Instant Successes: Volunteer Park Water Tower

     Few things work their way into my photos as frequently as utilitarian, man-made structures.  Have I mentioned I love them?  Yes, I have.  Got some bricks?  I'm taking some pics.  That's my motto.  I just made that up right now, but I already promise never to say it or write it again.  Another thing I like is Polaroid's theobromine-infused pack film, Chocolate 100.  This is essentially tinted black & white film, and makes for some very interesting photos.  As the name implies, the pictures come out in shades of brown, making shadows shadowier and skies a creamy cacao color.  This film makes scenes look like depression era snapshots, and I absolutely love it.  Polaroid made two other colors in the same "line" of pack film: Sepia, and Blue.  The Blue film uses the textured silk paper, which I wrote about briefly here, and I have had great success with it.  The Sepia, on the other hand, has been hard to work with for me.  I may have just had a hard time getting used to the light settings and the development time, but everything came out too light.  My personal preference, though, has been Chocolate.

     Can you even tell what year this was taken?  The Volunteer Park Water Tower looks as stunning as ever, but that silvery-blue conifer really steals the spotlight.  I love trees, I love brick, and I love Chocolate 100.  Winning combo, every time.

Volunteer Park Water Tower
Taken with Polaroid 350 Land Camera on Polaroid Chocolate 100

     Sorry for the pink border.  Cheap scanner.

     FYI, Chocolate is out of stock on Impossible Project, but Sepia is available for now.  Give it a try!  You can also follow these links to some pretty great examples of what the film can do in the hands of some real professionals (or hobbyists that are more talented than I am).