Earlier this year a very good friend mentioned that he had a few boxes of Polaroid Type 55 stashed away, and he offered them to me. For those who don't know, Type 55 was a very special kind of Polaroid. It produced a nice black and white 4"x5" print and a gorgeous 4x5 negative at the same time. They discontinued it around 2007, and my last box had long since dried up. I used to love shooting it, and still have my 545 holder and my Calumet tank for "clearing" the negatives in sodium sulfite. I figured I'd never shoot it again, now I have a small amount of the rare film and I'm saving it for special shoots.
The Triangle Tweed Ride is held every year in City Market, and this year I was asked once again to set up a "photo booth." The tweed ride attracts folks who want to ride bikes, dress up, and party like it's 1899. What better subject for this special extinct photographic process? Here are some of the results.
I'me very happy with how they turned out. The borders are the classic Type 55. In most shots, I achieved a solarization effect, most dramatic in the 3rd one from the top here. The prints do not have this effect. My theory is that the chemistry in the Polaroid "goo pod" has lost it's potency over the years, and the shorter my processing time was the greater the solarization when I pulled the underprocessed negative out into the light. I didn't exactly time each sheet, some of them sat and processed while I photographed other folks with the digital camera. I'll keep that in mind for the next shoot.
If you'd like to see the whole shoot, including the digital, check out my Triangle Tweed Ride 2014 album on Flickr.
I'm actively seeking interesting subjects to photograph on my remaining stash of Type 55. I don't know how much longer the chemicals will last before they dry up completely. If you would like to be photographed please get in touch. I'm looking for interesting faces, interesting costumes, interesting couples, etc. You can always contact me through my website.
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