20121210

DIY Polaroid 250/180

Polaroid 250 Franken-roid

Polaroid 250 Franken-roid

A few years ago I was given an old Polaroid 250 land camera. Unfortunately, it's electronics were kaput making it inoperative. So, I initially ripped out the shutter mechanism turning the 250 into something of a pin-hole camera. I shot with it like that for a little while until getting bored and shelving it.

Some time later a friend of mine acquired an old Calumet 4x5 view camera kit with several large format lenses. I asked and received one of her "extra" lenses, a Wollensak Raptar 4 1/2" (114mm) f/4.5 that was similar enough to another lens to part with. I used that to resurrect my dead 250.

So, I'd like to say I did a lot of precise measurements, and fashioned and fitted everything properly, but I didn't. I basically just cut out a piece of sturdy matte board in the shape of the camera's front section, then cut out a hole for the lens in roughly the same place as the original lens, and taped it all together. Surprisingly it worked.

But the focus on the new lens didn't line-up with the 250's range finder. I tried trail-and-error first with little success. I then made a zone-focus system by test focusing on objects at varying distances and marking off the distances on the camera. I wasn't going to waste a bunch of peel-apart film for tests. So, I made a make-shift ground glass out of a piece of wax paper, opening the back of the camera, and placing it where the film would sit. Then focusing the same as I would with a view camera.

But my zone-focus system didn't really work well either. So finally, I carefully bent the little metal piece that coupled the 250's focusing mechanism to the range finder in the view finder, little by little until the range finder matched with the lens. Now it works great.

I now have probably the cheapest equivalent of a Polaroid Model 180 available.

 Examples of what my "modified" 250 can do:
Sam Melissa Lizzie


More photos and technical info after the jump.

20121206

Morgan's Place


Morgan

Morgan

Morgan


More photos and technical info after the jump.

20121201

Death Smokes


Sam

Sam

Sam
Model and creator behind the mask: Sam Cruse

More photos and technical info after the jump.

20121124

My DIY Darkroom


Meh Darkroom

Film development times


My "darkroom" where I develop my black and white film is a bathroom I share with three other people. So, my set-up has to be easily put together and taken apart every time I develop film. The only things that are (semi-)permanent are my DIY film wash hose that's attached the the left-hand sink and the bathroom window blacked out with construction-grade black trash bags and painter's tape. And those both could be taken down and put back up without too much trouble. The room is 99% dark once I black-out the bathroom door (from the inside) with a large black sheet made of the same black trash bags, hung with painter's tape, and secured to the floor with a rolled-up bath mat. My chemical jugs are stored in a cardboard box on the floor to the left of the sinks, the tanks and equipment go into a duffel bag that sits on top of the box, and my stool folds up and fits in the corner. Altogether taking up about 3ftx2ft of out-of-the-way floor space.

At the moment I use mostly Kodak photo chemicals: Kodak Xtol Developer, Kodak Indicator Stop Bath, Kodak Rapid Fixer, Kodak Hypo Clearing Agent, Kodak Photo Flo. Occasionally, I develop using Agfa/Adox Rodinal Developer or Photographer's Formulary PMK Pyro Developer with Photographer's Formulary TF-4 Archival Fixer. My equipment is a mixture of professional stainless steal tanks and reels, and DIY plastic and Tupperware/Rubbermaid containers and pitchers.

I develop film using the lift-rod method. While processing film (dev, stop, fix) I work in total darkness with film in open containers. Each chemical has it's own container. The developing film is transferred from chemical to chemical using a lift-rod. To agitate I use the lift-rod to lift, lower, and rotate the film reels within their containers. To keep track of my film, chemistry, and equipment in total darkness I keep to a strict routine and place all tanks in the exact same order and locations each time. Afterwards, I hang my film under a ceiling fan to dry.

Unfortunately, I do not have enough space for an enlarger or photo paper trays, so printing is out of the question. Instead, I scan my film straight from the darkroom and either print digitally or through a professional photo/print lab. 

More photos and technical info after the jump.

20120923

Lizzie And The Lake


Lizzie

Lizzie

More photos and technical info after the jump.

20120918

Kelly - Diablo Organics


Kelly

Kelly


makeup: Lex Ewing


More photos and technical info after the jump.

20120912

Church Lady


Emily Loren - Church Lady

Emily Loren - Church Lady

model: Emily Loren
wardrobe provided by: At the Ritz Costumes, Greensboro, NC

Many more (NSFW) photos and technical info after the jump.

20120821

Melissa - Infrared


Melissa - Infrared

Melissa - Infrared

model: Melissa Stanley

More (NSFW) photos and technical info after the jump.

20120815

Lost Ark


Lost Ark

Lost Ark

Lost Ark

Lost Ark

Vintage arcade and used video games store

Lost Ark Video Games
2823 Spring Garden St
Greensboro, NC

Technical info after the jump.

20120806

AndreaJ


AndreaJ

AndreaJ

model: AndreaJ

More photos and technical info after the jump.

20120731

Moriah at the Hippy Hole


Moriah

Moriah

model: Moriah Morton

More photos and technical info after the jump.

20120622

Kara - Tests




Kara

Kara - film test

Testing a new set of Hasselblad extension tubes and an expired mystery film.

Technical info after the jump.

20120617

Melissa - Close Up



Melissa - close up Melissa - close up 


More photos and technical info after the jump.

20120315

Caitlin Watkins


Caitlin Watkins

Caitlin Watkins

Caitlin Watkins

More photos and technical info after the jump.

20120312

Back tattoo


Back Piece

More (NSFW) photos and technical info after the jump.

20120222

Greensboro Roller Derby 2012 calander


Five photographers, including myself, worked with the Greensboro Roller Derby, volunteers, and sponsors to put together this year's fundraising calendar.

The 2012 calendar is titled "Village of the Jammed." And as the title might suggest, is horror movie themed. I was one of the first photographers to commit to the project. So, I managed to call 'dibs' on a few classic movies that would look great photographed in black and white on traditional film: Bride of Frankenstein (1935), Dracula (1931), and Psycho (1960).

Calendars were sold at roller derby events and a few local sponsors, and may be purchased directly by contacting Greensboro Roller Derby Fundraising.

Bride of Frankenstein:
Bride of Frankinstein
Location generously provided by: Castle McCulloch

Dracula:
dracula_small

Psycho:
psycho_small


More photos (outtakes) and technical info after the jump.

20120103

Kelly


Kelly

Kelly

model: Kelly Kéodara
location: Area Furniture
downtown Greensboro, NC

More photos and technical info after the jump