AKA August Break XXIX

There is a blend of Polaroid film (not made any more *sniff*) called Artistic TZ – this is how it’s described on the Impossible website (where they still have some left for sale if you’re quick)…

TZ Artistic is an experimental film made from expired time-zero
chemicals. These expired chemicals lend the film a constantly mutating
color palette, more sepia than cyan. The film loves diffuse outdoor
light and will give your images a wonderfully bittersweet quality. TZ
Artistic is manipulable, just like old time-zero film and you can even
use it for emulsion lifts!

Please note, these images may continue to fade even months after exposure and may show spots and blemishes.

After I’ve used my stash of this film then that’s it, there’ll be no more left! I love the muted ‘underwater tones’ – I need to find some subject matters that are less green and bathed in much more light though I think.

Here’s a gallery I’ve curated of photos from other people using the same film.

I love that I can now have one camera loaded with this and a second one loaded with the regular (and oh so precious) 600 film.

AKA August Break XXVIII

I did something today that I haven’t done for… nearly two years!

Even though I’ve been driving ever since I passed my test as a teenager (many moons ago) for some reason, ever since we became a two-drivers-one-car family I drifted into becoming a full-time passenger.

This was by no means because I was discouraged from getting behind the wheel, far from it – it just kinda happened. Anyhoo, today I finally decided to take the diving seat and remedy the situation before I lost my nerve forever, and I was pleasantly surprised at how quickly it all came flooding back.

I drove down to the beach which was pleasant and easy enough, then into town – definitely more challenging but I managed it in one piece! And so, it may take a little while to get back to my whizzing-here-and-there without a care driving style but I am definitely back in the saddle.

(We may only have one car but we I do now have two Polaroid SX-70′s, these were taken today with the newbie and he’s definitely a keeper).

AKA August break XXVI

I’m sure you’re already well aware of how much I love my Polaroid SX-70 camera. Well, with all the exciting new film being produced by The Impossible Project plus my personal/dwindling stash of 600 and Artistic TZ film I have been pondering getting a second one – that way I wouldn’t have to rush through one lot of film so I could start on a different type.

Well, in a quest to regain my photo-mojo I took a gamble and bought an untested SX-70 camera from ebay for a bargain price (yes, £60 is a bargain for one of these babies)! When I first looked through the viewfinder everything was black – oh no! But, after reading the brilliant and very helpful discussions over on Flickr I sussed that all I needed to do was pop a film in and low-and-behold – vision!

This was last night and it was a bit frustrating as I really wanted to test it there and then out but if there’s one thing an SX-70 really needs to take a decent photo it’s lots of light. After work today there was a bit of light so I tried the old self-portrait-in-a-mirror-test-shot. Considering everything the photo came out great – hip, hip hooray! It’s not a perfect specimen – it needs a bit of coaxing to lock into the open position and it required an oil to open and shut without grating, but it takes photos and that’s the main thing!

(Excuse the rubbish scan – but believe me, I look better in low resolution)!

This is the lovely orchid I got for my birthday a couple of months ago – it has now gone te way of all houseplants in my care and is a petal-free stem looking very forlorn. Here it is in happier days…

Oh, August, what has happened to you? I mean, please! You’re not just letting us down, you’re letting yourself down.