20x24 Polaroid on CNN

A great viddie on the 20x24 Polaroid camera that shows Jennifer Trausch setting it up, Julian Schnabel at work in his studio, and interviews Mary Ellen Marks.

Jennifer Trausch: 20x24 Polaroid Camera

Photo Credit: Jennifer Trausch, Marquitta Tyrell & William Bookerhill at Cal's Place, 20x24" Polaroid, 2010

I stumbled on to Jennifer Trausch's work through the 20x24 Studio site and was really impressed. In these images she is taking a 20x24" view camera out into the field and making documentary photographs of people and places in the southern United States.

Since 2003 Trausch has been the Director of Photography at the 20x24 Studio in New York City, so she is one of a few people in the world that really knows that camera. Still, taking it into the field is an amazing feat for anyone. Here is how the blog describes the adventure.

Known primarily as an indoor studio camera that uses high powered electronic strobes as its light source, the 20×24 camera is capable of location work. It requires a very large truck, substantial support equipment to protect and stabilize the machine outdoors, but more importantly an understanding of the camera’s capabilities and even more crucial understanding of the film’s response to rapidly changing light conditions. Trausch’s experience with the camera put her in a unique position to exploit the potential of ultra large format photography on location and minimize the disasters ...

Trausch seems small standing next to the camera which weighs 235 pounds and requires a hydraulic lift to get it on and off the truck. A camera this size has a normal focal length lens of 794mm, so there is no such thing as a quick exposure even in full sun. Yet at times her images look as if they were shot in an instant. I love her description of shooting a fairground in Mississippi:

A few workers arrived and we asked for permission to shoot at the fair that night. We always stand out a little, the camera was hard to hide. Everyone seemed concerned with the way their town would be depicted. There was always a general suspicion of us, two female new york artists, traveling with our giant camera and rugged truck. We told them about ourselves and about the history of the camera hoping to gain their trust. We started to prepare the camera, attaching the lens and loading the rolls of film, unsure whether we were truly welcome.  When we started to lower the camera to the ground on the liftgate, the motor quickly smoked and stopped. The camera was stuck up in the truck and we would not be able to shoot.  Before we could drive away, we were approached by a group of police officers and firefighters who offered to lift the heavy camera down for us. Suddenly in the midst of our trouble, there was a willingness to have us stay.

And to think, I'm shy about walking up to a stranger with a DSLR!

After looking at all the photographs from this body of work, I went to her website and thoroughly enjoyed her project Skateland also. When I was a kid, I spent a great deal of time at a place called Skateland on the south side of Wichita. These photos remind me so much of that time period, I can almost hear the cheesy music!

Slide show of Jennifer Trausch's, The South, and article

Slide show of location photographs by  Kimberlee Venable, more info, and cool pic of Jennifer at the camera

Slide show of Jennifer Trausch's, Skateland

Slide show of the 20x24" Polaroid camera on location