NY Times Article: Louis Mendes: Polaroid Street Portraits

[beepy]

<p>Article on street portraitist using Polaroid film:<br>

<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/03/nyregion/03polaroid.html">A Camera and an Eye, Both One of a Kind</a></p>

<blockquote>

<p>Then he will return to the sidewalk outside BH Photo or Adorama Camera. ...<br>

“Most photographers don’t have a good picture of themselves,” he explained. “They think nobody can take as good a picture as they can. So, I prove them wrong. There’s good money there.”</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Take a look at the slide show. Nice work.</p>

 

[starvy]

<p>thank you very much for this find. how does one do double exposures with a poloroid back?</p>

[cabbiinc]

<p>With a Polaroid back on a non-polaroid camera the back isn't synced with anything. Once you pull the dark slide it's all up for grabs. Click that shutter as much as you like, or keep the shutter open for as long as you like. When you're done with the exposure pull the white tab (Fuji's instant film, I hear that Polaroid is yellow but I may be confused), then pull the "film" through the rollers and wait before pulling the film apart from the print. The time needed depends on the temp, which is why the photographer put the film under his armpit after taking a shot.</p>

<p>Very cool article. I've wondered doing this sort of thing myself but I don't think I have the attitude to do it effectively.</p>

[py-photography]

<p>Great article. Thanks for the link.</p>

[pmind]

<p>I wondered who that guy was! He was doing the same thing at the PhotoPlus Expo this year. Nice work.</p>

[racerxphoto]

<p>I have seen this guy around NY for many years. Last saw him New years day at the Coney Island Polar bear club swim event.</p>

[vcakic]

<p>Gotta love this guy:<br>

“They just push a button. They don’t know aperture priority from shutter priority. This, this is me priority. All manual. I set it.”<br>

"me priority"<br>

I'm gonna find a way to use that one!!</p>

[jimadams]

<p>This is so cool! And his double exposure work is fantastic. As Mr. Mendes says, sure you can do the same thing in Photoshop...but Photoshop is Photoshop, there's no in-camera skill or exposure knowledge required.</p>

[rfader]

<p>Wonderful article! He's an inspiration to all photographers. Would love to see him in action.</p>

[rick_gerbehy1]

<p>Would love to see a show of his work if he loaded that camera with 4x5 tri-x for a day and printed the negatives.<br>

I toyed with one of those cameras in the early 70's when I was a photo rookie.<br>

Great caamera and a wonderful story. Thanks to the Times and the author who shared Louis Mendes' work with us.</p>