Oh, well...

It's a chemistry thing. Alchemy, you might even say - and this would certainly be the city in which to say it. No, no, no; none of that Photoshop tomfoolery here. This is oldschool.

First, find the right film. Then do some slightly weird stuff with exposures. Then subject it to the wrong chemicals. Give that film something it really doesn't expect. And eventually you might get vaguely predictable results. Just vague and unpredictable enough to be surprising and keep you on your toes.

I found that film and process in England. You want blues? We can find blues:

You want golds, for that balcony sunset? No probs:

Maybe a bit of greenery on that album cover portrait?

Ahhh. Luvverly. And not a sniff of Photoshop trickery anywhere near them. There's only one problem: I can't get the film.

No one sells it in the Czech Republic, and I've run out. I've tried Kodak and Fuji - fine, if you want everything bright green. And I tried a Czech brand (with packaging in German, but 'Made in Japan' written in English - a sure sign of a nice generic little number, thought I) and I do love the red and pink thing it's done to Klara and Jeffery in the top photo, but thats.... er..... all it does. Any colour you want as long as it's RED.

It's a real shame, cos I wanted to use this garish alchemy for the bling shoot tomorrow, but I'm running out of films to try. Guess I'll just have to nip back to London and fill a suitcase with film.

Hope there'll be just a little space left for all the books the airport made me take out last time....

Comments

[Christina]

Yes, do pop back to london!
C

[phoenix]

I did - and they've stopped making the film!! What am i going to do??!