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Thread: Elsa Dorfman is retiring

  1. #1
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    Elsa Dorfman is retiring

    CAMBRIDGE, Mass. A celebrated photography pioneer — and a fixture in Cambridge for decades — Elsa Dorfman is taking her last shots.

    Dorfman is retiring after more than 30 years in a business that has changed dramatically during that time. She says it’s time for her to reflect and organize.

    “I’m a terrible curator, not everything is signed or dated. My records are terrible, so there’s plenty that I can do,” the 78-year-old said of her decision to stop taking 20-inch by 24-inch portraits with her hulking, now-out-of-production Polaroid camera. “It’s just too much for me to do this anymore.”...


    https://artery.wbur.org/2015/12/22/c...rfman-retiring

    For those who don't know about Elsa Dorfman, her website has plenty of samples of her work, stories about her studio sessions, and other writings:

    http://www.elsadorfman.com/

  2. #2
    William Whitaker's Avatar
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    Re: Elsa Dorfman is retiring

    Thanks, Oren, for posting this.

  3. #3
    Tin Can's Avatar
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    Re: Elsa Dorfman is retiring

    "How I Work, What I Charge" a quote from Elsa's website.

    I never heard of her till just now, sounds wonderful!



    It also strikes me, I told my daughter to have her teenage boys bring some hats or odd shirts for our Friday Polaroid shoot, one day before I read Elsa'a story.

    Daughter said she is better off not telling them that...
    Tin Can

  4. #4

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    Re: Elsa Dorfman is retiring

    Are the Wisner 20X24 cameras still working? I was tempted when he had his clearance sale several years ago.
    van Huyck Photography
    "Searching for the moral justification for selfishness" JK Galbraith

  5. #5

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    Re: Elsa Dorfman is retiring

    Are all these 20x24 polaroid camera going off old-stock materials (film/reagent/etc)? or is someone making new materials for these?

  6. #6

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    Re: Elsa Dorfman is retiring

    There's a pod machine that still makes new chemicals (that's how impossible is doing their pods off the same machine I believe, or is that new55 using that machine? Possibly both? But yes, all the 20x24 stuff is made in pods that are still made by a single machine until it gives out...

    Not sure about the paper.

    As for Elsa, there's a big debate at some point because I believe she sort of took the camera and never gave it back, or something like that, you'll have to research but it's an interesting tale, I guess it's too much trouble to repossess it from her, wonder what will happen now that she's retiring, will the studio finally get it back?

    Unless that whole ordeal has already been settled?

    I'm sure Tracy or someone knows.

  7. #7
    Tin Can's Avatar
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    Re: Elsa Dorfman is retiring

    Machines don't give out. Any useful machine is repairable for centuries or longer.

    People get tired and slow down.

    I really like Elsa's 'Portraits are Performance Art'. Every time we use a LF camera the performance is a huge part of the Art.

    That's also my story and I'm sticking to it.
    Tin Can

  8. #8
    Tracy Storer's Avatar
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    Re: Elsa Dorfman is retiring

    Elsa legitimately leased the camera for many years, no issues there, it was somebody else who basically stole one, but that is a story for another time.
    There is a pod machine that 20x24 Holdings shares with New55, and another pod machine that Impossible has in the Netherlands.
    The 20x24 material we are using is from the 2000s, but with new pods, and tweaking the reagent recipe as needed.

    Quote Originally Posted by StoneNYC View Post
    There's a pod machine that still makes new chemicals (that's how impossible is doing their pods off the same machine I believe, or is that new55 using that machine? Possibly both? But yes, all the 20x24 stuff is made in pods that are still made by a single machine until it gives out...

    Not sure about the paper.

    As for Elsa, there's a big debate at some point because I believe she sort of took the camera and never gave it back, or something like that, you'll have to research but it's an interesting tale, I guess it's too much trouble to repossess it from her, wonder what will happen now that she's retiring, will the studio finally get it back?

    Unless that whole ordeal has already been settled?

    I'm sure Tracy or someone knows.
    Tracy Storer
    Mammoth Camera Company tm
    www.mammothcamera.com

  9. #9

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    Re: Elsa Dorfman is retiring

    Quote Originally Posted by Tracy Storer View Post
    Elsa legitimately leased the camera for many years, no issues there, it was somebody else who basically stole one, but that is a story for another time.
    There is a pod machine that 20x24 Holdings shares with New55, and another pod machine that Impossible has in the Netherlands.
    The 20x24 material we are using is from the 2000s, but with new pods, and tweaking the reagent recipe as needed.
    Thanks for clearing that up Tracy! Good to know there's actually more than one pod machine.

  10. #10

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    Re: Elsa Dorfman is retiring

    It does sound like the materials are finite though, and already starting to degrade/color shift. Will be a shame when those are finally gone. Hopefully this camera/studio/materials are still available for use by someone in Boston even after Dorfman retires.

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