Experimenting

I don't know for how long I had been salivating over Polaroid images from fellow photographers and wondering what sorts of images I could shoot if only I had the guts to try it. But no, instead of playing and experimenting, I held back because I felt some sort of confinement within the type of photography I usually do: sharp, saturated, colorful. I did not want to get out of my style box so to speak.

Then just before my recent trip to Mexico, I had a moment of compulsion and ordered a refurbished SX70 and a few packs of TZ & 600 film from the Impossible Project shop. Gulp! A few hundreds of dollars later I was highly committed to at least try it out, even if I had to hide the results forever inside a trunk in the attic!

Little did I know that it would be so much fun! Not only did I gasp at each step of the analog process with child's delight, but I also fell in love with the results achieved by trying out the different types of film. For some of you old school photographers, this may be as trivial as rice and beans. But for a digital self taught girl like me, this experience was an exciting gourmet experience. And the results were fun to see, because despite the medium, I realized that my eyes still capture and frame things the same way, which was really reaffirming and heart warming for me.

This week, I encourage you to get out of your box. If you've been shooting with a zoom lens for too long, try a prime. If you have been shooting digital, try film. If you always do color, play with black and white. Let's challenge our brain and stretch those creative muscles!

What has been begging you to try new ways to experiment? If you have already been experimenting, show us what you've got, we'd love to see!

Comments

[Marcie]

Love the polaroid effect. I have my grandfather's old polaroid land camera. You've inspired me to dust it off..see what I can do with it. Wonderful image!!!

[lucy]

i've been taking shots with my old brownie holiday flash, passed down from my parents. have shot two rolls, and am just about to send them in for developing. can't wait to see the results!

[Alli]

I've also been experimenting with Polaroid recently (using an SX-70, a vintage Sun 600, and one of the newer One 600s). I love the mystery of watching a Polaroid develop - it's so different from digital photography! Not all of my photos turn out as I imagined them, but I love them all.

It's hard to choose, but this shot is probably my favorite so far - http://www.onepearlbutton.com/2010/03/hearts-in-rain.html

[Ari]

I am so jealous, I'm dying for a polaroid camera but I cannot afford to spend that much money on one. *pouts*

Fun picture, I love the polaroid effect.

[cynthia]

I'm also in love with polaroids but at the moment can't afford the investment at the moment ... but one day. For now the closest I've gotten is turning badly exposed images into polaroid-like shots using online software like Picnik. There's something endearing about grainy photos to me. I've also recently being using the camera on my blackberry bold and am pleasantly surprised that a less than 3 mp phone camera can capture images that invoke feeling.

[AnnGeeDee]

I tried making a photo look vintage the other day and although I'm not 100% happy with the result, I still enjoyed the learning process, even if it was a bit frustrating at times. Here's my attempt: http://www.flickr.com/photos/40070449@N08/4403069662/ I look forward to more experimentation.

[charlane]

i couldn't afford a pola so i got a fuji instax...and i love the gratification of doing something and learning something new.

[georgia]

love it!
you did something very nice with your courage to break out!
i keep seeing the best sx70 images out there, and it has had me really itching to buy one for myself. just don't have the funds right now, but i know i will get one in the future. i can't wait!

until then, i'm trying something else out... i've just within the last couple of weeks begun to experiment with textures for the first time. i don't know what took me so long. after doing one or two, i've fallen in love with it! i've been bitten by the texture bug and am pretty thrilled to have been infected!

here is my texture set on flickr:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/sets/72157623484084143/

[AmyBean]

My Canon XS is in the shop, and has been for a couple of weeks because they didnt' even try to fix it the first time... grrness. Anyway, I've been having to shoot with my p&s, which has stretched me a bit. I've gotten too comfy in the wide-open-aperture, perfectly sharp, bright colors and high contrast rut, and now that I'm having a little less control over many of my settings, I'm finding out how to use noise to my advantage, how to make my subject stand out when I can't get background bokeh, and even how to appreciate a low-contrast shot. So while I miss my camera and am itching to get her back, this period hasn't been all bad.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/15772313@N07/4434086942/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/15772313@N07/4417194189/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/15772313@N07/4407206751/

[stef]

I too have been trying to think out of the box i put myself in. I found an old roll of b/w film that I may just have to get out this weekend - back to the basics my friend!!

love these photos!

xo

[darrah]

Did you write this for me??? My mother-in-law gave me an SX70 in November and after doing some research on film and such, I never followed through and actually tried it. You've inspired me. I'm going to order some film today!

[red or gray black and white]

I used Polaroid the first time around ..ahem...have a fun time !


i am shooting a blog in black and white with little or no post processing and find it challenging to go without color...it is really a reach for me but I am enjoying the process...this photo is a bright fuchsia in color...

http://redorgrayblackandwhite.blogspot.com/2010/03/happy-by-e-l-k-on-flickr.html

[Debi]

For me, it is my non-iPhone cell phone. It makes me happy, happy! :)
http://emmatree.blogspot.com/2010/03/pear-tree-car-cell-phone.html

[Emily Perry]

instant film love, there is nothing like it!

[pat]

i recently purchased a polaroid land & a button & artistic & 600 film... i've been reading about manipulation & can't wait to try it! the 600 film can't really be manipulated so i thought i would try that too so i can't be tempted to alter my shot. the film is pretty expensive so i'm waiting for nature to pop into spring & get out to those spring flowers! i love what you did with this shot & good for you.... carry on!

[cigi]

I'm pretty new to this. I'm just looking forward to graduating from iPhoto to Photoshop. :-)

[texassky]

Polaroids are pretty cool! I think they look best when used on old desert highways or in the southwest...hehe. Good inspirations!!

I've been playing around with a macro filter I got for my Lensbaby composer. Take a looksie if you're bored.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/texassky/4439137357/in/set-72157623636044716/

[kristin]

experimenting and playing with film is so fun!
here was my latest pola & me watching it develop.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/14811117@N02/4423198568/

[Deirdre]

I recently got the Diana F+ adapter for my Nikon and the 38mm "super wide" plastic lens to go with it. I have to force myself to put it on my camera, because I'm always afraid I'm going to miss something that it won't do justice to while it's on. It really only works for certain types of shots. Anyway, here are some of my photos using the lens: http://www.flickr.com/photos/superdewa/sets/72157623384758245/

[spread your wings]

i've been making a point to put my camera on manual more often and playing around with shutter speed and aperture. I took this one this morning - it's SOOC
http://www.flickr.com/photos/autumnsun/4451064639/

[Diane]

I'm a day late but I still had to post because I DID try something brand new. Mind you I'm always trying to stretch myself. My nearly 60 self taught myself how to add textures to photographs today and I just uploaded my first two tries:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/27458974@N00/4453320872/
(my first ever!)

and then I tried one more:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/27458974@N00/4453321054/in/photostream/

I may need to refine my methods and experiment some more but I FINALLY DID IT!

[bekkah]

I'm also experimenting a bit with textures :)

http://bekkah.squarespace.com/blog/2010/3/22/textures.html