The 20×24 Studio announces today that studio and production operations will continue through 2019. Previous plans to end operations at the end of 2017 were changed when improvements this summer in reagent recipes and production procedures substantially improved the performance of the remaining film stock. “The film itself has always remained in very good condition” according to John Reuter. “The aging chemicals have been the main problem but the replacing of some and alterations in recipes and process have allowed us to continue to provide a viable product.” The negative remains in cold storage and positive rolls in a climate controlled space.

“We are negotiating for some exciting projects in the US and abroad and will continue to make the camera available through our New York Studio.” says Reuter. “The encouragement from our existing customers and supporters has prompted us to put renewed effort into making this venerable technology available. It is however a finite amount of material and will not last indefinitely so we encourage those interested in the ultimate large format instant experience to contact us during this year. There may be new instant films in the future but our focus right now is continuing to make this beautiful original film made by Polaroid available as long as possible”.

The Click! Photo Festival in Raleigh Durham, North Carolina brought the 20×24 camera down from New York City to be the close of the month long festival.  Organized by Ray Pfeiffer, the festival made the camera available to local photographers and artists, who rented the camera in one hour blocks.  From friends and family to figure studies the images taken at the festival will be enduring documents produced by a legendary analog technology in its final years.  The camera and film are still available and rentals can be arranged in its home city of New York or travel projects like the Click! Festival can be arranged.

THE MYTHICAL BEAST MAKES AN APPEARANCE AT CLICK!

Click! is proud to offer the very rare opportunity to use the Giant Polaroid Camera in its last year of operation. The 20″ x 24″ camera will be in residence at Anchorlight in Raleigh from Oct. 27-29th. The 20×24 history runs deep with artists such as Chuck Close, Mary Ellen Mark, William Wegman, David Levinthal, Andy Warhol, Julien Schnabel, Joyce Tennyson, Robert Rauschenberg, Timothy Greenfield-Sanders and many more and now you too can use the mythical beast.  http://www.clicktrianglephoto.org/big-polaroid-camera/

THE 20X24 CAMERA

This is an absolutely once in a lifetime opportunity! Something you’ll be telling your grandchildren and great grandchildren about. You’ll be the envy of all your friends and neighbors. To travel to one of the 3 remaining cities to use the camera or be photographed by the camera, would take days and cost thousands. And that’s assuming there would be time and materials remaining.

For two days during the Click! Festival, the camera is coming to Raleigh and you can work with it for a fraction of the cost to travel and use it. The clock on the opportunity to live the 20×24 experience is literally ticking away…
HOW THIS WORKS:

Reserving your camera time: Camera slots are available in two-hour increments. You may purchase as much time as you feel you can use, but please don’t be greedy. We’d like as many people as possible to have the 20×24 experience.

Payment: A down payment equal to one-half (1/2) of the total amount for the time reserved is due when your time slot is booked. The remaining balance is due by the date of your shoot. Payment for your exposed film is due at the end of your session. Pricing is listed on the reservation page here: (Link). On the day of your session, we are only able to accept: cash, Visa, or Master Card. Please, no checks unless prior arrangements have been made. Payments may be made here.

Because of the unique nature of the 20×24 experience, we are unable to refund down-payments for balances not paid by October 1st. However, unlike airlines that are inflexible and unyielding, with Click! your reservation is transferable. If you have a friend or colleague that would like to take your spot they may do so. Please notify us by email prior to October 1st. Balances due must still be paid by October 1st.

Reservations may be changed on a space available basis. Please email us for availability. If you are unable to attend your session, your reservation is transferrable. Just notify us by email prior to your scheduled session time.

Failure to adhere to any of the guidelines as stated above, will result in the forfeiture of any monies paid, and your reservation will be cancelled.

Cancellation: While every effort will be made to honor all reservations, should the camera, for any reason, not be available for the times reserved, the Click! Festivals entire liability to any patron for any breech of this agreement, claim, loss, or injury arising from the performance of machine or materials shall be limited to a refund of monies paid. Believe us, if something goes wrong, we’ll be even more disappointed than you will.

We can’t stress it enough. Once the camera leaves, it will never return. This is an opportunity you just can’t pass up. So don’t! Use the link below to reserve your spot now, before it’s too late. We know you’ll thank us later.

The 20×24 Studio announced in June of 2016 that it will be ending production operations near the end of 2017. The company has been operating with film stock purchased in 2009 from Polaroid Corporation as it exited the film business. Executive Director John Reuter, who began working for Polaroid in 1978 stated that “our original business plan was for five years with the inventory purchased and for a variety of reasons we have not worked through the material. Instant film will not last forever and despite storing the film stock in cold storage and mixing the chemical reagent only as needed the studio projects that they can maintain the quality for two more years.” “Our hope now is that we can work on some great projects with many of our legacy clients as well as new artists who have yet to experience the ultimate in instant analog image making,” says Reuter. The Polaroid 20×24 camera stands apart from all other large format experiences because it delivers an instant finished photograph. The artist is able to react to the subject matter in a manner unlike any other photographic experience. Digital technology may rival it in resolution and instant playback but it cannot match the experience of having the final complete artwork on the wall in ninety seconds for all to see. The team of John Reuter, Nafis Azad and Ted McLelland has worked together for nearly ten years to provide access to this venerable technology. Together the three of them are working to produce the finished product that over a dozen people once accomplished at Polaroid.

http://www.clicktrianglephoto.org/big-polaroid-camera/

Legendary artist Joyce Tenneson recounts her look back at the Polaroid 20×24 images she created from the late 80’s through the early 2000’s. Exploring her archive once again has revealed images not chosen at the time of creation but that now have special meaning to her after this passage of time. These images will be collected in a new book and in an exhibit at Dowling Walsh Gallery at 365 Main Street, Rockland, Maine in July of 2016. John Reuter, who worked with Joyce to produce the images on the 20×24 camera interviews her for this intimate look at the “Unseen Polaroids”.

Joyce Tenneson: Unseen Polaroids from John Reuter on Vimeo.