Painterly focus

Photographer Victor Giordano achieves the unique effects in this collection by manipulating Polaroid SX-70 film immediately after exposure. Giordano, who does commercial and magazine work by trade, has been working with this method for about 15 years.

"The unique thing about Polaroids is that the dyes are between the layers of the film. That's what you're moving around. By moving it around, you get all these special effects. You can use the back of a spoon, a toothpick, anything that won't puncture the film," he says.

When working with this method, time is of the essence. "You only have a certain amount of time to manipulate the film. Once it develops, the party's over," says Giordano. The window of opportunity for manipulation is about 15 minutes, depending on the ambient temperature.

The format itself, as well as finding scenes with the right light, is also a challenge.

"You only have one lens and one type of film, so you basically have to wait for the lighting to be correct. The best images come out with slight overcast when the contrast is reduced," he says. "I kind of scout what I want to shoot first, then wait for the light. I carry a notebook and make a list of what I want to shoot, then when the light is right I get down there."

But the medium might end up being as ephemeral as the opportunities for good lighting. Polaroid discontinued producing the film, and finding available stock is becoming difficult. Giordano recently received a batch from Holland, and it was quite expensive.

For more of Giordano's work, visit his Web site, victorgiordano.com.