Polaroid one600 alternative process (a tutorial?)

Those two images (see the bottom of the post) were shot with a polaroid one600 classic camera but were altered using an alternative process. For this you need: a subject, a Polaroid camera that can take 600 film and obviously, 600 Polaroid film.

Just take the picture normally and once it’s done, follow these steps:

1. Cut the Polaroid along the top and sides edges (don’t cut the bottom, that’s where the chemistries are kept)
2. *Optional* Put an ice pack over the Polaroid (cold temperatures will give the polaroid cooler tones, so you can instead warm the image to get warm tones, I just never tried it)
3. When the image is just about totally developed, open it (since it was already cut) in a sure yet not too fast or too slow motion (if you don’t have the right speed, the emulsion will stay totally on the transparency layer and the effect won’t work). A Polaroid is made of about 8 or 9 layers, but when taken apart, it comes out in two layers: one transparency layer which is really pale and a back layer that contains most of the image data.
4. One you have opened the image wet the inside (the back layer) and wait it out (for about 10-20 minutes) until you can really see the effect has taken place.
5. Now you can either cut an keep only the back layer or the transparency layer (what I done with the image of the toilet) or put the two layers of the image back together and mess with it a little(that’s what I did with the image of the stove).

Finally, be careful, the photographic chemistries held inside a Polaroid image were not meant to be manipulated or exposed, always wear gloves during this process as the caustic paste can supposedly cause burns (I think that’s just being a little paranoid, personally, as I got some on my hands and nothing happened), just be a little careful, it’s still chemicals.

And don’t be surprised by the quantity of emulsion (or whatever it is) that’s held inside a Polaroid picture, there’s a lot of stuff inside a Polaroid, just mess around with it and experiment, it is a fun process and can give great results, don’t give up (I wasted 10 shots before getting the two shots shown on my page).

All in all, it’s a very fun, easy, accessible and relatively cheap alternative way to take on Polaroid photography and opens the opportunity of analogical photo manipulation without the need for a dark room.

Post scriptum: Also check out this polaroid, shot by another photographer who followed this technique: