This week, Polaroid announced a brand-new film stock known as Reclaimed Blue. The blue-toned 600 instant film will work with vintage Polaroid 600 cameras, Polaroid Now and Now+ cameras. Polaroid is no stranger to making experimental film stocks, but this particular film came to be by accident.
Although the new Reclaimed Blue looks similar to Polaroid’s Duo Chrome film, t Reclaimed Blue was created experimentally at the Polaroid lab in the Netherlands. The unique colors found in the film are actually the result of a chemical reaction between the Polaroid’s Black and White film and Polaroid’s color film.
“The chemistry behind Polaroid is so complex, it may take 10 to 15 years of research to fully understand it,” explains Brian Slaghuis, the Polaroid chemist who invented the new film stock. And although he has theories about why the film turned out the way it did, he admits that even he doesn’t fully understand the chemical reaction that is taking place.
So what exactly did he do?
To create Reclaimed Blue film Slaghuis combined developer paste known as TBHQ from the black and white Polaroid film with the paste that is used on the color film. The experiments started as a way for the company to reuse the still-good quality materials found in out-of-spec negative film. Although this particular experiment didn’t improve Polaroid’s existing film products, the company is embracing the experimental film.
Who’s it for?
This funky blue-hued film is a great option for the analog photographer who loves to experiment. We can see this particular film being a great choice for moody portraits or creating surreal scenes. Ultimately Polaroid is hoping that photographers will play around with the film and share their best shots using the tag #TheReclaimedExperiment.
Pricing and availability
The limited edition film is available now for $16.99 per pack, it can be ordered directly through Polaroid or picked up at your local camera shop.
