshing to see polaroids without their surround!
Brooklyn definitely has its charm. I tend to think of it as its own city; I live, work, and go to school here and rarely need to go to Manhattan. It has some wonderfully gritty and industrial areas and also some very nice, safe neighborhoods. It’s very much what you make of it.
I intentionally remove the white frame from the Polaroids because I am not so much interested in the film as an object, I am after the image itself. The prints I am making from these photographs are much larger than the originals and also don’t include borders. I also do some color correction and contrast adjustment, so they end up being more of a hybrid of the analogue/digital process than a straight Polaroid photograph.
i look fwd to the book. hopefully the price is right and i’ll buy. i really love your photography and would love a hardcopy.
Love the polaroids… they remind me of the 70’s/80’s. Maybe you can find a vintage sign or car or other old object as a future subject. I’m surprised the polaroid effect translates as well as it does to the web.
Love it Dalton! Seriously man, keep it up, they’re looking great. I already love the little series you have going!
Can’t wait to see some italy stuff!
Great work! The series really has a nostalgic feel to it. Also, the second picture reminds me of the Resident Evil video game/movie series for some reason..