
One of several limitations of the current crop of SX-70 films is their sensitivity to temperature. Taking a picture below 13°C could result in a dark, muddy image with a blue/green cast and lacking contrast. Technically, the developer “goo” that spreads across the image as it is ejected from the camera is, more likely than not, to spread unevenly, creating white splotches, spidery lines and/or a snowy field of white specks on the finished picture.
Which is a dilemma if you live in Winnipeg, Canada as I do, where the winter lasts at least ffive months and the temperatures can dip into the minus 20s and 30s Celsius for days on end.
Packing my beautiful Polaroid folding SX-70 camera in a camera bag and waiting for summer to return, is not an option. I need to find a way that allows me successfully make a Polaroid picture in the midst of a cold prairie winter.
What follows is a video outlining what works for me and a few pictures taken using my cold weather technique.
Photo taken at -7° C. Pink-tinted whites are common with current SX-70 films. Demonstration photo as shown in the video. This version, measured with the Pentax Spotmeter V exposure meter, was taken at 1/500 shutter speed to achieve a nice white snow in the foreground. A second version of the photo above taken at 1/1000 shutter speed (-1 EV) sacrifices the white snow for better-exposed houses in the background. Photo taken at +1° C. Photo taken at -2° C. This low contrast scene is well-suited to the limited latitude of the film. Viewing the actual Polaroid print reveals much more depth and luminosity than possible in a scanned version, such as this. Photo taken at -2° C. Photo taken at -2° C. Photo taken at about -20° C. As the colour cast and assorted processing defects suggest, using Polaroid film at such a low temperature is not a good idea.
Technical Resources
Mint Camera: https://mint-camera.com
Polaroid’s cold weather tips: https://support.polaroid.com/hc/en-us/articles/115012361067-How-does-temperature-affect-Polaroid-film-
Leave a Reply