Untitled, 5
Gage Melton

Media: Polaroid Emulsion Transfer on Watercolor Paper
Size: 10 ⅛” x 10 ⅛"
Price: NFS


Process:
This image of a rose is first made with a DSLR camera and a macro bellows extension. After processing the image digitally, it is printed to a Polaroid using a Polaroid Lab printer. The border of the Polaroid is cut off and the layers of the image peeled apart to expose the emulsion between them. The layer attached to the emulsion is submerged in hot water to release the emulsion. Once released, a piece of watercolor paper is inserted into the water and the emulsion floated on top of the paper. The paper is then removed from the water and the Polaroid manipulated with water and a wet paint brush. The piece is then left to dry overnight before being coated in a protective acrylic matte finish.

Artist Bio:
Gage Melton is a professional game designer and hobby photographer in San Marcos, California. He was raised in southwest Michigan before moving to central Illinois to study game design and interactive media at Bradley University. After graduating, he worked in video production, web design, and graphic design while practicing digital photography on the side. In 2019 he moved to California with his fiancée and began to explore film photography as a way to learn more hands-on photographic techniques. Now, outside of his work in games, Gage experiments with alternative printing and developing processes in his free time.