Retrochrome 400 ISO 35mm color positive film with a Pentax K1000

In 2015 The Film Photography Project released “Retrochrome 400,” a re-roll and repackage from industrial Eastman Kodak Ektachrome rolls that were originally intended to be used by Sandia National Laboratory.  They have a really fascinating write up about this film’s origins that I encourage everyone to go read.

I was nervous to use it. I think that it’s status as “cold-stored expired,” plus the pressure of color positive film, notoriously testy, showing every error, got stuck in my brain and I felt like it was too precious. Like I couldn’t blow it on even a single shot, because once it’s gone, it’s really gone forever. So, I was incredibly careful with this one. I’m not the kind of photographer who stages shots.  You will never find me aiming fancy light rigs on a boom or asking my kids to cheese a fake smile or pose.  I’m looking to capture the truth.  So, I wait, like a patient crocodile, camouflaged in broad daylight, until the moment is right. Then I strike. But sometimes I get lost in the moment and before I know it I’ve gone through a whole roll.  

I had to hold back, stay present, click the shutter deliberately. Shooting Retrochrome was an exercise in intention. It paid off, though.  There is a slight dreamy mute on all of the colors, the grain is fuzzy but consistent.  The vivid saturation of fabrics was softened but the intense blues of a beautiful summer sky and the rich greens of a forest in full bloom were captured precisely. These exposures make me feel transported. I loved using this film, when I saw my exposures for the first time I shrieked and then sighed because they felt nostalgic, with a deep longing for a time past. I will treasure these photos, they are some of my favorites that I’ve ever shot. 

originally published in 2020

Street Candy ATM 400 ISO 35mm black and white film with a Pentax K1000

My first proper photography class was at San Diego City College, an “intro to black and white photography” 100 level course. It challenged me to learn all the nuance of using black and white film, taught me to use light as my partner, and forced me to push through creative blocks. I also started seeing images in black and white. I would look through my viewfinder and suddenly the world was in grayscale. I love returning to black and white film for this reason. I recently acquired a roll of Street Candy ATM 400 while participating in the Tandem Coffee Double Exposure Film and Camera Club, which is one of the best things to happen in 2020.

Street Candy is a hand-rolled black and white film that was re-purposed from old atm security cameras. I love trying out film that has been repurposed in this way because I love the environmental aspect of taking something that was meant for another purpose, would otherwise be wasted, and using it to make something else.

I didn’t know what to expect from the clarity of the film. The times that I have seen atm footage it appears pretty dull and grainy and I was worried that the grain would be distracting, or that the results would be dull, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that was not the case. I set my iso rate at 400, though it is suggested to rate at 320 if you are in incandescent light. The contrast is rich and the grain, while present, gives a velvety texture. I was able to achieve crisp, clear exposures. I am so pleased with the results of this film and hope to get my hands on some more.

Originally published in 2020.