NEW: Locals Series Polaroid dog portraits

My new "Locals Series" series is going really well. It's such a wonderful excuse to get me out of the studio on a beautiful day, photograph with one of my favorite cameras, get to know some locals, and give away free totally unique Polaroid dog portraits. The "Locals Series" started in New York, and since it was so popular over there I decided to bring it to San Francisco. Once or twice a month I'll wander over to a new neighborhood park with my beloved Fuji Fotorama (see below) instant camera and some of the last remaining original Polaroid Sepia pack film left on the planet. I like to look for dog/human pairs that really exemplify the essence of each neighborhood. I introduce myself, tell them a bit about the project, juggle my light meter, camera, film timer, film, dog, owner, and a sharpie and magically create 2 instant dog portraits in the span of about 5 minutes. It's a fun challenge. Once the Polaroid is dry, I sign the back for authenticity and watch people's faces light up as they fall into the warm hues and crisp detail of their new Sepia portrait. The images below feature some great Dolores Park locals.

And for all you photonerds, this is what the dreamy Fuji Fotorama FP-1 looks like. These were made in Japan in the early 90s as an instant proofing tool, and are very hard to find. Unlike the majority of instant Polaroid pack-film cameras out there, the Fotorama gives you aperature, shutter speed, and focus controls and a superior lens. In a way, they are similar to a large format field camera (collapsable view camera).

BlogJesse FreidinNovember 8, 2011Fuji Fotorama, instant dog portraits, locals, locals series, polaroid sepia, sepia, sepia filmComment