Back to Anologue photography – Testing the M.P.P. 5 x 4 inch film camera i recently bought – using fuji instant film.

I decided to go back to anologue photography for a project experimenting with polaroid or fuji instant film. Both are no longer produced and Its becoming harder to get hold of polaroid but you can still find fuji instant thats not too far out of date.

I managed to get 4 packs off ebay, expiration date 2017.

Ive not used a 5 x 4 camera for over 25 years so it took a bit of patience to set up.

These cameras are not easy to use. Firstly its hard to see the image through the back. You have to use a cover over your head to block out the light so you can see an image.

Also the image is upside down and right to left, so you have to really think about your composition.

When you have your image composed you then have to place the film back into the viewing area, which means you cant see the image when taking the photo. This is not much of a problem when photographing landscapes or still lives but becomes a real pain when photographing people or moving objects.

test pics using fuji fpc 100 instant sheet film (same as polaroid instant)

next i am going to make ’emulsion lift’ images from these prints. This is where you lift the emulsion off the print and float it onto art paper, creating a unique effect.
I will also do some shots to create ‘image transfers’ where the image is transfered onto dry paper before the full development time has occured.

I will post again with full instructions on how to do image transfers and emulsion lifts.