STEP RIGHT UP & SEE: The Amazing Instant Photography!

As I write this, in July 2012, instant photography is something that is taken for granteed in the time we live in.

Digital photoraphy changed the world when it came to instant imagery, but although viewing them on a screen is fun, it doesn't quite have the same excitment that the instant camera first produced in 1947 as Polaroid's 'Land Camera.'

In 1947, Edwin H. Land created the first camera to give you a dry print just 60 seconds after you snap the shutter.

The process of delevopment involved ordinary chemicals, but the negative was not transparent and did not require any light for printing.

Land developed his method after his daugther questioned him on why photographic developing took so long.

Image by Popular Science Magazine 

Sales of all types of film photography dropped by a large 25% at the beginning of 21st century.

It seems now the format is used by those who are passionate about photography and the work they create.

Most people who want to take holiday snaps, events and days out now use devices wuch as their mobile phones, ipods or compact digital cameras to capture their own piece of history.

To me this method is convenient, but not quite as much fun as analogue photography involving film.  It's nice to have the option depending on who you are and what you use your photography for.

Upon it's release in New York in 1948  the first Polariod was sold for $95.  A year later Polaroid were assisted by legendary photography Ansel Adams when designing new products and film.

Over the next ten years, the company grew and Polaroid extended their products to Canada and Europe in the late 1950's.

By 1963 they had produced 5 million cameras and business was blooming.  A range of camera serieses were to follow including the popular SX-70 and Sun 600.

Time produced many models of camera from this company, but in 1991 founder Edwin Land dies at the age of 91.  Polaroid also recieve a sum of $925 from Kodak on the basis of Patent Infringment.

Stepping into the new millennium the company's sales of instant cameras and film dropped, thus reducing their need for manufacturing, and eventually ceasing production of all instant film.

Polaroid announced they were stopping their production of instant film in February 2008.  They closed three factories and around 450 employees lost their jobs.  A sign showing the economic climate and the convenience of digital photography that had taken over the world and become readily available to every budget in the last 8 years.

A sad time in photographic history.

Fast forward to 2011, and I find myself personally hunting down expired pack of Polaroid film on ebay for an extortionate price.  All for the sake of being able to try out the world changing format of instant images for myself.

After discovering these 2 Polaroid cameras in my Grandfather's loft, I felt compelled to put a set of film through each one.  My Grandfather would have been the last person t use these and I felt it only right to see if they still worked.  I'm sure he would be been proud to see them in action!

(I will be posting an review article on the Polaroids during July)

Fast forward again, and now we are in 2012.  Current financial climate and cost of living has risen to nearly an unreal amount.  The cost of photography can be very cheap if you want it to be.  Personally, I like to experiement and try new things.  A keen photographer friend and artist, Melyssa Shannon introduced me to the range of instant cameras produced by FujiFilm.

So fear not those wanting to give instant photography a go, FujiFilm is the answer!

Fujifilm began producing film for the Japanese and Asian markets, calling their inevention 'Fotorama.'

In 1980 they began selling their cameras to the world, and during the 90's developed a camera known as the Instax.

This is now poerhaps, thier most famous instant camera.  With the eleimation of Polaorid film and production, Fujifilm took over the market and their Instax camera became availible to countries outseide of the USA.

I recently purchased an Instax Wide 210 camera and after nearly two years trying trying to get some Polaroid results, Fujifilm's Instax has solved all the problems.

(Article / Review to follow on the Instax Camera)

Overall, instant photography helped change the world.  The fast paced environment would not be where it is today without the likes of these (what seems now as) simple developments in technology and science.

If you are interested in giving instant photograpy a go, I suggest checking out ebay for the best deals on new Instax cameras.  It is also good if you want to pick up an original Polaroid camera to try out, or just add to your collection shelf.

Currently I am using my Instax camera out and about in the city as I am scouting potential models for a continuation of work on my Fashion Portfolio.

It's a great way to get a snapshot of the person and scribble their name and number at the bottom of the image.

If you want to read more on instant photography, it's history, The Polaroid company or Edwin Land himself, check out these few links:

http://camerapedia.wikia.com/wiki/Polaroid

http://technologizer.com/2011/06/08/polaroid/

http://www.the-impossible-project.com/

http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/blpolaroid.htm

http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/02/08/polaroid-abandons-instant-photography/

http://www.ideafinder.com/history/inventions/instantphoto.htm

http://www.ideafinder.com/history/inventors/land.htm

Photography LESSON 2: How Film Works

This is the second lesson in photography.  I am going to keep the lessons in order, running through all the processes involved in photography.  Hope you guys can learn something useful from it.

LESSON 2:

PHOTOGRAPHIC FILM & HOW IT WORKS

Centuries after the camera obscura was first seen, science had began to find it's way with certain chemicals that were found to be sensitive to light.  This was around the 1830's. 

The film we are familiar with today is made of a strip of plastic, coated with emulsion containing whats known as Silver Halides.  Silver Halide is made up of six different chemicals and, as a group, it creates a compound chemical that is light-sensitive.

Your standard 35mm film in canister

Layers of your black and white film

These silver halide salts are held in place by gelatin in each layer of the film.

Black and white film is usual more basic and made up with one layer of silver salts.

When you expose your film to the light, the salts are converted to metallic silver and a photochemical reaction takes place.  This is what creates you image onto negative.

Layers of a color film - each layer absorbs light as it is exposed when the shutter of your camera is opened.

 Thus, when you push down the trigger on your camera, the click you hear is the shutter opening for a fraction of a second to let light into your camera and to hit your film.

If you have read LESSON 1: The Camera Obscura section of my blog, this image below will be familiar to you.

This time, the wall the image is projected onto, is a small section of the film strip in your camera.

As your film is exposed to light, the chemicals soak up the light and create your negative image

I will talk more about film processing and how you get your final print in the next lesson section of this blog.  In the meantime, here is a bit of an insight on how film was created.

A Brief History of Film and Photography

The two big names in photographic history are British born, Henry Fox Talbot (who was seen as the pioneer of photography) and Frenchman Louis Daguerre.  Both were competing against each other in the 1830's in the race to see who could create an image with the abilities to be reproduced for the masses.

Henry Fox Talbot

 

Talbot used the large, shoe box style camera to create his images.  He discovered that paper could be coated with the silver salts and with several chemical reactions, the image could be 'fixed' and a permanent negative could be made.  This in turn, gave him the upper hand against Daguerre and his images which he fixed onto a silver-plated sheet of copper, much like a mirror- only producing a one of with each image.  These were often referred to as "The Mirror with a Memory" during the 19th century. 

Louis Daguerre

 There are many famous examples of images from both of these men.  Unfortunately for Daguerre, his methods were seen more as a brick wall for image making as he could not make reproductions of his images, unlike Talbot, who created the negative image with his paper and chemical methods.

Here are a few of those famous examples that shocked the world and were a matter of wonder and disbelief to most.  Magic seemed to happen before their eyes as these men created images that would take hours for an artist to draw, in a matter of minutes.

Talbot's - Trafalgar Square, 1843

Talbot's - The Ladder, 1844

Talbot's images were very different to Daguerre's unique images of the time.

Portrait by Daguerre

Portrait of a Boxer by Daguerre

These were known as Daguerreotypes, and are still used today by some artists.  Simply because of the individuality of the image created and the process it takes to produce them.

Perhaps some of the most famous, modern Daguerreotypes today are the ones created by artist Chuck Close.  In 2003 Close captured world famous fashion icon and model, Kate Moss using the Daguerreotype format.

Daguerreotype Kate Moss, By Chuck Close 2003

Daguerreotype Kate Moss, By Chuck Close 2003

Self Portrait from the artist - Chuck Close

There are still many types of film out there today, even though it seems at time we live in an age where digital has taken over.

120mm Film, known also as Medium Format - was a common size used during the 20th Century

Large Format film - an expensive hobby these days!

I'll talk more about film photography, societies and enthusiasts that still use the format in a later article.
Film photography is the true, original and best way to learn about photography and develop your skills.

Although more expensive to have as a hobby, even for a short time, it does pay off.

Hope you have enjoyed the lesson, next up....Film processing and how to do it!