DISCOVER PHOTOGRAPHY with
Instax square
The art of photography “One Shot, One Kill”
Instant photography is a creative challenge that brings with it a particular charm. In an age where the digital offers the possibility to take hundreds of photos in a few minutes, the snapshot brings the photographer back to the essence of capturing the moment and reading the light.
There is no room for mistakes, because each shot is final and unedited.
Personally, I chose to cultivate this technique using unique tools such as the LomoGraflok 4×5 back adapted to my self-built optical bench and the recent Instaflex TL70 Plus, a bioptic camera that allows you to take square shots of 6×6 cm Instax.
The Fascination of the Optical Bench with the LomoGraflok 4×5
The LomoGraflok 4×5 back for Fujifilm Instax instant films is a brilliant solution developed by Lomography for large format enthusiasts. I adapted this back to my self-built optical bench, thus combining the precision of large format photography with the spontaneity of the snapshot. This type of photography requires not only great attention to detail, but also patience and meticulous preparation. Using the optical bench allows me to control focus, perspective and composition with extreme precision, taking each shot to a higher level.
The idea of working with instant film in a context traditionally associated with long exposures and complex details is a very stimulating experience. There is no possibility to correct the shot in post-production: every single variable, from light to focus distance, must be accurately calibrated.
The result is a unique and unrepeatable photograph, with that touch of authenticity that only analogue photography can offer.
Experimenting with the Instaflex TL70 Plus
Another new addition to my collection is the Instaflex TL70 Plus, a bioptic camera that uses Instax Square films. This 6×6 cm format is perfect for those who love the classic square “look” of traditional analog photography.
The Instaflex TL70 Plus is unique in its kind: it offers the possibility to control the aperture and to use a bioptic lens for a creative control that is rarely found in the world of snapshots.
Even with the Instaflex TL70 Plus, instant photography is far from easy. The nominal ISO value declared by Fujifilm for these films is 800, but in reality it often settles around 1250 ISO, making exposure management a real challenge, especially under variable light conditions.
This makes me think carefully about each shot, measuring the light accurately and choosing the aperture with great precision. The charm of instant photography is in it: every shot is a moment of pure creative engagement, an opportunity to test yourself.
The really interesting part of this camera is its compact size. The only other way I would have to check the photograph in such detail would be to shoot with the optical bench which, for most of the time, is prohibitive.
In this way I can test myself with street photography, portrait photography, even in the studio, and landscape photography being able to control all the fundamental parameters.
If it were not for the cost, definitely engage you, would be recommended to anyone who wants to approach photography seriously, learning all the fundamentals that too often modern photographers practically ignore.
