Ballet Series: The indescribable experience of shooting with a 20"X24" Polaroid camera with Douglas Dubler

12/26/2013 ISO 1200 Magazine 0 Comments

Years ago a Polaroid was the most similiar experience to a digital camera today. You only had to wait a seconds to see the final image. I remember that sensation like something magic, the same ballerina Rachelle di Stasio feels in this photoshoot.

Famed photographer Douglas Doubler [website] brings his talents to the 20x24 camera to photograph young ballerina Rachelle di Stasio at Go Studios [ facebook] in Manhattan.

Douglas Dubler explains more about this behind the scenes:

Borrowing the aesthetic from my shoot with ABT prima ballerina Irina Dvorovenko, I created that Dega-esque effect by using a hand painted backdrop from my friend Charles Broderson. Since the Polaroid material tends to be a little flatter in contrast I configured my Broncolor LightBars to give me a boost in contrast and at the same time the power (32,000 wt./sec) I needed to shoot the giant camera at f 45. We shot three different types of Polaroid film, 1 B&W and 2 color, choice being made to favor the subject.

This image is from a shoot I did last week with the 20"X24" Polaroid camera and my friend and acknowledged authority John Reuter. It was something I have been wanting to do for many years and am thrilled to have had the opportunity at last. As they say better late than never! It was a transformational experience for me in many ways and quite well suited to my meticulous photographic style. I then had my friend Larry Spevak at Colorburst Studio142 scan the original on his new Cruse scanner and now I have a file that looks as close to the original as I can imagine.

My model was the young, beautiful and talented Rachelle di Stasio with JKO school at American Ballet Theater in New York City. She did an amazing job of connecting with the camera while executing stunningly beautiful ballet movements. [via facebook]