Polaroid has posted a very interesting Reel on its Instagram (below), all about blue paste. And while that might not sound particularly riveting, this developer paste is a key part of how an instant camera works.
You see, just like Instax Mini film, the secret to Polaroid’s instant trickery isn’t really about the best instant camera, but the film itself. It plays a huge part in the instant results. Polaroid film comprises 12 different layers, with the instant camera giant explaining that each layer is “thinner than a human hair.” Yikes!
If you’re well versed in how to use an instant camera, you’ll know that the border around the film is thicker at the base – and this is where the developer paste is housed.
After the sheet of film has been exposed in the camera, it’s pushed through a pair of rollers before being ejected. These rollers break the seal, housing the developer paste, and spread the paste evenly between what Polaroid calls the negative and positive sheet layers, causing a chemical reaction that develops the film.
But what’s so astounding about this behind-the-scenes video is the revelation that: “Each roll of negative and positive sheetlayer can be slightly different,” owing to variables in temperature, chemistry, and more. So, rather astonishingly, Polaroid's photography chemists have to tweak the developer paste to match the negative and positive sheet layers being used.
Make sure you check out Polaroid's Reel to see this incredible process in action!
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