Mary Ellen Mark in today's New York Times photo blog / Polaroid 20 x 24

[joelio]

We had a specific design for the light — 18 strobes. That’s a lot of lights. A lot. Because we were shooting at, like, f/64. It’s very stopped down, with an 800-millimeter lens — sometimes 600, but mostly 800-millimeter. You have very little depth of field, so you want it to be stopped down as much as possible.

Oooof! Talk about power!

http://lens.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/04/03/simple-portraits-complex-camera/#/7/

[Frank Petronio]

She's great. But she's great with any camera. You can use the 20x24 too, just email them and use your credit card, they are perfect for special occasions. Engagements and such... I want someone to do a death photo.

http://20x24studio.com The techs are John Reuter (Polaroid 20x24 transfers! http://www.johnreuter.com) and Jennifer Trausch (all of it is at least 8x10: http://www.jennifertrausch.com) and they are excellent guides. Personally I think they are much better than the famous photographers who rent the camera, because it is so expensive you tend to err towards the conservative side and reduce the experimentation. Where the techs are very familiar with the process and will shoot much riskier outdoor subjects and really push it.

It's not cheap but if you can afford a nice vacation, you can probably afford a portrait. If you need a shooter, I am not cheap either, but I will get the shot.

One thing to consider, if you ever do them, is how to get your prints home safely and how to display them. That could be expensive itself. Plus travel to NYC, a stylist, background rental from Oliphant (http://ostudio.com, lodging, etc.

The only thing I didn't get in that article was the "18 lights" remark? One big pack will pump 6400 watts through a quad head and give you at least f/64 with the thing. Perhaps she went Strobist on us, lol?

71383

71382

OK if you do everything first class, expect to drop $7 to $15K on it. If you just want to shoot a bunch of still life for the day maybe $4K.

[joelio]

I am interested in the camera and the significance of the project, though the "18 lights" thing was what really caught my attention.

I saw your work with the 20x24 some time ago - maybe I caught it on your blog? Anyway, it looks great. I can only imagine the detail and tonality that these display in person. I used to assist a photographer who loved the 8x10 Polaroid and those things pumped out pretty decent detail, too.

[Frank Petronio]

They just use a pack and head (biggest Elinchrom I think) in the studio so maybe MEM got into some lighting guru voodoo, although the lighting didn't call attention to itself in those pix.

I like Polaroids a lot too but I am not obsessed over them like some people. A well made 20x24 print from common 6x6 medium format film looks really good to me too. As a collector (I'm not) I would much prefer one of Mary Ellen Mark's prints from a medium format camera. Funny how the 20x24 shots looks very similar.

So yeah you could do a wonderful portrait in traditional film for a fraction of the Polaroid price so you have to be really into it.

[sully75]

Yeah I don't see 18 lights there. I see effing awesome lighting, just like she always gets...so good. But not 18 lights.

I assume that because she seems like a broke-ass genius she does all her lighting herself. As much as I admire Annie L, she at minimum has a lot of hands helping her.

[Frank Petronio]

Who said she was broke? She probably dropped $50-large-plus on that project... She was just saying ouch!

[sully75]

I think I've read that she's a project to project kind of person. Maybe I'm wrong.

[John Flavell]

A quick tour of the camera back: http://tinyurl.com/7kdpfuz

Are they using left-over film?

[joelio]

I would love to see this setup in person while I am still living down here. If she is in the studio that day I will count the lights. :)

[Frank Petronio]

I think their backer bought the remains of the Polaroid corporate set-up, including a large supply of the media and chemistry. It isn't packaged like the small format films, the camera actually holds rolls and it's cut.

I'm not clear on the relationship to the Impossible Project but I guess they are friendly. Perhaps the Impossible Project will produce some nice materials someday but I haven't been impressed with them other than their sophisticated marketing campaign.

Just think of this as the ultimate hipster Lomo device ;-p

[joelio]

Just think of this as the ultimate hipster Lomo device ;-p

:)

[John Flavell]

On the site Frank linked to is a description and slide show of Jennifer Trausch using the camera in the South: http://20x24studio.com/?page_id=403

[Frank Petronio]

Yeah I think those are awesome and not to diss MEM, but most people get in there and get real conservative because it's $350 a pull!

[arkady n.]

Just think of this as the ultimate hipster Lomo device ;-p

lol. But I dont think many hipsters can afford photographing with this camera : )

[Carl J]

Another good link for Trausch's Southern project: http://turnstylenews.com/2011/10/21/the-big-picture-jennifer-trausch-photographs-the-deep-south/