[LargeFormat] Polaroid in winter

[TigerShark]

I have found that keeping Polaroids (B&W and color) in the original foil
packages or sealed in plasic (ziplock) bags in the fridge keeps the film
good even way past the expiration date.  Some packs were almost 2 years past
and still good (PolPan 100 4x5).  Film stored at room temp or hotter will
expire faster than exp date.  I have had several boxes of polaroids where
the chemical pod had dried up.  It looked to me as if the juice had
evaporated ...  These were long before the exp date.  All were replaced by
polaroid (of course).

I never froze polaroids for a long time, but i know that a brief freeze
(unintentionally left in the freezing car for a few days) did not harm them
at all.

At time of processing, the temp should be as close to ideal as possible (70
deg C) ... and it takes time to heat up the chemical pod after it has been
stored cold.  Some photographers will carry several sleeves of polaroid
under their shirt to keep them warm and will put them back under the shirt
while developing.

I have noticed that polaroids look better when processed hotter rather than
colder, and I have the inclination to believe that daylight exposure
(relatively long) produces better polaroids than flash exposure (relatively
short).

TigerShark



-----Original Message-----
From: largeformat-admin@f32.net [mailto:largeformat-admin@f32.net]On
Behalf Of Clive Warren
Sent: Monday, March 05, 2001 4:22 AM
To: largeformat@f32.net; largeformat@f32.net
Subject: Re: [LargeFormat] Polaroid in winter


At 16:54 05/03/01 +0800, Stein wrote:
>Dear Dave,
>
>      We're up to twenty five and the count is rising. Would someone in
>America please go round Dave's and see if he is slumped unconscious on the
>repeat button. Thanks.
>
>      Uncle Dick

Thanks for that Dick, made me laugh on a Monday morning - fairly unusual :-)

Maybe it was some frozen water on the keyboard or it was sent from a
handheld or PDA and Dave has been sitting on the thing whilst contemplating
composition of that waterfall.   Anyway, am sure that Dave has it sorted as
the messages have stopped.

Was looking forward to a good read this morning as all those EMails came
flooding into the InBox.......

Photography this weekend was limited to some copy work for kid's art - but
the mention of Polaroid reminds me that there are several unopened boxes of
4x5 B&W Polaroid film sitting in the film store.  Kept at a low temperature
but not in a fridge or frozen and all well past its sell by date.  Will
have to dig some out and use it with a Speed Graphic just to get the feel
of what it must have been like to use a 4x5 in reportage style.......

All the best,
                 Clive   http://www.f32.net
                         Large Format Travel and Stock Photography


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