Artist Note #34 - Polaroid ND Filters, Natural Dyes on Paper, and Collage - B. Y. Kim

Artist Note #34 – Polaroid ND Filters, Natural Dyes on Paper, and Collage

July 1, 2025

Polaroid Conversion

These days, I have been pretty lucky to acquire several Polaroid cameras – everything from an SX-70 to a few different ones that take 600 film. I have been reluctant to use them because the film is so expensive. I tried the SX-70 during the pandemic, but I couldn’t justify the costs to capture these snapshot moments. It didn’t feel right.

But as I have received a couple more, I’ve been inclined to go out with these clunky things on birthdays and graduation celebrations. TBH, I am not used to having to shoot with such low ISO and getting these in-the-moment shots like I can with my other smaller analog cameras.

They are fun, I admit.

So with a few sales and some coupons, I decided to buy 600 film and try again.

Polaroid Resources

Here are some links about using ND Filters, etc.

I came across a Polaroid Pronto B camera, which uses SX-70 film. I wanted to see if I could use an ND filter lens, which led me to a Thingiverse remake of a Polaroid OneStep+ filter adapter. I am waiting for my library to make this print, so I hope it will work.

If the adapter works, then I can follow the next step: Determine which ND filter density to add to the front of the lens. Based on this person’s recommendation on Flickr, I will try their recommendations:

Alternative Polaroid ND Filter:

Another Reddit user said the following: SX-70 film is ISO 160. To use 600 film in an SX-70 dedicated camera (such as the Pronto B!), you need to use an ND Filter +2 gel.

Natural Dyes on Paper

On another note, I have been thinking about dying paper. I tried my hand at making paper out of old receipts, which felt like ages ago. But something about using plant-based dyes to make a photographic print interested me. Perhaps it’s because I am trying to figure out cost-effective ways to teach image-making to the public. It’s how I worked out the DIY printmaking idea with the community in the spring, and now it’s time to think about what kind of art classes I can offer at the Oak Park Art League (OPAL).

Some videos showed people using tumeric to paint on an emulsion and leave out a contact print in the sun, similar to cyanotypes. Then I came across Rebecca Desnos’ website on natural dying on paper. It got me thinking about using other vegetables or whatever I have to experiment. I gotta work out the hiccups first and see if this is a viable option to teach something different at OPAL.

Natural Dye Plants: An Overview

Day 1 – AIR and Collage

It’s official.

I started making in the studio. Day 1. It’s nice and quiet today, and I was able to bring some more things and start cutting away at some National Geographic magazines from the 1980s and 1990s. I’ve been holding onto these magazines, which took up space in my dining room, collecting dust.

It’s only Day 1, and I have other ideas that need to be worked out… working on a schedule to plan out my days.

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