Missing Polaroid Type 65
Many years ago, In an effort to avoid the supposedly hostile weather of the Pacific Northwest, I rented an art studio near the train yards of Swan Island in Portland. Just to get a sense of how long ago I am talking, my monthly rent in the studio was a whopping $100 dollars. At the time, I actually considered that a financial hardship. Now days I can sometimes spend in excess of that on film alone during a single photo session. That is not to say that I am suddenly a rich photographer at this point in time. No, it is more just to illustrate how far $100 dollars will get you today vs. over a decade ago in Portland.
Anyway, back to the topic at hand...
I won't deny there are certain aspects to working in a studio that I greatly miss sometimes. Most importantly the ability to take your time. In an ideal world it is often best to have the opportunity to work slowly. As a photographer I like the opportunity to look at a scene from every angle, to evaluate what I want to capture on film. To just stop and breath for a minute before exposing a frame. I also like to have the opportunity to get to know the people I am photographing. To hang out, drink a cup of tea, talk about what they hope to get out of a photo session, and to just gain an appreciation for who this person is standing in front of the camera lens. When working outside, one doesn't always get that opportunity. You can imagine when photographing nudes, even in remote locations, the need to constantly look over one's shoulder is ever present. It's hard to get in "the zone" of creativity. The calm and safe environment of a studio can be so much better suited for such things.
This image was made with Polaroid Type 65 film. I swear I seem to be the only person out there who laments the loss of this stuff. Polaroid Type 65 film was a positive/negative film similar to the more popular Type 55, but it fit in the very easy to obtain and even easier to carry Polaroid Land cameras. Also, unlike Type 55 film, the negative side of Polaroid Type 65 was easier to clear and required no special chemistry. For this particular image I have long since lost the positive print, but I have the negative (scanned here) nicely archived and located in a safe place. Quite frankly, I always liked the feel of the negative better anyway so I don't lament the loss of the original Polaroid print too badly.
The woman who posed for this image was someone I had working with often when I had a studio space. She had the most remarkable hair of anyone I had ever seen, either before or since. We used to joke often that we hoped we would still be working with each other when we both hit the ripe old age of ninety. Since that time we have lost touch a little bit, but I still hold out hope that our wishes will one day come true.
Camera: Polaroid Land Camera.
Film: Polaroid Type 65
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