Integral Photo Manipulation

Precious few people possess an inexhaustible supply of innovative ideas. The good news is that those precious few probably don't know about SX-70 manipulation. All you need is a Polaroid print and an irrepressible urge to do it harm. The twist of a pen. The flash of a burnishing tool. Et voila. Fame. Recognition. And who knows, maybe your own coffee table book.

What you'll need

• Burnishing tools available at art supply stores. Or, use sharpened wooden dowels. Dental tools also work well. Use the gentle bends, not the sharp points as they can puncture or scratch the Mylar covering
• A camera capable of shooting Time-Zero film
• Time-Zero film (this will only work on TZ film)
• Hair dryer (optional)

600/779 film and SX70/TZ are both integral films of the same size format. However, the emulsions differ and as such only SX70/TZ can be manipulated in this way.

Manipulating 600/779 film can be done, but the results are vastly different.

Step 1: Expose the film

Take a photo and put it onto a hard flat surface. Using the tools, apply different amounts of pressure as if you were painting over the picture. The effect is different during the various phases of development.

Step 2: Apply pressure

Apply light pressure with blunt instruments before you see the image come up. The effect is a general softening and blurring of the image.

Step 3: Outline areas

Use a more pointed tool to outline areas and objects. For the next several minutes, the image is slightly visible.

During this time, you can get white or black lines using different amounts of pressure.

You can also create new colors in the image by applying slightly heavier pressure and mixing the layers underneath.

Step 4: Blending

The next five minutes are for stretching and blending the image.

Use a blunt or fine tip tool and lightly rub over the image areas you want to distort.

Be patient and try different amounts of pressure.

Try circular motions or short strokes.

During the next 5 to 10 minutes, the image will begin to set. Use this time to blend the image areas.

Tip:

You can freeze the print at any time after the image has fully developed to store and come back to later.

Just warm up the print with a hair dryer and manipulate.

Optional Steps:

Disassemble the developed film and peel off the Mylar from the backing.

This contains the image.

Wash the white developer off the Mylar to create a translucent image and overlay it onto another image.

Use dyes and paints on the backside of the Mylar to intensify the effect.

When finished, roll the image with a soft rubber Brayer from the middle outward. Start with just the weight of the roller, increasing the pressure only after all the excess water and air bubbles have been removed. You are done when all the folds look pressed down.

Hang dry when finished.