Host Kathi Cardinalli welcomes photographer Betsy Wyncoop, who demonstrates a technique for transferring self-developing photos to lampshades, vases and other decorative items.
Materials:
peel-off film
200-degree water (a wok works well for heating)
tongs
tray of cold water
lampshade
vase
piece of acetate
Steps:
- Take a photograph with self-developing peel film (Polaroid makes some).
- Peel off the photo and put it in the hot water, which will peel off the emulsion (the coating on the paper that makes it photo-sensitive).
- When the emulsion starts to bubble, remove it with the tongs and put it in a tray of cold water (figure A).
- While the photo is in the water, begin at a corner and use a fingernail to push on the paper to separate it from the emulsion (figure B). It is easy to tear the image, so be careful and push against the white paper rather than the top emulsion. Leave the emulsion in the water and throw away the white paper.
- Flip the emulsion upside down and slide the acetate piece under it while still underwater.
- Attach, face down, to the lampshade (rice paper works great). Just push the acetate on the shade, then peel the back off to leave the emulsion behind (figure C). If bubbles result, simply pop them with a craft knife. Adhesive is not necessary, and the photo will dry in about 15 minutes.
Tips
- Avoid trying to re-position the emulsion after it has been placed it on the lampshade.
- Another option is to transfer the photo to a sheet of paper and frame it for an interesting piece of art.
- The color of the lampshade will have a bearing on how clearly the photo shows up. The more neutral the color of the shade, the better the photo will appear.
- Be sure to use peel-off film, as opposed to a self-developing camera that just produces photos.
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