Author Topic: Haute Couture: The Polaroids of Cathleen Naundorf (Read 9975 times)

Ed Wenn · « **on:** January 05, 2015, 11:52:15 PM »

I was at a friends' house yesterday and he showed me his copy of "Haute Couture: The Polaroids of Cathleen Naundorf". I haven't been too attentive to goings on in the world of photography for a few years now, so i wasn't all that surpised that her name and work were both new to me, but BOY was I impressed with what I saw; especially given that the subject matter isn't exactly something that piques my curiosity in and of itself.

From a technical perspective I suspect this book will appeal in the main to any fellow exponents of the 'messed-up-looking' Instant film print, but the LF community might enjoy them too. Outside of that, it could depend on whether photos of models is your thing, but I think the work is easily strong enough to transcend both its subject matter and the photographer's chosen style of presentation. Taken as a whole the book is pretty bloody marvellous.

Here's and article about the book which I found but haven't yet read (the article, not the book):

http://www.anothermag.com/current/view/2050/Haute_Couture_The_Polaroids_of_Cathleen_Naundorf

Also, the photographer's Web site: http://www.cathleennaundorf.com/

Ed Wenn · « **Reply #1 on:** January 06, 2015, 12:01:59 AM »

Wow! Just did some checking and it seems she's still taking this stuff...which is weird given the low stocks/availability of her chosen film type. Good for her.

moominsean · « **Reply #2 on:** January 06, 2015, 04:13:55 AM »

interesting. some look like transfers. not really sure how she gets such good color since most 4x5 at this point is blue. wonder how much digital manipulation is involved, if any (or maybe she has some special developing process). she may have a large stash of film. i know a few people that have a fridge full of 4x5 polaroid. or maybe it's 8x10 (though that's like $500 a box). it looks like different film types though most don't really look like natural polaroid color.

i do see on her site what looks like an 8x10 camera. i always wonder about the larger polaroid films (like the giants sheets), if someone actually makes some by hand.

Late Developer · « **Reply #3 on:** January 06, 2015, 08:37:37 AM »

Whatever the answers are to the questions posed, the end certainly seems to justify the means. Really nice to see proper Polaroid - however produced / manipulated - compared to the pale (literally) imitation available these days.

Ed Wenn · « **Reply #4 on:** January 06, 2015, 10:34:37 AM »

Sean: The blurb in the book stated that she uses no digital manipulation other than taking scans of the prints, but I agree with you about not knowing exactly how she ends up with that look. I spent a long time thinking it through and am still not sure how she does it. For a while I thought she might have been scanning an inverting the goop side because that gives you those yellows and some of the artefacts/tears/scratches could be explained that way, but you can clearly see paper tears too on the same shots, so that would suggest they're proper prints and not goop scans.

Some of her more recent shots are very blue, though, so maybe the ones in the book I saw were shot a few years ago? Either way, that book is worth hunting down because it's huge and there are a LOT of photos in it.

Francois · « **Reply #5 on:** January 06, 2015, 01:35:31 PM »

I know Impossible now makes 8x10 film... It could be that... Though their film is based on their integral films.
I wonder if ripping open one of these films once developed would give a similar look?

I must say it looks very nice indeed.

gothamtomato · « **Reply #6 on:** January 06, 2015, 03:07:41 PM »

OMG! I have to have a copy of this book!!! (And I told myself I was going to have a moratorium on buying new photography book! grrr....)

gothamtomato · « **Reply #7 on:** January 06, 2015, 03:08:19 PM »

Quote from: Francois on January 06, 2015, 01:35:31 PM

I know Impossible now makes 8x10 film... It could be that... Though their film is based on their integral films.

I've nevr seen an Impossible film that had such good color.

Indofunk · « **Reply #8 on:** January 06, 2015, 03:46:46 PM »

Stunning work. As has been stated, the ends justify the means, whatever those means are

Verian · « **Reply #9 on:** January 06, 2015, 03:48:11 PM »

They are rather lovely.

Bryan · « **Reply #10 on:** January 06, 2015, 04:27:15 PM »

She's using a Polaroid 545 4x5 film holder in this video so she must have a good stock of film:

Cathleen Naundorf photographs 1930s French couture at the V&A on Vimeo

Every picture looks like a scan of the negative so she is likely doing some color enhancement. For all we know she could be colorizing black and white film. They do look great.

imagesfrugales · « **Reply #11 on:** January 06, 2015, 05:05:10 PM »

Wow, there's a lot of expertise convened in her pictures. Besides her photographic skills other equally important things like locations, couture and makeup are outstanding. Great stagings.

hookstrapped · « **Reply #12 on:** January 06, 2015, 05:40:27 PM »

Love the color palette and textures.

LT · « **Reply #13 on:** January 06, 2015, 06:39:38 PM »

Wonderful pictures.

Ed Wenn · « **Reply #14 on:** January 07, 2015, 10:06:04 AM »

If nothing else, I'm slightly gratified that none of you (it would seem) had comes across this book before. I must admit I was pretty stunned when I was shown it and my first thought was, "BOY have been out of the game for a long time!" as I'd never even heard of the photographer.

BTW, I can't seem to find the book for sale online in the UK, so if anyone finds a stash, please let me know. I may have time to pop to the shops tomorrow, so will probably try the Photographers' Gallery & maybe the Tate Modern bookshop.

Ed Wenn · « **Reply #15 on:** January 07, 2015, 10:11:51 AM »

Quote from: BAC1967 on January 06, 2015, 04:27:15 PM

Every picture looks like a scan of the negative so she is likely doing some color enhancement. For all we know she could be colorizing black and white film. They do look great.

Hmmm, at least for the images in her book (the content of which is probably 30% b/w and 70% colour) the introductory essay specifically says she doesn't manipulate her images digitally at all - other than scanning them - and I think that they would have mentioned hand-tinting if that's what she was doing because the essay discussed the technical aspect of her work...unless the essay is there to lead us away from the real process

Ed Wenn · « **Reply #16 on:** January 07, 2015, 10:28:51 AM »

Boom! Looks like we have an answer. I just found this article talking about her shoot at the V&A (see video above) http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/exhibitions/exhibition-horst-photographer-of-style/video-cathleen-naundorf-photographs-1930s-french-couture-at-the-v-and-a/ which contains the following paragraph:

"Naundorf works predominantly with a large-format camera (Deardorff or Plaubel) using Polaroid and Fuji instant film, a complex process compared with the digital technology that many of her contemporaries favour. Watching her work is thrilling: she shoots fast, flitting between colour and black-and-white film, and her advance planning means she knows precisely the mood that each picture should conjure. Sometimes she will interrupt the development process and transfer a Polaroid image to textured matt paper. The technique produces the seductive painterly effects and ghostly hues that have become her signature."

Verian · « **Reply #17 on:** January 07, 2015, 11:25:52 AM »

I checked the current Prestel Catalogue (the publishers) and it isn't in there, so it appears to be out of print even though only released in 2012. Probably why it is £200 on amazon. Original price was around $50 I think.

imagesfrugales · « **Reply #18 on:** January 07, 2015, 11:32:28 AM »

The book is currently not in stock at german Amazon for the regular Price of 49,95 Eur, but you can buy it for 200 or 250 Eur

Amazon Italia does list it used for 975 or 1023 Eur

The edition seems to be sold out. About 10 german university libraries do have it in stock, but none close to my place

If it should help, ISBN are:
ISBN-10: 3791351559
ISBN-13: 978-3791351551

Chalky · « **Reply #19 on:** January 07, 2015, 01:00:34 PM »

Glad that was cleared up - I was thinking how she did it too,some was clearly type55 and others looked like 59/79, but some looked almost as if they were peeled then put back together - but some really didn't look like classic polaroid film at all, but now we know

looks like a lovely book, abebooks.com is always worth a look but it is not cheap on there!

gothamtomato · « **Reply #20 on:** January 07, 2015, 01:42:01 PM »

Quote from: imagesfrugales on January 07, 2015, 11:32:28 AM

The book is currently not in stock at german Amazon for the regular Price of 49,95 Eur, but you can buy it for 200 or 250 Eur Amazon Italia does list it used for 975 or 1023 Eur

The edition seems to be sold out. About 10 german university libraries do have it in stock, but none close to my place

If it should help, ISBN are:
ISBN-10: 3791351559
ISBN-13: 978-3791351551

Do thos universities have it for sale? Or just to borrow? I did some searching yesterday and everywhere I'm seeing it, it is selling for between $300 - $450. I did actually find one in a used book shop for less but it was in bad condition; the cover was faded and marked and the pages inside were starting to discolor around the edges. I'd really love one but I don't think I can justify spending that much (especially when I need to save up to replace my broken down jalopy of a car). $:-\$

Francois · « **Reply #21 on:** January 07, 2015, 02:40:18 PM »

I also checked indigo books and it's the same thing...
Though they have someone in their used section selling his for 230$ Canadian.
If anyone wants to get one, it's probably the cheapest.

Verian · « **Reply #22 on:** January 07, 2015, 03:27:46 PM »

I have found it here: http://www.supremebooks.com/ but anybody outside US/Canada will need a friendly person in the US/Canada to order it and ship it to them as they don't deliver to Europe.

Edit: it's $52

gothamtomato · « **Reply #23 on:** January 07, 2015, 06:42:00 PM »

Quote from: Verian on January 07, 2015, 03:27:46 PM

I have found it here: http://www.supremebooks.com/ but anybody outside US/Canada will need a friendly person in the US/Canada to order it and ship it to them as they don't deliver to Europe.

Edit: it's $52

As soon as I saw this this morning, I contacted them and ordered the book. But I got an email back saying they don't have it and I wasn't charged.

Jeff Warden · « **Reply #24 on:** January 07, 2015, 07:31:59 PM »

Thanks Ed! Lovely work.

Late Developer · « **Reply #25 on:** January 07, 2015, 07:41:36 PM »

This isn't the book but it might be of interest.....
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Magazine-Autumn-Winter-2014-EVAEX/dp/B00FKC75NI?SubscriptionId=AKIAIXMCBZWUOROXOPDQ&tag=living30-21&linkCode=xm2&camp=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=B00FKC75NI&ascsubtag=living3000.co.uk|CPjmqYTRgsMCFYKWtAod8yQAQA

Verian · « **Reply #26 on:** January 07, 2015, 08:07:22 PM »

Quote from: gothamtomato on January 07, 2015, 06:42:00 PM

Quote from: Verian on January 07, 2015, 03:27:46 PM
I have found it here: http://www.supremebooks.com/ but anybody outside US/Canada will need a friendly person in the US/Canada to order it and ship it to them as they don't deliver to Europe.

Edit: it's $52

As soon as I saw this this morning, I contacted them and ordered the book. But I got an email back saying they don't have it and I wasn't charged.

That's a shame, it was the only one i could find and i looked at lots.

Harvey · « **Reply #27 on:** January 07, 2015, 08:37:00 PM »

Also listed here http://www.hoepli.it/ with a 5% discount. My Italian isn't great but it appears to let me add it to a basket!

imagesfrugales · « **Reply #28 on:** January 07, 2015, 08:37:17 PM »

Quote from: gothamtomato on January 07, 2015, 01:42:01 PM

Do thos universities have it for sale? Or just to borrow?

Only borrow.

Ed Wenn · « **Reply #29 on:** January 10, 2015, 09:28:52 PM »

Despite being frustrated that the book seems to have sold out, it's actually pretty awesome that a photography book HAS actually sold out of its first print run. I remember feeling a mixture of ecstatic and depressed when I picked up a brand new first edition of the James Fee book (a 6000 print run) from Amazon UK years after its publication date.

gothamtomato · « **Reply #30 on:** January 15, 2015, 01:18:34 PM »

I think most of these high-end books do sell out because their print runs are very small (and this one was a cross-collectable because the pictures are about fashion). It seems that collecting these types of photography books is good investment. I have a shelf full of photography books that I bought for $50 - $70, and I now see them being listed for hundreds of dollars. Of course, I can't take advantage of that by parting with them. Maybe the thing to do is always buy two books: One to keep and one to sell later

irv_b · « **Reply #31 on:** January 15, 2015, 07:53:32 PM »

Those a truly beautiful shots, that she has achieved- ok the models help but the vision is what stands out for me! Thanks for the link Ed.

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Author Topic: Haute Couture: The Polaroids of Cathleen Naundorf (Read 9975 times)