Recently, I began shooting the last of my Time-Zero. Polaroid photographers know just what a painful statement that is to make. The film is rapidly becoming degraded, though, and any effort to save it at this point is only an opportunity for loss. The last pack I shot had an expiration date of December 2006, meaning it was a fairly new pack of Time-Zero, and I had arranged to film these shots during their developing process with a fellow artist. The initial shots I got from it were quite black and rose, and those are the shots from the pack that I’m including here.
To shoot this pack of film, I visited the home of an artist who is a musician, painter, and actor, who is very photographable and who had agreed to help me film the Polaroids. Chad is the upright bass player for a Twin Cities band Hot Rod Hearse, and the painting in the second portrait is his own.
a portrait of a musician
portrait of an artist
It was enjoyable to photograph someone who was not part of my list of usual suspects for models (my daughter, my son, their playmates, or my friend Lindsay). I liked the experience so much that I am thinking of beginning a project of photographing artists of all kinds in their natural environments.
Anyway, because we were filming the the Polaroids in their developing process, I wanted to do a few still life photos which would be simple and visually pleasing to watch develop. We took a few objects from Chad’s shelves, beginning with a ballerina figuring presumably belonging to his wife and finishing up with an evil little gnome.
a dancer for sophie
another little dancer
There were a few characteristically blue shots from this pack of Time-Zero, but I will include them in a separate blog entry, since they do not belong visually with these.
Thanks for Visiting,
Elinor
elinor@equivoquephoto.com
equivoquephoto
My Flickr Photostream
a garden of the ordinary 
that first shot of Chad is so amazing. And yes. I’ve only shot one pack of TZ and have 6 more… I feel like I have a lot to learn as a photographer before I start wading through those:)
I really hope The Impossible Project will make a TZ knock-off!
Wow. The first and third shots are absolutely perfect, especially composition-wise. The colors and degradation of the film create a melancholic beauty that complements the subjects so well.
The first portrait got featured on AL today. 🙂 Thank, Meredith!
you have great photos 🙂
just blogswalking. and i saw these. lovely shots! 😀
meanwhile, i hope that impossible project works out alright too. imma polaroid user and currently running out of em films 😦
nways, thanks for reminding me how great it is to have owned one!
tc.
I love the magic of Polaroid photographs. I’ve never played with those but do love other antique cameras. I’m sorry you reached the end of your film. Here’s to finding another roll!
I have more film. Thanks. 🙂
Loving the Impossible Project. Thanks for visiting.
Thanks!