pyper and dad...

searching for something...

I have been struggling with getting an Impossible picture to turn out.  Admit it, all instant photographers have been there... For the longest stretch this Spring every picture was turning out and it almost became too easy.  Then I hit a rut...  Over the last two-three weeks, every picture has been terrible.  Either the camera messed it up, I messed it up or the exposure was totally WRONG.  It has been enough to make me not want to take pictures... 

Tyler and I were talking tonight and he had an idea that he wanted to try.  Thanks Tyler for letting me experiment with your crazy idea!

We took an empty Type 100 cartridge and taped an unexposed PX70 shot to the front side of it. We then put this cartridge into a 100 Land Camera.  Just in case you were wondering, all of this was done under the cover of darkness in a closet.  I then set the exposure to "dull day" and the lighten/darken wheel to neutral (it was getting close to sunset).  I added the Portrait lens to the 100 Land Camera so that I could frame closer.  After taking the picture, I went back into the closet to remove the film pack and placed the PX70 picture into an empty PX70 film pack.  I then put the film pack into an SX-70 camera and closed the door.  Out comes the picture...

Ok, you might say that this was alot of work for one picture or you might also say that this one is messed up too.  I would disagree with you on both points.  It is this "work" that I feel will get me out of this rut.  I will say it again...  That is what makes Impossible film so amazing!  You have to work at it to get a great picture.  You can't just snap pictures and expect them to always turn out without using your imagination or experimenting with different techniques.  What a crazy idea to use film in a camera for which it was never intended!  Amazingly enough, we found out that it WORKS!  The focus and exposure were spot on, the placement/framing of the photo was somewhat unpredictable and the image on the film is actually a mirror image of what I was really looking at.  So what about the light leak...  Well, the only thing that I can tell you is that this unexposed image was in and out of my SX-70 several times because I was having so much trouble with the camera & film pack.  It was also "exposed" two more times in transferring it from the SX-70 to the 100 Land Camera and back to the SX-70. After all of this, I was relieved to see that the light leak didn't affect more of the image. 

What's next?

This was so much fun that I plan on taking some PX100 Silver Shade studio portraits with my modified 250 Land Camera (with a 127mm Rodenstock lens) and studio lights.  I will keep you posted...

lunch with Pyper...

Came home for lunch today and found that we had a visitor.  Couldn't resist getting the camera out to take a few shots of her playing in the back yard.

looking up...

clapping fast (blurry hands)...

getting sprayed with the water hose...

meet marcus...

fuji fp-100b

Pyper's many necklaces...

Pyper wanted to see how many necklaces she could get around her neck and how many pretzels she could get in her mouth.  Thought it was the perfect opportunity to grab a picture.  Pyper didn't seem to think so...

hotel newland...

Polaroid 690

on the way to Childress...

Taken a couple of weeks ago during one of the stops on our way to Childress. Sadi and Jace were with me (Maci, Pyper and Sherri were ahead of us and didn't stop). We have memories of stopping at this Dairy Queen on our way to see family for the past 20+ years. Maci was one year old when we made the first trip. Amazing how the smallest details in our life become fond memories. Makes me happy to know that 20+ years later I get to capture these memories on a type of film from the past...

the carnival...

Made a trip to the fair this morning to get some pictures of the carnival rides without anybody around. Kind of an spooky place with nobody around. The only noise was the creaking of the rides and the flapping of the tarps. My SX-70 camera locked up after the first picture, so I took the rest with my Polaroid 100 camera.

Impossible PX70 12/11 Color Shade

Polaroid 690 Type 100

Polaroid 690 Type 100

Polaroid 690 Type 100

Polaroid 690 Type 100

Polaroid 690 Type 100

Polaroid 690 Type 100

more maci and tyler...

I try to never pass on an opportunity to take their picture. Never seem to be able to stop at one...

PX70 NIGO Color Shade

Fuji FP-100B

making art even better...

Below are the pictures that I took on a trip to Deep Ellum in Dallas with Tyler the other day. This is a place in Dallas that is full of art on everything around you.  It amazes me that you can take the mundane around you and make something INCREDIBLE by using Impossible Film...  

Love this film...

PX680 Color Shade Test Film

PX680 Color Shade Test Film

PX680 Color Shade Test Film

PX680 Color Shade Test Film

PX680 Color Shade Test Film

PX70 NIGO Color Shade

keeping it simple...

just another capture of the simplicity of life that sherri and I get to experience in our time with pyper. i wish everything was this relaxed and simple...

county fair...

By the time we got to the fair, the sun was already rapidly setting.  Tried to get a few instant shots with my SX-70 Sonar before the light disappeared. The NIGO borders really add a punch to the images...

bless you pyper...

Pyper hasn't been feeling all that well this weekend. Today she seems to be getting back to her old self. We ate an afternoon snack on the patio. Took this immediately after she sneezed. Love it how she smiles after she sneezes...

get your veggies...

a visit to the local farmer's market today yielded some very good veggies. lunch/dinner will be centered around this stuff...

on the fence...

the bottle is fading...

the skull and a wheel...

the palace theater...

finally got a chance to take an instant photo of the historic palace theater in my hometown. the theater has been recently part of a restoration project. my memories of this place date back to the early 80s going to visit my future wife while she worked the concession stand. how time flies...

three minutes with Pyper...

took this series in the period of about three minutes. that is about the length of Pyper's attention span. she was loving the fact that I was letting her chase me outside her house with no shoes on. of course, I was walking/running backwards so that I could take her picture.

on a side note...
my polaroid soft tone film for the spectra camera is starting to show it's age. there are lots of green dots that are starting to show up. such are the travails of hoarding instant film. if you use it, you can capture the moment in all of it's brilliance, but if you hesitate (or hoard the film) you might miss the chance...

jentri and jayti...

What a golden opportunity!

Went to my neices graduation over the weekend. During the visit,I got to see my nephews' twins.  What a treat to get to take some instant photos when both of them were awake. They humored me for about 3-4 minutes and then they started getting upset.

jentri

jayti

jentri and jayti