heating film for different effects?

[Sean]

I am currently without a camera -gasp!

I was thinking of doing a little abstract project with a disposable "plastic lens" camera to hold me over until my main gear is up and running. I don't want them to be run of the mill snaps so am looking to get a surreal look. Some things that come to mind are to put a slight smear around the perimeter of the lens, and heating up the film so the colors shift. Has anyone experimented with anything like this? Would probably just use a standard 400speed disposable. Thanks

 

[garryl]

try a search of the old 70's Popular Photography magazines. People would take matches and lighter to their slides and try to pass them off as color abstract art. But it is a great way to get rid of old slides.

 

[bmac]

I think you are really going to need to heat the film if you want a change. I had one of those toss away cams in my glovebox for a couple of years. I had the snaps developed after getting rear ended last year. I could notice no change in color from the typical Kodak gold colors. Just a thought.

 

[Thomassauerwein]

Take the film prosessed normally and put in fix for 30 hours it will crack the emulsion and make it look like the image was shot on a dry river bed.

 

[Cheryl Jacobs]

Sean, try doing something REALLY odd like taping a loupe to the front of the cam over the lens to distort it, or maybe taping on some funky filters. I had some fun with it while I was on a biz trip with no camera and some spare time.

 

[steve]

I can tell you one thing NOT to do. I tried heating film by putting it in a microwave. It just doesn't work.

 

[glbeas]

You might also try a semi pinhole effect, take foil and poke a pinhole in it, tape it over the lens with the pinhole part pushed in close to the lens. Then you shoot close in, like a foot or so using the flash on the camera. You can get some odd looking shots. Multiple pinholes can make for another unusual look.

 

[Sean]

thanks for all the suggestions guys

 

[Nige]

you could try pointing the plastic lens into the sun (you've got some of that over there, haven't you? ) and experiment with flare! I bought my son a $2 plastic camera for a toy but we put a few rolls of B&W thru it and it has recorded some outragous flare (in his hands... I've tried using it for that reason and failed)

 

[Ole]

Nige, maybe you forgot to put fingerprints on the lens before shooting? That's a surefire way to disappointing flare .

 

[Nige]

hehe! that may be the trick!