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Mood Indigo- May 2021

    You never know if the film you’re buying from ebay will even work or produce anything. There is a risk of buying expired film . Sometimes the chemicals for development  have already dried out . Other times the film will get stuck in the camera , therefore losing the exposure.  The film I purchased was a Fuji FP100-C film that expired in 2009. Although there is  a risk , it can also  develop into magical saturated  colors. I also love how imperfect the edges of the film  are in expired film . Even though  I had trouble focusing with this specific camera ( Polaroid EE100 Special , land camera ) I still loved how it turned out . Out of Focus photographs shouldn’t be thrown away . There is  still an  art form in them  , sort of like photographic Impressionism  .

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Art Before A Lockdown - March 6, 2020

     I’ve known Sasha since college . We majored in Photography together at the Fashion Institute of Technology , in New York City. She was always one of my favorite classmates and lunch dates. It’s always good to reconnect and collaborate with old friends , especially after 15 years of knowing each other . Thank God we still look young ( she has great genes part Thai and Brazilian ) . This Polaroid Portrait Session was after a event shoot she was kind enough to meet me at. That was a great day , after the shoot we had dinner at Korea Town with another fellow photographer and the had the best dessert as well. Then we went to her photo studio in Queens and shot these portraits of each other. One week later New York City went into Covid-19 lockdown . 

       We were using the  expired and discontinued Fuji FP100-c film . A instant Polaroid film that was widely used in photoshoots before digital to see how the overall look and the lighting would look. The camera she used was a Mamiya Rz Medium Format camera. The name of the brand of the lighting we used was very fitting , Diva Lights. 

Check out her beautiful work here https://www.sashabphoto.com/ 

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I Want To Be Like Andy - INSPIRATION 

1. Film -Instax Fuji Square  

Camera - Fuji SQ6

2. Film- Fuji FP-100c Peel Apart Film

Camera - Polaroid Big Shot 

     I was so inspired by Taschens’ book Andy Warhol Polaroids- 1958-1987 . I loved how Andy photographed everything from everyday objects  to his group of friends and celebrities of the day with this instant camera  . These Polaroids were used for his famous large  silk screen print portraits . I was pleasantly surprised to find that his favorite camera the Polaroid Big Shot was available and affordable  on ebay , I think I got it for $35 . I couldn’t help but buy it and try to do portraits in the style Andy did . The only problem was the film used no longer existed ( POLAROID Land Camera Film ) and the only film similar available  was the Fuji Fp-100c . This film was also discontinued as of 2016 , and sells online for $72-100$ and up for 10 shots. I regret not having an interest in shooting polaroids when they sold before for $8-10 a box. I spent about $78 dollars on the film and barely got a shot I really liked . The Polaroid Big Shot is really good for portraits and doesn’t have a way to place it on a tripod. Also to focus the subject  you have to keep going forward and back until the two images you see on the viewfinder match up, this “dance move” is also known as the “Big Shot Shuffle” . I wanted to do a self portrait with it and I thought the timer in the back of the camera was meant for selfies, but its purpose was to time its film  development.  You also need to get old school Flash Cubes $12 online ,as the camera doesn’t have its own flash. With all the costs and complications,  I still loved the fact that I was following in the footsteps of an artist I admired. 

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Polaroids taken with Polaroid Camera I-Type with Polaroid I-Type Film. SELF REFLECTION - January-March 2021- Collage made on Adobe Photoshop with Polaroid  Scans from Epson Perfection V370 Photo Scanner .

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July 4, 2021      For my birthday  this past ( January 4 ) I decided to buy a polaroid camera . I decided to buy the Polaroid I-type camera , which can also be connected and  controlled with your smart phone . A marriage of both past and present technologies.     I’ve always loved the look and feel and everything that a Polaroid photo represented. To me a polaroid photo is what a memory looks like. It can be a bit faded, or bursting with saturation. Either way you never know how colors in a Polaroid Photo will come out , just like in life.        During the Pandemic and in Quarantine we were bombarded with images we see from a screen whether it be on tv, on our computers , or most likely on our phone screens. I felt the need to capture something that was solid , one of a kind , and yet instant , something I can hold in my hand and there began my obsession with taking Polaroids Photos . There is definitely a satisfaction and magic of seeing an image develop before your very eyes.    This also happened also during the first Mercury Retrograde of 2021 . A time when things from the past come back and a time when technology is prone to glitches. It wasn’t easy and also frustrating starting a pricey new project  especially where you’re not sure how something will turn out, and the cost of the film may not always match the results of the picture.    There was a lot of self reflection in the process of taking these images. You really have to think about what you want to photograph and in the case of self portraits how you want to be perceived. I hope my expensive selfies convey equal parts Vulnerable Forlorn Artist with Supermodel  100% Bad Ass Bish. I want to have something of quality to look back on . This is a unique special time we are living in and it is truly a blessing to know that .       All in all, thank you for taking the time for viewing my humble little passion project page. I’ve noticed that there is a real Instant Film Community that is inspiring ,fun and supportive at the same time . I  look forward to sharing all that I can here with you .   My wish and Prayer for you is that : I hope find you nothing but Passion, Inspiration, Creativity, Kindness , Patience with the Process , and Healing through your own Art during these challenging times. Love, -@RomerPolaroid ©Romer Pedron Photography 2021 , NFTS and Signed Photographs Are for Sale Upon Request. romer@romerpedron.com