Here are some of the photos I have recently taken, these flowers are my favorite! The oriental poppies are very photogenic, and the bright vivid orange really makes them pop.

Polaroid faded away,

but Tiffany Mulherin’s artwork is still bright

San Juan Landscape

In these days of digital photography, it’s easy to forget that once upon a time the Polaroid existed. Instant photos had a completely different meaning when you could hold them in your hand, and Denver artist Tiffany Mulherin played with those instant prints until she came up with her own take on it. Now she makes a living off of her idea — transferring the positive or negative images of a Polaroid print to paper surface for colorization. She took some time to talk to us about her medium, her process and why she has stuck with it.

I know your process is very complicated, but could you briefly explain it for those who are unfamiliar with emulsion transfer techniques?

Sure. I use two processes — an image transfer and an emulsion transfer. The Polaroid image transfer process is when Polaroid peel-apart film is used to create an original print on a traditionally non-photographic surface. The two parts of the Polaroid are separated prematurely, interrupting the process by which the dyes migrate from the negative to the positive print. The dye on the negative can be transferred to the receptor surface. Upon drying, the image is usually hand colored or hand painted with Prismacolors or Watercolors.

The emulsion transfer process uses exposed Polaroid film which is placed in a hot bath after it dries. After the soak, the emulsion begins to lift off of the paper backing. The emulsion is gently peeled or rubbed off the paper backing. The emulsion is now free to be transferred to the receptor surface and can be wrinkled, torn, and distorted. After it dries, I can color it.

Orange Aspens Above

How long have you been doing image and emulsion transfers?

I taught myself in college for a project, so I would say probably almost ten years.

How has your practice of the medium changed in that time?

Well it has changed a lot because Polaroid has gone out of business, so I have a stock pile of film. There is a new company making Polaroid-type film, but they don’t use the same exact kind of film. So, I have been transferring to inkjet transfers. I print and then transfer that print onto another piece of paper. I also use Fuji film, which is similar to Polaroid film, but it doesn’t have the same watercolor effect.

Autumn Landscape

Autumn Landscape, Watercolor​

What makes Polaroid film the best for your process?

Basically, it’s different because it’s an instant film, so I can use the negative side or the positive side of the Polaroid, depending on what image I want to do. I can do an image transfer or an emulsion transfer. And you can see the difference because of how the image transfers — the edges look different, there’s also a type of watercolor effect, and you can see that in my work.

Do you take the photos that you transfer?

I take all of my photography, and I take those pictures pretty much all over the place. I take a lot of nature photography, but I also take portraits and dabble in fashion. Being in nature, however, is very inspiring and I can take it easy. It’s not hectic and I find it inspirational to be able to capture details in those natural settings. A lot of my work is those details.

Paintbrush

Are you limited in the size of your work to the size of a Polaroid?

Of course, because the Polaroid film is three and a quarter inches by four and a quarter inches — I have some eight by ten works that I’ve done, and with my new work, I can do my pieces a lot larger. I can do up to thirteen by nineteen for an original piece. Obviously, any work can be reproduced to a larger piece, but the original, one-of-a-kind transfer is limited by the size of the original.

What do you enjoy about transfer images? Why do you use transfers as part of your process?

I like doing it because it gives my work a softer feeling and also an interesting quality that a regular photograph may not have. The whole process is a lot of fun. It’s a lot of work, but I think the process gives the piece a lot of interest. And I also like to give the pieces more of a watercolor look. Some people think that they are watercolors, and don’t even realize that they are photographs.

To contact Mulherin or to check out her work, visit her website

Link to Article on Westword: Polaroid faded away, but Tiffany Mulherin’s artwork is still bright

Through the Artist’s Eyes: Transforming Photography to Fine Art

The Celebration of Fine Art celebrates a diverse range of artists and artwork including photography. And there are a few artists at the show taking the medium to the next level through fine art. Two of which, have not only mastered the keen ability to find beauty in things most of us overlook, but also the challenging technique of photo transfer.

Tiffany Mulherin, who has worked as a professional photographer in Los Angeles and Denver, specializing in high-fashion and fine art photography for more than five years, found her way into fine art through a unique process – Polaroid emulsion and image transfers.

Tiffany Mulherin

“I taught myself how to do the Polaroid transfers in school for a project,” Tiffany said. From there a passion was born.

“What drives my passion is the final outcome, but it’s also being able to go out and shoot then turn the photography into something completely different through this process.”

Tiffany’s art is created using a dwindling and rare process of Polaroid emulsion and image transfer, a time-consuming technique that requires an adept touch because of the fragility of the medium. One misstep can mean the difference between a failed work and a one-of-a-kind masterpiece.

“Collectors are drawn to my work because of the soft peaceful feeling that it gives,” she said. “I think it fits really nice in a home environment because it gives that soft feeling.”

Sondra Wampler, a 4-year-show veteran, is more than a storied professional photographer. As she sees it, and her collectors would agree, she is an artist who simply uses photography as her medium like a painter who uses oil or acrylic.

Sondra Wampler

“It’s the making of art, the process of creating original pieces that makes me excited about this,” Sondra said. “The process of photography can be a very technical thing, but I’m more about what can I create using photography as my tool?”

So Sondra began photographing botanicals and taking the time to study each of her subjects individually.

“I photograph them in black and white, because without the color you are left with the architecture of the plant,” she said. “I’m also looking for the personality in each plant, so they’re a lot like portraits. I spend a lot of time trying to find that personality and if it comes through then I photograph it. If not, I don’t.”

Sondra also recently began creating photomontages, using her original photographs and the photo transfer process to create the pieces.

“These montages are more in the realm of surrealism,” she said. “I’m able to create these fantasy-like places. A lot of these are inspired by my own dreams, fantasies or thoughts. I dream very vividly and I always have had very surreal dreams.”

“For my collectors, there is an emotional response to the work. They say the work has a lot of feeling in it. It stirs an emotional response in them.”

http://www.celebrateart.com/blog/

http://www.sondrawampler.com/index.html

Come see me at Celebration of Fine Art in Scottsdale AZ. I will be there January 15th through March 27th, 2011.

http://www.celebrateart.com/

Things to Note for Celebration of Fine Art

Tiffany Mulherin has chosen a medium of Polaroid type 669 to produce her Fine Art Photography.
Polaroid went out of business a few years ago, however there is a group (The Polaroid Project) still making certain types of Polaroid film, but not the kind that produces emulsion and image transfers.  A few years ago Tiffany bought a few cases of Polaroid type 669 film (about 100 boxes).  She still has plenty of boxes, but every piece of type 669 film in existence today is now expired.  She can still produce her beautiful art work, but the film is less reliable, and takes more film to produce her images.

One really cool fact is that they no longer sell this type of film for transfers, so this art show that Tiffany would be putting on, would be one of the last times anyone would ever see this type of art being done with Polaroid film (Fuji Film makes a similar product but it does not have the exact same outcome).  It would be like if the world somehow ran out of paint, and a painter bought a bunch of tubes of paint; and they were painting one of the last paintings that would ever be produced!!!!  This would be a very special show not only for Tiffany, but the art lovers that show up for the show.

Another great fact to note is, the overall process that it takes to produce the image and emulsion transfers. This process does not take a few hours to produce, it takes days of hard work, meaning that if someone showed up to the show one day, they might see Tiffany lifting the emulsion off the Polaroid, and if they showed up the next day she would be working on that same lifted transfer, but would be in a new step of the production. This means that for someone who may show up to the art show 5 days in a row, would see a new step of the process each and everyday.  This means a few great things for your art show…. One of a kind emulsion and image transfers, a real mix of steps, meaning a lot for viewers to watch and see, and most likely one of the last times EVER of watching someone produce art using this medium.

Tiffany Mulherin Featured at FatTail Art Gallery

Tiffany Mulherin Featured at FatTail Art Gallery in Denver, Colorado

Hilton Bora Bora Bungalows

Hilton Bora Bora Dock to Bungalows

Hilton Bora Bora Bungalows

Tahiti, French Polynesia

While visiting the Island of Tahiti in The French Polynesia, we had an amazing view of the island of Moorea from our hotel balcony, at Manava Hotel. I photographed the beautiful sunsets over the island of Moorea just about every night we were in Tahiti. Each setting sun, brought new colors and new clouds, leading to a beautiful new view each evening. The clouds seem to hang over Moorea, creating a very beautiful sight with the setting sun.  Moorea is about a 30 minute ferry ride from Tahiti, and very worth seeing if you are in Tahiti for a while.

Sunset Over Moorea

Moorea, French Polynesia

Mouaputa is a beautiful mountain peak on the island of Moorea, in Cooks Bay. The mountain is known for looking like a woman gazing with her head pointed up to the heavens (seen below). Mouaputa means shark tooth in the Polynesian language and if viewed from the North (not seen in these photos)  it looks like a jagged sharks tooth.