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July 24, 2025 49 mins

In this continuation of our two-part series, Melissa and Jam dive into the intriguing chemistry behind color film and Polaroid photography. The episode picks up from the previous discussion on black and white film, focusing on color theory and how it applies to both traditional and instant photography. Listeners will learn about the science of additive and subtractive colors, how multiple layers of dye-sensitized silver halide work together to capture images, and the unique processes involved in developing these images. For those fascinated by the intersection of chemistry and photography, this episode is a must-listen.

00:00 Introduction and Recap
01:42 Understanding Color Theory
05:08 Additive and Subtractive Colors
07:00 Color Photography Basics
08:45 Film Development Process
13:03 Negative and Positive Images
17:33 Practical Applications and Examples
23:28 Understanding Negative Images in Photography
24:26 Principles of Color Photography
25:22 Exploring Color Negatives and Filters
27:14 Layers and Sensitizers in Color Film
29:51 The Development Process of Color Film
34:22 Introduction to Polaroid Photography
35:20 The Chemistry Behind Polaroid Development
40:06 Fascination with Photography and Color Theory
40:50 Favorite Black and White TV Shows
44:12 Closing Remarks and Community Shoutouts

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References from this episode:

  1. https://pubs-acs-org.libproxy.library.unt.edu/doi/epdf/10.1021/ed052p622?ref=article_openPDF
  2. https://pubs-acs-org.libproxy.library.unt.edu/doi/10.1021/acs.jchemed.6b00400
  3. https://pubs-acs-org.libproxy.library.unt.edu/doi/10.1021/ed081p694
  4. https://edu.rsc.org/experiments/making-a-photographic-print-using-silver-chloride/454.article
  5. https://www.acs.org/content/dam/acsorg/education/resources/highschool/chemmatters/articlesbytopic/metals%20and%20nonmetals/chemmatters-feb2006-digital-photo.pdf
  6. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Rolf-Steiger/publication/279964154_CHEMICAL_SENSITIZATION_OF_SILVER_BROMIDE/links/5a7d8b55aca272341aef2f6f/CHEMICAL-SENSITIZATION-OF-SILVER-BROMIDE.pdf
  7. https://www.acs.org/education/celebrating-chemistry-editions/2024-ncw/chemistry-of-polaroids.html
  8. https://cen.acs.org/articles/87/i12/Instant-Film.html
  9. https://www.acs.org/education/whatischemistry/landmarks/land-instant-photography.html
  10. https://pubs-acs-org.libproxy.library.unt.edu/doi/epdf/10.1021/ed051p72?ref=article_openPDF

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