Feasability of selling Impossible Project 8x10 prints on the street?

[Larry Kellogg]

So you met Louis Mendes?


http://mobile.nytimes.com/2010/01/03...html?referrer=

Louis is always trying to convince me to shoot on the street but I guess I can still pull other, higher paying gigs. Who knows, I might be out there eventually.

Louis is smooth with the ladies, that helps with sales. He can draw a line in Times Square.

I think you have to get down to the cheapest setup possible. 8x10 is way too expensive.

Louis burned up a dozen Spectra cameras back in the day and used to do little double exposure shots with them.

[Tin Can]

That's the way to do it.

Just like my guy in Punk Chicago.

Copy Louis Mendes in your own city.

1/4 plate Fujiroid is still under $10 for 10 shots.

[brightmatter]

So you met Louis Mendes?


http://mobile.nytimes.com/2010/01/03...html?referrer=

Louis is always trying to convince me to shoot on the street but I guess I can still pull other, higher paying gigs. Who knows, I might be out there eventually.

Louis is smooth with the ladies, that helps with sales. He can draw a line in Times Square.

I think you have to get down to the cheapest setup possible. 8x10 is way too expensive.

Louis burned up a dozen Spectra cameras back in the day and used to do little double exposure shots with them.

Bingo! Yeah, he was quite the character. Half tried to sell me a Crown Graphic for $2000. I said that that was way too much so he said 'ok, $5000.' Made my day

[Larry Kellogg]

Yeah, Louis is a great guy and a character, he's a fixture on the street. You should have got your picture took, it would have cost you only $20. Louis shot me and my girl at the Easter Parade last year. Here it is:



Louis would have enough work to rival August Sander if Louis had the negatives, but, alas, Louis has no negatives. He shoots the instant pics to make the rent money. Nothing wrong with that but I wish I could look through his negatives from forty years ago.

By the way, I shot 5x7 on the street for a class at ICP. It's a lot of work, and hard to do alone, because you have to constantly worry that a pedestrian is going to knock over your tripod while you're talking to the subject.

[Raymond Bleesz]

Not sure about this, but mention was made of 2x3 Fuji film----is there a "holder" for this film which can be used in a Arca Swiss 4x5 field camera?? If so, what has been your experience doing so???

Thank you Raymond

[Corran]

Fuji 3.25 x 4.25 inch packfilm can be used on most 4x5 cameras with either a Fuji PA-145 holder or a Polaroid 405 holder, both available used on eBay or in the classifieds semi-regularly. Some cameras have limitations and you should search specifically for any discussions about your camera and the holders in question (I have no knowledge of Arca stuff myself). There are also a couple of different versions floating around of the Polaroid holder, you might peruse this thread regarding that:

http://www.largeformatphotography.in...me-4x5-cameras

[esearing]

If local laws allow you could set up a temporary photo booth and have some vintage clothes, western theme, or steam punk items for portraits like they do after awards shows. It only really needs to be two walls and a floor with some moveable furniture. I thought about setting one up in my backyard and have the neighbors come by for a fun family portrait.

[goamules]

That's true about costumes, which I've found are more important to customers than the media used. Most people coming by my wetplate setups ask "do you have old timey clothes for us?" When I said no, many moved on. I think the more viable business model is to solely provide costumes, and just take a digital snapshot of them.

[Corran]

Last year I vacationed in the Smoky Mountains and stayed at a hotel in Pigeon Forge. There was an "Old Tyme Photo" type place literally every block. Just on the 5-10 mile stretch on the main street from PF, I counted at least 10 different store fronts with various names like that - doing costumed photo snaps.

I don't know if they do much business but I guess so since there were so many. But outside of a touristy area like that, I wonder if that kind of kitsch really would be of interest? I guess we here on the forum like the idea of a wet plate or Polaroid instant print, but the public at large...?

[bvy]

Late to the party, but to the OP as it relates to Impossible film, you can offer something a little more novel and address the image stability/drying issue by doing an emulsion lift onto paper. These make really nice pieces, and the way the emulsion swells, you actually get something closer to 9x11. Looks nice on 11x14 paper.

Also, if you're going to do field work, you might want to look for a manual processor. Calumet made (or branded) these, although they command ridiculous prices on eBay -- two or three times the electric ones.

Just some thoughts...