Up To Now

I've sort of picked up a new hobby, almost at random. It started a little less than a year ago when I wanted to start doing Polaroid Emulsion Lifts. I started scouring thrift stores and flea markets searching for Polaroid LandCameras from the 100, 200, 300, and 400 series. I ended up finding my cameras, and quite a bit more as well.

Before I found the Polaroid LandCamera 230 (pic unavailable), I was able to find a Pentax K-1000 with a 35-70mm lens and a flash for $8. It did had some superficial damage along the barrel of the off-brand lens, but upon winding the camera, I noted that the shutter tripped just fine. I'd spent some time working in a photo chain, so I got to know what it sounds like when a shutter isn't working right. I bought it and tested it. Everything was working fine, and it still works at this time. At present, it's in a friend's possession. He wanted to learn photography, and I wanted him to learn with a camera that is as bare bones as possible so he doesn't prop himself up using the automatic crutch.

A week or two later, I found the LandCamera 230 at a flea market. They wanted $10 for it. My foolish enthusiasm almost had it cost more. Thankfully for me, it seems that the poor camera was sitting around for a while. They just wanted it gone. I had to get some film and a new battery. I mean, given the thing was made in 1969, the battery was a tad of a pain to locate, but I searched it down. Thankfully the camera worked just fine, and a beast was born. Hungry for old cameras...

So here's the blog. Bear in mind, the pictures of the cameras I've gotten are not going to be the best in the world. I don't quite have a decent set-up for studio lighting in my apartment. Also this blog is for some of the work I've done with emulsion lifts. Thankfully I don't have to stop with the emulsion lifts since Polaroid left the film game to redirect their efforts to their dreadfully subpar digital division. Fujifilm has their pack film, for roughly the same price, and I tend to like their film better.