The short version story:
A French-Russian actress born in October 1978 photographed on large format Polaroid films that had expired in October 1978. This is the story of their unlikely encounter, 34 years later.
A French-Russian actress born in October 1978 photographed on large format Polaroid films that had expired in October 1978. This is the story of their unlikely encounter, 34 years later.
The long version story :
For several reasons, I recently decided to use large format instant photography as a new medium for portraits and for some of my art series.
End of 2012, I acquired a Deardorff mahogany camera and an old Goerz Dagor lens on eBay.
Polaroid doesn't produce instant films anymore.
But some smart people have re-launched a production of instant films, based on the Polaroid heritage (same factory, etc…).
They called their new company 'The Impossible Project'.
And they re-launched the experimental production of black and white 20x25cm instant films in 2012.
But this process requires something very special: a Polaroid Land Processor.
No longer built and very rare.
And now very expensive too since Impossible re-launched their large format instant films production and it is one of the only ways to develop the films.
But I finally managed to find one at a very reasonable price here in Belgium.
So everything was brought together to enable me to shoot large format instant films and try to create this eerie feeling I like so much.
Before leaving the processor vendor's place, this nice person offered me an old box as a collector gift .
It was a large unopened box of 10 instant colour films, branded Polaroid PolaColor 2 Type 808.
The expiration date was October 1978. We were in October 2012. 34 years later.
During all these years, this box had not even been kept in a refrigerator, like it should normally be. It had been left on a shelf.
I left the seller's place and, after a few kilometres driving, gently looking at this 34 year old box on the seat next to me, with the famous rainbow colours on it, it just hit me.
Why not try to produce an image out of this way outdated box and base my next photography project on it?
I then searched for a subject to photograph that could give some meaning to this project.
Someone born in October 1978 appeared to me as a logical choice.
If it worked it would be the encounter of something considered dead 34 years ago with someone born at that precise time. A wonderful potential encounter.
I searched the web to find someone born in October 1978 and found the French-Russian actress Liina Brunelle who accepted to participate in this project.
The photo session was done on February 3th, 2013, in my studio near Brussels, Belgium.
Exactly 12.533 days after Liina was born and the box had expired.
And it worked…
More "Expired Instants" will follow shortly with other expired boxes.
If you want to participate, please enter the casting.
For several reasons, I recently decided to use large format instant photography as a new medium for portraits and for some of my art series.
End of 2012, I acquired a Deardorff mahogany camera and an old Goerz Dagor lens on eBay.
Polaroid doesn't produce instant films anymore.
But some smart people have re-launched a production of instant films, based on the Polaroid heritage (same factory, etc…).
They called their new company 'The Impossible Project'.
And they re-launched the experimental production of black and white 20x25cm instant films in 2012.
But this process requires something very special: a Polaroid Land Processor.
No longer built and very rare.
And now very expensive too since Impossible re-launched their large format instant films production and it is one of the only ways to develop the films.
But I finally managed to find one at a very reasonable price here in Belgium.
So everything was brought together to enable me to shoot large format instant films and try to create this eerie feeling I like so much.
Before leaving the processor vendor's place, this nice person offered me an old box as a collector gift .
It was a large unopened box of 10 instant colour films, branded Polaroid PolaColor 2 Type 808.
The expiration date was October 1978. We were in October 2012. 34 years later.
During all these years, this box had not even been kept in a refrigerator, like it should normally be. It had been left on a shelf.
I left the seller's place and, after a few kilometres driving, gently looking at this 34 year old box on the seat next to me, with the famous rainbow colours on it, it just hit me.
Why not try to produce an image out of this way outdated box and base my next photography project on it?
I then searched for a subject to photograph that could give some meaning to this project.
Someone born in October 1978 appeared to me as a logical choice.
If it worked it would be the encounter of something considered dead 34 years ago with someone born at that precise time. A wonderful potential encounter.
I searched the web to find someone born in October 1978 and found the French-Russian actress Liina Brunelle who accepted to participate in this project.
The photo session was done on February 3th, 2013, in my studio near Brussels, Belgium.
Exactly 12.533 days after Liina was born and the box had expired.
And it worked…
More "Expired Instants" will follow shortly with other expired boxes.
If you want to participate, please enter the casting.