I began manipulating SX - 70 or Time Zero film in 1994.  While shopping at a flea market one day I discovered someone discarding an old Time Zero camera.  I kindly greeted the party with a request for becoming the cameras new  owner.   Unfortunately the optics are not much good, most likely due to someone attempting to clean the plastic lens thinking that it was glass and realizing that fact too late.

Ready to begin my adventure, I began to experiment by inserting my slide into a slide carrier of  my enlarger.   Then using the projection method suggested by others who have tread this path before me, I began to crop, adjust and build myself a platform to hold the pack of SX-70 film on my easel firmly.  After all to perform this type of exposure method one must be in total darkness.   

An old pack film shell, also retrieved from disposal, would be my guide.  I cut white cardboard and placed this sheet into the shell to mimic a piece of film being certain to allow for the boarder area normally found on the final image.  I placed the shell  in  my holder I built to use upon my easel.   Now  adjustment and cropping of my projected image would be easy to see.   When all is satisfactory and pack with film (protected in a light tight bag)  and Time Zero camera are laying nearby me, the lights are turned off.  The film pack is removed from the light tight bag  and substituted for the shell I used as my guide.  IN TOTAL DARKNESS Exposure is made through the use of similar test strip method made  in black and white darkroom work.  The film pack is then inserted back into my Time-Zero camera and the shutter button is pushed and the latent image is expelled.   Lights are turned on and work begins on manipulation of dye base structure.   

Summary:

One unexpected characteristic of Polaroid SX - 70 film opened up another avenue of creativity.  Shortly after the invention of the SX - 70 film in early 1970's, it was discovered that the emulsion is the image remained pliable for, in some cases up to five days.  In 1979, Polaroid replaced SX - 70 film with Time Zero film in an attempt to speed up development time and eliminate the yellow staining and cracking of the old emulsion.  Now the emulsion would remain pliable for only up to 2 or 3 days.  The emulsion manipulation techniques became popular in the late 1970's and early 80's even though this was not condoned by Edwin H. Land, who still regarded this process as a film defect.

Defect or not manipulating the  SX - 70 emulsion has been enjoyed by many alternative method photographers with interesting effects that are captivating.

Images are available for purchase as digital reproductions.     

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NOTE: Images are of low resolution for internet viewing purposes.   Please consider that tonal values and colors  are approximate.    

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