4. On Instant Camera And
Film.
Invented in 1947 by Dr.Edwin
Land, the instant picture process is unique. An instant
picture camera, which issues a finished and permanent
color print as little as one to four minutes after exposure
allows you not only to check results on the spot, rephotographing
if necessary, but also to come up with the best results
as well, since all the necessary adjustments could be
made right there, on the spot.
This photograph's exposure
originally made on the transparency (slide film) was
adjusted according to the Polaroid Spectra instant photo
of Old Jaffa which you can see here.
Today, there are three main
types of instant picture cameras: cameras for integral
film, cameras for peel-apart film and advanced instant
picture cameras.
a) The majority of instant
picture cameras for integral film are those that use
integral processing, which means that the negative,
as well as the print made within a single piece of the
picture processing material. The film that is used in
this type of cameras has both a negative emulsion and
positive paper in one package. After exposing the picture,
both, the negative and positive are tightly sandwiched
together by being pulled between two metal rollers,
and by using the chemicals at the center portion of
the sandwich the image is transferred from the negative
to the positive condition. This photograph of the clowns
was made by using a Polaroid Pro Cam. I allowed for
one stop less of light to be registered on film by sliding
the exposure control button down to reduce its output,
thus allowing less flash light into the exposure, which
brought out details in the picture.
b) Cameras for peel-apart
film are cameras of the direct vision type structure
and most of them have automatic exposure. After exposure
two tabs are pulled to draw a sandwich of both negative
and positive paper out of your camera through the rollers.
It requires a short wait, after you peel the two layers
apart to come up with a finished positive and a throw-away
negative portion of the print.
c) Some models of advanced
instant picture cameras with interchangeable lenses
allow the photographer to take care of a variety of
subjects, as well as to be more photographically creative.
This type of cameras allows for an instant preview of
the setting or the lighting of your scene/subject, which
is of great value to the pro photographers working in
the studio.
This image was shot on the same
Spectra 100 film, using a
Polaroid Pro Cam camera
as well.
