Portrait of Tuan Bui holding one of his rare, marvelous, modified large-format (4×5″) cameras with a large lens and a Polaroid holder on the back of it, at PolaCon NYC 2024. Tuan is a professional photographer with a fantastic creative/art focus in his personal work, whom I had the pleasure of meeting at last year’s PolaCon event.

After greeting him, chatting briefly, then watching him make a portrait (see below), I asked Tuan to pose for me with his camera against a plain white wall. The photo came out a little over-exposed, but still nice… Be sure to check out and enjoy Tuan’s Instagram feed!

Subject: Tuan Bui / @lightcomesthrough
Location: Worthless Studios, Bushwick, Brooklyn
Camera: Polaroid SLR 680SE (vintage)
Film: Polaroid 600 Color (New, expired 2022)
Photographer: Russ Murray

Tuan Bui in action:

Making a portrait of Jean-Louis Steevenson using a modified, vintage large-format camera and lens, hoping for results from a very old, expired (2008!!) pack of PolaColor Pro 100 4×5 instant film. Shot on iPhone as Tuan worked — love the shadow on the wall!

The peeling video:

Sadly, as Tuan and I discovered, that 18-year-old PolaColor Pro 100 — which may or may not have been refrigerated sufficiently, if ever in its life — could no longer produce a good exposure…

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The second PolaCon NYC 2024 event, sponsored by Polaroid, was held from May 17th — 19th, primarily at Worthless Studios in the Bushwick neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York. I went on Saturday the 18th and had a great time learning, playing with gear, meeting old friends, making new ones, and shooting a bunch of instant photos!

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See you tomorrow… 

// russ murray