Impossible Project at UrbanOutfitters

The 90+ Degrees Media Marathon

In an ongoing effort to remain in fully air conditioned environs, Miss B. and I have absorbed many outstanding dishes from the media buffet.

Here is a list of appetizers and entrees we have recently consumed (in no particular order).

1. District 9 rocketed immediately to the Top 5 of my floating list of best sci-fi films. Sharlto Copley as Wikus van der Merwe is completely sensational - riveting, believable and deeply sympathetic.  Oh, and the SFX were hands down the best I've ever seen.

2. The Rachel Madow Show - Every other talking head on television should just quit and she should have her own freakin' 24-hour show.

3. Except for Dylan Rattigan, whose other MSNBC show, Morning Meeting, is quickly proving that there ARE smart, rational people on TV talking about the news.

4. Oh, and also except for Jon Stewart ,who with a wink and nod to all of us who truly understand, has turned the Daily Show into the rabid watchdog of the advertising-and-drama driven 24-hour news networks.  His interview tonight with "Lady Death Panels", Betsy McCaughey simply MUST be watched online when it goes live tomorrow...

5. I was reluctant to watch Nurse Jackie since I have several family members in the medical profession and hospital shows usually just piss me off, but it's really fucking good and without a doubt one of the most realistic portrayals of a drug addict ever televised.

6. Moon is another candidate for my list of best sci-fi films. It's ALL about Sam, who manages to top his performances in two other sci-fi films I hold dear, Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and Galaxy Quest.

7. Due to the fact that the electrical system in my apartment was being repaired (no more fires shooting from our outlets, yay!), we had to seek other air conditioning and finally got around to seeing The Hangover.  I laughed more and harder than the last time I laughed long and hard in the theater, which was when I saw the 40 Year Old Virgin...

8. In the Loop popped up in our cable box's pay-per-view movies list.  Knowing very little about it other than some well-regarded but mostly drowned-out buzz, we rented it and were completely and immediately sucked into its rapid-fire foul-mouthed parade of fools.  There has been no sharper or funnier satire of governmental bullshit EVER.  And it's probably the best filmed satire since Dr. Strangelove.  No kidding.

9. Almost by default, I must add Smashing Magazine to this list since a large number of google searches over the past two months have sent me to their vast archives of actually helpful articles.  What may appear at first to be little more than lists of lists is actually valuable to me for keeping up with new HTML/CSS tips, browsing for design inspiration, and occasionally learning something about Photoshop I didn't even know existed...

10. The Discovery Channel has hit me in my "RPG soft-spot" with The Colony, which is probably one of the most elaborate games ever staged and which reminds me a lot of sitting in a garage with my friends playing Gamma World when I was a teenager. For the record, I think Michael's a giant baby, George needs to eat a steak and grow a pair, and John is the man I want to be when I grow up.

11. While randomly flipping channels, I stopped to watch Rogue simply because it was the only movie on 20+ movie channels that wasn't already half-way through.  This obscure Australian monster-crocodile flick was surprising in its subtlety, tension and startlingly realistic CG "hero" croc - and features a totally solid cast led by Rhada Mitchell, Michael Vartan and Sam Worthington.

I'm in love ... with instant photography

I like to joke around that using Twitter costs me a lot of money ... I'm constantly inspired by the things my friends talk about, particularly related to photography, and feel compelled to purchase cameras, film, and all kinds of related (and totally unrelated) paraphernalia.

Such was the case when I befriended @polaroidgirl ... It started out innocently enough, but before I knew it, I was bidding on vintage polaroid cameras on eBay, searching for deals on film, and generally just losing my mind with my new found love for instant photography. If you already shoot polaroid, or if you've ever looked into it, you know it's not the cheapest way to take photos. But it's worth every penny, and when a good deal comes along, I take the opportunity to stock up!

Right now, PolaPremium is offering a special deal on 779 film, which is what I used to create the photo you see here. It works with any 600 camera, and you can also use it with vintage SX-70 cameras with a couple of easy modifications. But here's the trick: Someone who's already signed up to receive PolaPremium's email updates must enter your email address. Luckily, I am one of those people. If you're interested, please let me know! The last time PolaPremium ran this promotion, they sold out of 2000 packs of film in just four days, so I expect that the film they've restocked will sell quickly. As they say in the infomercials, "Supplies are limited! Act now!" (Seriously, though, get your butt in gear before the film and the special pricing are gone.)

I suppose it's possible that you're intrigued by the idea of shooting polaroids, but don't know where to begin? That was my situation just a few months ago ... Luckily, a few Twitter and Flickr friends helped me out. Here's what I learned.

Finding a camera

Ebay seems to have the widest selection of polaroid cameras for sale. Other sources include Etsy (search vintage listings), Craigslist, Freecycle, and Goodwill (and other secondhand stores). Amazon usually has 600 cameras for sale.

If you're shopping for an SX-70, there are a few questions you should ask the seller:

• Has the camera been tested?
• When you look through the viewfinder, is it clear?
• Does the front door stay closed, or does it flap open?
• Does the camera fold flat, or does it bulge on one side? (If it bulges, the mirror may be loose.)
• Does the shutter operate quickly and smoothly? (If the shutter sticks, your photos will probably be blurry & overexposed.)

The most coveted SX-70 models are the ones with silver finish and brown leather. Alpha 1 Model 2 cameras (with a black body) are typically cheaper because the sythentic covers are kind of crappy ... But the covers are easily replaced, and many of these cameras work just fine.

Finding film & accessories

My favorite source for film is PolaPremium ... Mostly because I like the people who work there, and I want to support their efforts to develop a new kind of instant film. If you buy items marked with a little U.S. flag, you can take advantage of reasonably-priced domestic shipping. I've also had good luck finding 600 film online, via Amazon and other retailers. And I occassionally come across 600 film in CVS, Wal-Mart, and other retail chain stores. I know folks who buy polaroid film on eBay, too.

If you want to use 600 or 779 film with an SX-70 camera, there are a couple of things you'll need to do. First, snip off the little plastic nubs on the edge of the pack of film. Then use an ND filter on the pack or the lens. I like to use pack filters from MyPolaStore.com.

Finding hope & inspiration

The most common question I get when people see me shooting with my SX-70: "Do they still make film for those things?" The short answer is "no." Polaroid has given up on analog photography, and has stopped making film. That's the bad news. But there's still a lot of it around, and it will last past the expiration date if stored safely in the fridge. So that's the (sort of) good news.

The even better news is this: There are a lot of people who want instant photography to live forever. (Don't believe me? Check out Save Polaroid.) As I write this, The Impossible Project is hard at work, reinventing instant film for the SX-70. And there's even a rumor about a brand new camera, not too far in the future. But I don't think you should wait for the new stuff to get started. Find a camera, get some film -- remember, I can help you with that! -- and Share the Love with other would-be instant photographers.

The most important thing I've learned: There's no such thing as too late to the polaroid party.

(Many thanks to Anne, Dave, Viv, and countless others for their encouragement and their helpful SX-70 tips.)

catch a falling star

"catch a falling star and put it in your pocket, save it for a rainy day"

alice and the tulips

{left}    for sale in matchstickgirl's etsy shop

{right}  for sale in jeanevogel's etsy shop 

doll and dino strike a pose

{left} available in futurowoman's etsy shop 

{right} available in feaverish's etsy shop 

polaroids of polaroid cameras

{left} available in pocketmemories' etsy shop

{right} available in sparke's etsy shop

toy horses

{1} for sale in moonflowers' etsy shop

{2} for sale in thisdesignstudio's etsy shop

{3} for sale in moonflowers' etsy shop

elephant and thistle

cats and dogs