As many of you know, in the world of photography, I'm a fan of the imperfect (of which I am a stellar example). Among the more analog materials I use are all types of expired Polaroid, primarily Type 665 (example above). It, along with it's larger and smaller cousins Type 55 and Type 85, is a positive/negative film which ceased production in 2007. This was a horrible blow to many photographic artists, and ever since people have been wishing for a replacement from somewhere...anywhere! The rough edges, depth, and quality of this film were extremely unique. Thankfully, The Impossible Project has brought back to life a specific type of instant film for SX-70 users, but the future for pos/neg film is still a bit bleak.
Cue Bob Crowley and his blog, http://new55project.blogspot.com/. Bob seems to have the same desire as many of us to introduce a replacement for our dearly beloved Type 55, plus it appears that he has a handle on the art AND science of it. Started only earlier this year, I have found out a lot about the difficulty of creating such a replacement, and Bob is quite open to help from the outside. Input from other artists as well as left over materials from Type 55 are desired, and any help you may have clearly would be appreciated. The blog also has quite a bit of useful information on it regarding the use of Fuji instant materials for creating a usable negative, something I myself have started to do as well. I'm following the blog now, and will most certainly lend a hand in bringing back one of the most wildly popular films for creating unique imagery. Myself and the amazing Zoe Wiseman have already contacted him with input and words of encouragement. I say get the word out and maybe we can all band together and, in the not so distant future, be shooting an instant film that yields a usable negative to create our work. In addition to this blog post, I've posted the link on my Facebook Fan Page as well, and encourage you to do the same. Let as many people as you can who might be interested know about this blog. It takes a village.......
Film is not dead....just taking a nap.
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