# Polaroid Manipulations



## hobbes28 (Aug 28, 2004)

Here is my new venture in photography.  These are taken using a polaroid SX-70 Camera with Time-Zero film.  






















If you need to see them bigger, just go to http://home.earthlink.net/~polaman


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## Karalee (Aug 28, 2004)

Hobbes! Welcome to the Polaroid side :LOL: Love the mountain dew one, looks like something you should send to pepsi


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## MDowdey (Aug 28, 2004)

dude..give every mofo here an explanation of how you did it


those are awesome!!

md


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## Alison (Aug 28, 2004)

Very, very cool. And I'm with Matt, details please.


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## hobbes28 (Aug 28, 2004)

I can't explain as good as Polaroid can so here you go.

And thanks for the comments.


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## terri (Aug 28, 2004)

You did great!       You're really good about that background detail work.   I tend to get impatient and let it lay.     

I am really impressed with the one of the cat - you wisely laid off most of the face.  It doesn't take much to over-manipulate animals and you end up with some freaky-looking critters.    :LOL: 

Great job!!   I hope to see some more!   

Polaroid rockz!


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## hobbes28 (Aug 31, 2004)

Thanks for the comments everyone.  I've added two more to my site.


http://home.earthlink.net/~polaman


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## terri (Aug 31, 2004)

Addicting little hobby, isn't it?       You're doing great!

What kind of manipulation tools are you using?   

Any trouble finding the Time Zero film?   I've been getting all of mine from B&H.   There's never any at the camera stores, even the pro ones that carry other Polaroid films.    :?


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## Alison (Aug 31, 2004)

These are all really great. I love the one of your guitar.


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## hobbes28 (Sep 1, 2004)

Thanks again.  I'm glad that it's working out like it is.  The learning curve for this stuff is pretty steep.

The only tools I use are,





and






Thanks again for the wonderful comments everyone.


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## hobbes28 (Sep 1, 2004)

Alright... This is the last one I'm posting for a while.  It's also my favorite so far.  It's very addicting to do these.  This is what I have to do to keep me sane when I can't be on the forum.


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## terri (Sep 1, 2004)

I love that last one!   Very cool.     

I started out using just a golf tee (large one).   It was effective, but my hand got cramped from gripping the thing after awhile.   I found some burnishing tools and wooden tools for sculpting, and they all have handles, which makes me happy.   

I have 2 SX-70 cams....one with the plastic body and one with a snazzy chrome body.   I love the sound of the image popping out.   And I love the genius of Edwin Land.   :cheer:   It cracks me up to know how he hated Time Zero manipulations and image transfers and everything else artists started doing to his emulsion formulas..... poor guy.   :goodvibe:


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## oriecat (Sep 3, 2004)

Great work hobbes!!


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## Corry (Sep 3, 2004)

OOOhhh!!!  I saw this in a book!  I have always wanted to try it!!!  Ok...I might just have to pick up some film tonight and dust off the poloroid camera!


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## Jeff Canes (Sep 3, 2004)

love the last one


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## hobbes28 (Sep 4, 2004)

Thanks again ya'll.  I hadn't been on this forum too much since I'm still a green Polaroid user.  I looked through the posts finally and ya'll have some good manipulations and emulsion lifts.  I would like to try the lift next but I'll wait until I can leave the house without my polaroid.   

Terri, I find myself looking at things like my watch to use as a tool when I get started.  I had to narrow down to those four tools so I don't have to carry around a big box of extra stuff.  I can't believe they don't have a store around Hotlanta that stocks Time Zero.  I have to order it from a local store but this is Columbia.


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## terri (Sep 4, 2004)

> I can't believe they don't have a store around Hotlanta that stocks Time Zero. I have to order it from a local store but this is Columbia.



If it's around, I sure haven't been able to find it.   Not even at the photography school where 669 and other Polaroid films are stocked.  I can wander into a crazy little drugstore and see some other P-film but never the Time Zero.   So, I just go online and buy several packs at a time.   Good ol' B&H!    

Here's a hasty pic of the manipulation tools I use.   Sorry for the blown-ness of it; it's Time Zero film in front of a kitchen window.      The tools on the left are the wooden sculpting instruments I mentioned; they can be invaluable.   The metal one and the wooden-handle next to that are the burnishing tools.  The double-edged one is my fave since one side is reeeeally tiny, and I can flip it back and forth.   I also snagged a pattern marker from my sewing machine, the next 2 are just weird things I've picked up that work, and the mechanical pencil (no lead left) makes good marks too.   Followed by the golf tee on top, which I don't use much now.


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## Corry (Sep 4, 2004)

What is the difference between time zero and regular poloroid film????


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## terri (Sep 4, 2004)

core_17 said:
			
		

> What is the difference between time zero and regular poloroid film????



Define "regular" Polaroid film.    

All Polaroid films have different emulsion formulas that allow for different alternative photographic techniques.   Any P-film that ends with a "9" is peel-apart film; these films allow for image transfers and emulsion lifts and come in different sizes.   Time Zero film has an emulsion that stays soft and pliable for several hours and can be manipulated for various effects, as Hobbes has so nicely demonstrated here.    

There are other differences - film speeds, etc, but this is the quick answer.


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## Corry (Sep 4, 2004)

Ok...I guess what I mean by regular is that Polorois 600 stuff I see everywhere.  That's what I always used to buy, cuz at the time I thought that was the only size that would fit my camera.


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## Corry (Sep 4, 2004)

So, does that mean I can't manipulate with 600 cuz it's too fast???


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## terri (Sep 4, 2004)

core_17 said:
			
		

> So, does that mean I can't manipulate with 600 cuz it's too fast???



No, it means it does not have the same emulsion as Time Zero that lends itself so well to that technique.   Time Zero film fits into SX-70 cameras and also some One-Steps.   mmmm, if you have a 600 camera, I believe you can modify it to accept Time Zero film, just covering whatever guide it has to prevent you from loading the wrong film.       You can probably use an actual 600 print to do this, if I'm not mistaken.   I've never done this, but you're basically pressing down on the guide while you slip in the cartridge of Time Zero film, and then pulling out the piece you used to cover it once you get the cartridge about half way in.   ALSO - I think you'll need to compensate that camera's exposure meter somehow.... you'll need a neutral density filter.


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## Corry (Sep 4, 2004)

Hey, thanks for the tips!


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## oriecat (Sep 4, 2004)

This all looks very cool and I think I could use a new direction, for those times I don't feel like darkrooming, yet would still like to work on my work... I'm ebayin'...


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## terri (Sep 4, 2004)

oriecat said:
			
		

> This all looks very cool and I think I could use a new direction, for those times I don't feel like darkrooming, yet would still like to work on my work... I'm ebayin'...



You go, girl!!   There's always SX-70 cams out there....study those pics closely!


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## hobbes28 (Sep 4, 2004)

terri said:
			
		

> core_17 said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



To piggy back this, my post telling how to do it also has a desciption on how to modify your 600 to take time zero film.


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## hobbes28 (Sep 25, 2004)

Here's my newest manipulation.  I think I'm liking them more and more as I go along.


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## voodoocat (Sep 25, 2004)

That's sweet!   That is my favorite image of yours


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## Alison (Sep 25, 2004)

voodoocat said:
			
		

> That's sweet!   That is my favorite image of yours



Nearly a ditto, it is among my favorite image of yours, but I have the benefit of having seen more of your work


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## Ambrosia (Sep 26, 2004)

awesome job, hobbes!  the red is so vivid!


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## terri (Sep 26, 2004)

Great job!       You're getting fabulous colors from this film!

I like your subjects, too - the way you pick out these "everyday" objects and make them look so cool.   

You're getting better all the time!   :thumbsup:


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## hobbes28 (Sep 29, 2004)

terri said:
			
		

> Great job!       You're getting fabulous colors from this film!
> 
> I like your subjects, too - the way you pick out these "everyday" objects and make them look so cool.
> 
> You're getting better all the time!   :thumbsup:



thanks auntie terri!

I have been messing around with that thread about extreme close up lenses and took a picture of one of the polaroid manips.  It looks pretty cool close up.


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## oriecat (Sep 29, 2004)

Wow, that's neat.


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## terri (Sep 29, 2004)

Isn't it weird to look at it close up?   All the marks and etchings you'd swear you didn't even put there!   I've blown up some of mine that I've scanned for printing, or whatever.

This looks like a cool abstract, Hobbes - only we SX-70 freaks would recognize those telltake markings....  :LOL:


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## Corry (Sep 29, 2004)

Hobbes?  Messing around with closeups?  Nah!  I mean, it's not like your avatar is a closeup or somethin...


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## hobbes28 (Sep 29, 2004)

Yeah.  I tried this:
http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=10144&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0

and have been hooked ever since.


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## Corry (Sep 29, 2004)

I figured that's what you did.  I would really like to try it, but even with the explanations I don't understand exactly how to do it.


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## hobbes28 (Sep 29, 2004)

I'ma gonna put up an explanation sometime in the future with pics because it's kind of hard to understand and I do it.


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## Corry (Sep 29, 2004)

Sweet!  I'll be looking forward to it!


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## Not Neve (Nov 13, 2004)

Hobbes, nice work!  As you can probably tell, I don't venture over here much or I would've seen these before.  

As for those explanations, I wonder if we can get them saved at the top of the alt tech page.  I'm gonna dig back to some old posts but think it would be nice to make them easy to find for anyone wanted to try these techniques.  Just a thought if one of the powers-that-be would entertain it.


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