# Emulsionally drained.



## Karalee (Aug 3, 2004)

I had quite the day yesterday trying to load pack film into my polaroid, but after botching it up completely the first time, I managed to load the second lot - dont ask me how! So to see if my camera actually worked I did a test shot of the lamp in the dining room, and then today I thought what the hell I might as well give it a go.

Ladies and gentlemen, my first emulsion lift


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## terri (Aug 3, 2004)

It worked!    :cheer:   

And, I'm sorry, but your thread title is the funniest thing I've read here all day!    :lmao:    Clever girl....   

So, did you enjoy the process?   I see here you have cold-pressed paper, which can be a real bear when brayering.   Once you get the hang of it, try the (smoother) hot pressed paper.   It's ever so much easier, even if it does cost a little more.   

Congrats!!   Nothing like busting that Polaroid cherry.


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## Karalee (Aug 3, 2004)

terri said:
			
		

> And, I'm sorry, but your thread title is the funniest thing I've read here all day!    :lmao:    Clever girl....



Thanks Terri! After yesterday - its exactly how I felt too 

I loved the whole getting my hands in and just doing it - it was a bit hairy at times  but I really enjoyed it.  Now only if it would stop raining so I can go out and take some more photos to keep me busy tommorrow 

What size is the end result supposed to end up as? Cos mine didnt come out much bigger than the actual print and I was wondering if I missed a step or something :scratch:


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## terri (Aug 3, 2004)

Well, it is an emulsion lift, so the actual emulsion will exactly match the size of your print.....the white border usually shrivels, as you now know, so it's even smaller.   

However, it _is_ quite possible to stretch the emulsion and make your final image somewhat larger.   But that takes a lot of practice or you'll just end up with a lot of extra holes from tearing the emulsion.   I dunno, sometimes when I am working with it, it seems the most fragile thing in the world, then sometimes I am impressed that it holds up as well as it does under my handling.     

The longer you keep it under the water, the more friable it becomes - BUT, that's also the best way to stretch it.   I've learned to omit the use of the mylar and just slip the watercolor paper right in the receiving tray.  That gives me more time to manipulate the emulsion right on the surface I want it on.   

Here's one I did a while back while experimenting with deliberate tearing of the emulsion sides, in an effort to make the entire image seem larger on the paper.   It's not my fave, but I did obtain the desired effect.   I'm posting this as an example of how to make your smaller format seem larger.   And note: I trim the white border of the image almost all the time now, so I end up with even LESS emulsion.   For something like this end result, I thought that bluish/purple outline the border leaves, while so nice on some lifts, would only be a distraction here.   Apologize in advance for the crappy scanning.      I was thinking exactly what you are: I don't want to be limited by "faux" borders or edges, so I went a bit wild.  Do you think this technique might be useful for you too?


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## Karalee (Aug 3, 2004)

Oh my god that is ridiculously cool :shock:

I was pretty pleased with the end result of my first one - being as I did it, and it ended up on the paper - and didnt do it with a brayer might I add :-? But I do like the texture of the paper that I have, just seems to give it a bit of life.

I took some more shots tonight so I could play around some more tommorrow - its highly addictive, I think B&H is going to LOVE me.

What do you do with your emulsion lifts, display wise? On a side note I was thinking it would be cool to have a whole kind photo collage thing - but I think thats a ways after Ive got a few under my belt.


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## terri (Aug 3, 2004)

Well, the ones that I really like are matted and bagged, ready for framing, for arts festivals.   I hope to do a couple more before year's end.   (All my so-called "real" photography and darkroom work - the first piece I ever sold was an SX-70 Polaroid manipulation.   I refuse to tell you much about that process, because you're too much like me - and you'll end up in the poorhouse.  I won't be responsible.    )

But the watercolor paper we use for this frames very nicely, and you can trim to any size you want.   A collage is a great idea!   You could put several themed things on a single large sheet.   Excellent idea.   There is a lot of freedom working with this stuff.    :idea: 

I'm sure B&H loves you, and this relationship is only going to get more serious.    :twisted:


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## Karalee (Aug 4, 2004)

If you wont feed the beast Terri - Im sure google will :twisted:

Its so cool to be able to do something like this, and have so much control over it. 

Tonight I was saying to my boyfriend that I wanted to go outside and take some shots with the polaroid, so I could fiddle round with it some more tommorrow. I shoulod prolly also say that I cant walk at the moment cos theres something stuck in my foot that the Doc is taking out tommorrow  

So im hobbling round in the grass outside, and Im saying to him "I feel like a right idiot with this huge camera" and he goes to me "that cameras the least of your worries - you should see how your walking"

:lmao: the sacrifices we make


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## terri (Aug 4, 2004)

:lmao:   And it's only the beginning!!


I'm totally kidding with you about withholding info of any kind - hope you know that.        This is a true crossover art form, in that it involves photography but it doesn't stop with the photographic image.   You take it and turn it into anything you want to.   I love seeing people get turned on by it.  I'm glad to offer any advice I can.  It takes patience and, especially in the beginning, LOTS of film.  I've chunked more 669 than I care to mention, due to the combined learning curve of lifts and transfers, AND learning to use a Daylab slide printer.   Be happy you can learn by snapping an image - I don't own a camera that takes 669 film, so I have to use a Daylab.   (Well, I mean I'm happy to, since I can go shoot regular slide film and make my 669 prints from that, but talk about feeding the beast!!!)    :shock:


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