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ACHILL PEOPLE

Polaroid portraits with a Big Shot camera
AN ONGOING PROJECT BY FRANTICHAM'S POLAROID MADNESS, IRELAND
Ham & Francis from Redfoxpress, Dugort, Achill Island

The Big Shot was one of the most unique cameras Polaroid ever introduced. It is a rigid-bodied model that dwarfs others in the series. Released in 1971 and produced until 1973, it was designed for portrait use only, and had a fixed focal distance of a few feet. It had a 220mm lens, a single-speed mechanical shutter, and a fixed-focus rangefinder to help the photographer keep the subject in focus. Above the body is a flash diffuser; it diffuses the light from the flash to soften shadows cast when taking the picture.

Because the camera itself is fixed-focus, the photographer has to move back and forth until the subject appears in focus. This technique has been called the "Big Shot Shuffle." The Big Shot also requires the use of MagiCube type flash cubes to take properly-exposed pictures and requires no batteries; the mechanical shutter is timed to interact with the flash cubes to (theoretically) provide the correct amount of light every time - though it also includes the Polaroid standard lighten/darken exposure controls around the lens. It should be loaded with ASA 75-100 Pack films (100-series) to achieve good results.

Famed artist Andy Warhol was purportedly fond of this camera in particular, and today it has a cult status among Polaroid cameras for its eccentricity.

Tony Grealis, Dooniver - our postman.
Shannon Corrigan, Glencoe - Post office Keel
Declan Corrigan, Glencoe - Post office Keel



Kate Patten, Derreen - Post office Achill Sound
Margo McNulty - Achill artist and teacher in Atlone
Kate Callaghan, Keel West - Village Backery, Achill Sound



Emer McNamara, Pollagh - Achill Sound Pharmacy
Sean Calvey, Tonreghee - Sweeney's hardware shop, Achill Sound
Pat Conway, Pollranny - Sweeney's hardware shop, Achill Sound



Catherine Fadian - Beehive Keel
Patricia Joycel - Beehive Keel
Paul McNamara, Builder & Councelor - Shraheens



Dr. Paddy Lineen - Achill Sound
Saoirse McHugh - Dooagh
Eieen Chaddock - Shraheens



Edward McNamara - Dugort
Tom Johnston - pensioned teacher, Cloughmore
Mark F Chaddock - poet and photographer, Shraheens



Garda Martin O'Reilly & Father Michael Gornally - Achill Sound
David Molony, Dugort East
John Michael Nicolai & Roisin Heeney, photgrapher and illustrator - Keel




Teresa Lavelle & Bruno Le Guluche - Pure Magic
Michael Callaghen - Dooagh
PJ Gielty - Dooagh




Ted McNulty, McNulty Garage - Cashel
Michael Lavelle & Steven McGreal, McNulty Garage - Cashel
Martin McGreal, McGreal Meat - Achill Sound




Dr. Edward King - Pollagh
Daniel Hanberry - Costcutter, Keel
John F. Deane - Achill born poet




Amanda Mac Mahon, painter - Keel
Ronan Halpin, sculptor - Keel
John McHugh, artist - Dooagh




Marjorie Wallace - Slievemore
Marie Lavelle-Burke, artist - Cashel
Willem van Goor, dutch painter - Secret Gardens, Bleanaskill




Padraig Mccaul, painter - Dugort
Marz Kelly - Keel
Liam Kelly, bog oak sculptor - Keel




Sabine Wandel, Black Field Cloths - Dugort
Jens Voigt, singer guitarist - Cloughmore
Peter Wiesner, architect - Cloughmore




Camille Souter, Painter - Dooagh
Michael Corrigan
Francois Colussi, Pure Magic - Slievemore




Mick - Slievemore
Diarmuid Gielty & Gracie Cafferkey - Dooagh
Joe Mulligan - Dooagh




Tony Strickland, Curator, Dublin
Kristine Byrne, artist, Wiclow

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