Hello 2017

This is just a short post to say that my blog is still alive and welcome to 2017. I will be back to post more updates soon with what I've been doing. In the meantime, I realised that I've been using instant film and cameras for 10 years! I still love this format of photography as much as the first time I opened my newly purchased SX-70 camera in 2007. One of the many things you learn when you shoot instant film is that you need to dispense with any ideals of perfection because it doesn't exist in this realm. While I've grappled with "getting things right" it's dawned on me that there is no such thing. In its place I've discovered something else, the magic to create little other worlds that exist in this medium, an alchemy in the film that creates beautiful imperfections that you can't predict. 

Upcoming Exhibition - Polaroid Android

I'm very excited to be involved in an upcoming exhibition this Saturday the 9th of July in Thirroul called Polaroid Android with 3 other talented ladies - Emma Burrows, Emma-Lee Crane and Nina Kourea - poster designed by the very talented Emma-Lee Crane. Love to see you there...

March Musings

I wanted to get a post in before the end of the month, so here it is. 
Like all instant pack film photographers I'm mourning the demise of yet another beautiful film - this time Fuji FP-100c. Already a campaign has begun in the hopes of saving this film or at least the machines that make the film to continue its production. The Save Packfilm site has a petition to sign here.

In the spirit of positive thinking I'm appreciating the latest batch of SX-70 from Impossible film. I've also purchased a new toy - a virtually unused SX-70 Model 2 with its original box and instructions.

I've also had my work published in the latest FND magazine (see pics below) and the lovely people at the Polaroid of the Day website invited me to feature some of my photos.

Experiments in Goop

So what is goop exactly? It's the Polaroid/Fuji film refuse - the stuff that gets disposed of. In the case of my experiments it was Fuji FP 3000b film negatives. I figure it's a travesty that this beautiful film is being discontinued so I wanted to honour it by keeping the positives and having some fun with the negatives. In fact I wish now that I'd saved every negative, but that's another matter. Flickr has a goop group if you'd like to check out what other photographers are doing here.

It's a fairly easy process, whereby you scan in the negative to photoshop and invert the image. Other photographers may do more manipulation in photoshop but I prefer to keep things simple.

Anyway, here are my versions. Thanks to my models, Marcelo, Chewie and Sophia.

Hello 2016

It's hard to believe we are here already - 2015 was an incredibly busy year for me photography wise, especially when I had to think of all of the things I'd been involved with. We had a tough start to the year with some personal losses - inspiration and motivation were hiding away for quite some time. Keeping busy and creative is always the best medicine, in this case being involved in 6 joint exhibitions. Three of my shots were exhibited in the first 
Film Never Die group show in April - Polaroid Resurrection, which travelled from Melbourne to Ballarat and Malaysia. 
I also had the wonderful opportunity to be involved in my first Artist in Residence at Parkes Shire Library in September. I did 5 instant film workshops with local schools in the area, an evening talk at Parkes Central library and a joint exhibition. 
At the end of the year I did manage a fun shoot with some really expired film. 

Winter Road Trip

I know, it's been ages since I last posted so moving right along...
Marcelo and I have recently returned from our winter road trip to Dubbo as he has work there - I get to tag along and frolic in the countryside. I do love getting away to clear my head from the more mundane aspects of daily life. Anyway, it was snowing in some parts. Yes I did say SNOWING. It was cold enough in Dubbo and surrounds but on our way back home it snowed as we drove through Orange, Bathurst and parts of the Blue Mountains. I already know I don't fare well in cold temperatures but being in snow is a whole different ballgame. I got some interesting photos, but I realised a few things, the cold makes you shake and I didn't have a tripod - or warm enough clothing. I also had some not so great film. Anyway...all of these were taken with my trusty Polaroid 180 camera and some expired (in 2000) 669 film. 

Upcoming Exhibition & Birthday Cake

Three of my photos have been chosen for the upcoming "Polaroid Resurrection" exhibition at Film Never Die in Melbourne next month. If you are in the Melbourne area during Easter weekend, opening night is April 3rd and the exhibition runs until the 22nd. Exciting!

On another note, my adorable Marcelo surprised me for my birthday with this beautiful Polaroid themed cake. It was made by his cousin Ossie Perez, who is extremely talented. Not only was the cake delicious, but it was all edible (even the little photos). 

Cute much? 

Hello 2015

Sorry dear blog...I've been away. Kind of.
I'm still snapping of course and trying new things. One of my more recent endeavours with film includes the overlay of these two photos which is basically a Polaroid 669 with a Spectra transparency peel over the top. 

Cameras - Polaroid 180 / Spectra SE

Film - Polaroid 669 / PZ600 Black & White

I'm now on Instagram

If you feel like more of a daily dose of Polaroids...then click on the image below.

Been awhile....

I haven't been taking many photos of late...but I have been a busy bee. First of all, you can now buy a selection of my Polaroid greeting cards, postcards and my latest zine at the lovely Milk Thieves store in Wollongong. Our 12.12 project book is also available to purchase on Blurb. If you are interested in purchasing a copy and you love Polaroids, you won't be disappointed. It was designed by Amanda Mason and she's done a beautiful job. 
I'm also happy to announce that 3 of my Polaroids have been selected to appear in the 2015 Poladarium Calendar. You can purchase a copy here - it's 365 days of Polaroid photos....bliss!

Not long ago I discovered my first decent Polaroid camera, my beloved SX-70, had died. I decided to buy a SX-70 Sonar (how could I possibly replace such an original)? Anyway, here are a couple of photos with the "new" camera. Enjoy...

Winter Roadtrip - Parkes & Dubbo

Marcelo and I recently went on another road trip out west to Parkes and Dubbo. Between the townships of Eugowra and Gooloogong, we spotted a little abandoned church in a field, which I had to stop and photograph. After doing some research, I was surprised to discover that the church and school was built in 1904 and was Seventh Day Adventist, which was the religion I was raised with. Walking around and inside the church, I tried to imagine what it was like during that time and the stories of the people who attended it. In 1908, a teacher organised her students to raise money for an overseas missionary by selling pin-cushions and bonnets door to door. 
All photographs were taken July, 2014 with a Polaroid 180 camera & Polaroid Chocolate film - expired in 2009.

My Polaroids featured on Mamamia

So happy today to have my Polaroids featured on the Voulez-Vous section of the Mamamia website.
Mamamia is Australia's leading women's website and covers the latest news, information about style, relationships, well-being, feminism, motherhood and lots more. Click the link below and have a browse around the site. Big thank you to both the lovely Melissa Wellham who did the article and for my friend Julie Ditrich who put me onto this great feature.

My Polaroids featured on the Shooting Film blog

Shooting Film have done a feature on today on my photos. The continued interest in keeping analogue photography alive is heartening to see. I wish I had a dollar for every time someone asks me "why Polaroid?" It can be messy, expensive and completely unpredictable but when you get a good batch of film and the lighting and conditions are right - it's magic...
Thanks to Pankha for the invitation to be on your wonderful blog.

"Alter Ego"

Polaroid 180 camera

Expired 669 film

I'm also happy to see the Impossible Project have finally released the new version of the black & white Spectra film...looking forward to many new experiments..

Sophia in black & white

Spectra SE

PZ600 Film 

Transparency - image reversed

12.12 Article Translation & Transparency Experiment

Today I wanted to say thank you to all of the people who help me on my PolaQuest (yes, let's call it that!). To the friends and family who model for me, to the people who come to the shows Marcelo & I sell at, to my friends, family and kind strangers who say complimentary things about my work. To my patient husband who is my in-house graphic designer and critic, I couldn't do this without your support. 
Recently, an article about the 12.12 project was published on a German site called Kwerfeldein and I was lucky enough to have a talented friend kindly translate it to English for me. See below for the translated version.

Tina - this one is for you...

"Harmony"

SLR680 Camera PX600 Silver Shade Film

Transparency on Watercolour paper

A Project Travels Around the World

Perhaps it was on a mild spring day, in March of 2013, that Penny Felts, who loves her instant camera with a passion and always carries it with her, suddenly realized she was running out of ideas.

Fortunately she had over time been able to build a large network of photographers who, like her, did not consider their instant cameras simply as an (inanimate) object but as a kind of magic wand whenever it is pointed at her or other people.

So why not get together and work on a common project? The lonely hunt for that special magic magic moment can at times be too much of a strain on anyone’s creativity, as she had just discovered herself.

She invited eleven women from around the world to embark on a journey with her. No clear definition of the mode of travel or of the destination had emerged at this point, but all agreed to team up for the ride.

They decided that the journey should last exactly twelve months and that each month would have its own theme. Each of the twelve travel companions selected a theme for one of the twelve months and then set to work on producing a photograph.

First it was the the turn of Tennessee-based Penny Felts. Starting off the series with her choice of “Surrealism,” she had to deliver the first picture before everyone else was allowed to work on their project and present their own interpretations of the same theme.

The others followed with their choices of “Silence,” “Transition,” “Stranger,” and “Light” in the summer months. In the autumn they added “Mystery,” “Reflection,” and “Hysteria.” Winter was filled with “Bloom” and “Childhood.” The last month of the journey was titled “Connection.”

Of course this type of project is not a new idea, but the task was made more difficult by the chosen technique. Instant films are expensive, and if the photographer’s ambition is not simply to rely on the already artistic appearance of instant photographs, a certain degree of invention is required: no digital manipulation was permitted.

The creative solutions, or work-arounds, developed by the partipants are quite astonishing.

Penny Felts’ rendition of “Surrealism”, for instance, shows a couple under two large hands which are in the process of dropping the contents of a raw egg on their heads. The humour and the ambiguity contained in the image gave me some considerable food for thought. Another exciting image is Rachael Baez’ interpretation of “Bloom.”

The best possible use was made of all available, non-digital options: there was cutting and pasting, double exposure and layering, all of which are classic analog techniques.

In May of 2013 the women eventually garnered the support of the Impossible Project, who donated instant film vouchers for each participant, thus taking care, at least in part, of the annoying cost factor, freeing the protagonists to focus on the subject and their interpretation of it.

The project gained in momentum, with the Impossible Project blog dedicating not one but several articles to individual participants and their work.

Among them, incidentally, was Agafia Polynchuk, who gave us an insight into her work here at Kwerfeldein. She began the penultimate month with her chosen theme of “Childhood.”

A year has now passed since the original idea was conceived. It has been a year of high points and low points, of being torn between confusion and comprehension – all those things that become an issue whenever a group of people must find ways of working together. When asked how she was feeling one year on and whether she had recovered from her creative block, Penny Felts responded,

“In a way I’m sad that the project is now coming to an end, and I’m thinking about asking the girls if anyone of them would be interested in trying a second year. I’ve enjoyed it tremendously; working on (looking forward to) a new theme each month has been an exciting adventure.

Some of the themes were very difficult for me, and I found that in some cases I couldn’t create the image that I wanted. But yes, the project has given me everything I’ve been hoping for.

Each month I’d be faced with a new creative challenge, which in turn improved my other photographic projects. As an added bonus I had the pleasure of working with all the other fantastic women in this group.

To crown the project with an appropriately grand conclusion, there will be two exhibitions: the first in Paris, 15 May-12 June at EN FACE, the second in Berlin, 15 July-14 September, at the INSTALAND instant film shop/store.

Those of you who cannot make it to either venue, please check out the 12.12 blog, where all the pictures are on display. There is also a Facebook page so you won’t have to miss anything.

I would like to thank Rhiannon Adam, Rachael Baez, Penny Felts, Maritza de la Vega, Carmen de Vos, Marion Lanciaux, Emilie Lefellc, Amanda Mason, Agafia Polynchuk, Sarah Seene, Emilie Trouillet, and Kat White for their extraordinary work and for their permission to feature them here on our site.

Translation Copyright © 2014 Tina Jerke

Getting ready for the 2014 MCA Zine Fair

Only 4 more sleeps until the annual Museum of Contemporary Art Zine Fair...
Have finally been to get the covers printed and now have to put it all together (hello big stapler!). If you are in the Sydney area on Sunday I will be there selling my postcards, A4 prints, greeting cards and my new Zine. Marcelo will also be there selling his comics and prints. It's at 11am - 4pm at 140 George Street, Sydney.

I've also been submitting new photos to 'Roid Week 2014 on flickr - click here to see some new shots.

12.12 Submission for March - Connection & other exciting things....

It's been a whole 12 months since the wonderful Penny Felts contacted me and asked me to join her and 11 other women in what would be a very life changing photographic project. I've been challenged in the best possible way, both creatively and emotionally, to do things I didn't think I could. I've also made 11 new friends - incredibly talented women from around the world. It's been a great 12 months being a part of something inspiring, so this blog post is about celebrating that. I'm also sad to say I won't be continuing on with the project for the second year, but I wish the women who are, all the best. We have an upcoming exhibition in Paris, and a forthcoming book (more on that later!)

"Rainbow Connection"

SLR680 camera

(PX600 Cool Film)

Transparency overlay on paper

Details of our first 12.12 exhibition in Paris

Tasmania Polaroids - Freycinet and Sleepy Bay

In September/October last year Marcelo and I visited Tasmania which has been a dream of ours for a long time. It is such a beautiful place, with lots of wide open spaces and clean air. This is part one of my photos (more to come) of some of the natural landscapes - including Freycinet and Sleepy Bay. We hiked to see the famous Wineglass Bay but a storm hit and obscured our view with fog. These shots are of the East Coast of the little Apple Isle and were all taken on the same day, which gives you some idea of the weather. (Click on the image to enlarge).

12.12 Submission for February - Childhood

I hadn't originally intended for this photo to be my submission for this theme but I kept going back to it after I'd taken it. It's a beach I don't often go to but I'm glad I did - it was a perfect warm and glowing summer afternoon when I spotted this father and child. 
I was also lucky enough to win Shot of the Day on Polanoid on March 31st.

Golden Days Gone By

SLR680 camera 

(PX680 Film)

12.12 Submission for January - Bloom

The theme of Bloom was chosen by me....here's why.....

I've taken up growing plants and marveled at how beautiful and mysterious they are. Despite all of my best intentions, some survived and flourished and others didn't. The same can be said about people - not only in a physical way, but when a person is happy, fulfilled and leads their life with love, hope and purpose, they bloom.

"Florescence"

Top photo - SLR680 (PX680 film)

Bottom photo - Spectra SE (PZ680 film)

Getting ready for the RAW Festival

I've been super busy of late getting things ready for the RAW Festival that is being held in my home town of Wollongong...only 10 more days to go until the big day!
My prints, greeting cards and postcards are ready...and here is a preview of what I'll be selling...

If you'd like to check it out, it's at Wollongong Town Hall on Friday 31st of January from 7:30pm until midnight. There will be bands, a fashion show, performing arts, visual arts and lots more...There is also a bar so it's an over 18's event. If you'd like to buy tickets through me, they are $15 each or $20 each on the night (at the door). Click on the RAW link on the right for more details...