Arriving pretty late to the photography party, I came across Lomography films on the website of a film processing lab. I got a bundle of their three Lomochrome films to have some fun. Whilst the two of them are colour shifting films, the LomoChrome Metropolis does not alter any colours but gives an interesting gritty look to the photos.
I took it for a spin in Exeter, UK to capture some street shots with my trusty Canon AE-1 with the humble Canon FD 50mm 1.8 lens.
I don’t think that it is the sharpest films I have ever tried ( in my limited experience ), maybe it has to do with the variable ISO that it can handle – 100 to 400. But, the “mood” and “vibe” is in abundance.
People may complain all the time about the weather in the UK but I think that the British rain creates beautiful street scenes.
In good light, I love how this film renders the reds and browns of cityscapes.
I am sure that the photos can be sharper with better glass and more skill but I would still like to think that this film is not about sharpness, it is about mood.
Bridges make for an excellent place to create compositions. One can see so many stories playing between the two ends.
The blues from this film are a bit muted, but that is the vibe we are going for here.
I love the Contrastic nature of this film – they are quite punchy. Even lovelier if there is a poppy colour in the scene.
This is one of my favourite building to photograph in Exeter. I love how the design of the building plays with sun and shadows. The building sign which is not a board adds nice interplay between shadows and highlights.
I am glad that this film comes with extended/variable ISO of 100-400. It allows me to get into lower light spaces. The photo is from before the spring onset when the rust, reds, browns and other colours of winter still donned over the city.
I envy the photographers who are able to get close shot of people on the streets without a telephoto. Well, until I am able to muster up the courage and get over the awkwardness of shoving cameras into faces of street dwellers, I will keep on taking shots from a bit distance 😀
It is interesting how the film reacts at different ISO settings. When there is no direct sunlight to wash out the colours, the contrast looks even better at ISO 200.
By the way, if you are ever in Exeter, try out the hot chocolate at Leonidas – you will not be disappointed.
I love the treatment of yellows, bright reds, and greens by this film. They just pop out so well to compliment the overall gritty vibe. I think it performs well at ISO 100-200 and as you crank it up one more stop, the pop starts to fade.
It is beautiful that how cleverly the cherry blossoms are planted around the city of Exeter. There are many varieties of the tree which bloom through months of autumn/winter to spring at different times.
Now these are the subjects who I do not find intimidating. I could get in their faces without hesitation 😆.
However, I would still prefer this film for more of a city tool than out in the elements. Whilst we can agree that the subjects are adorable and cute, the film really shines in streets.
No, the double exposure was not intentional. In fact, multiple shots were accidentally exposed twice. I am not sure if it was the film or my camera’s fault. However, let us call it a happy accident because in an unexplainable way, I love this one.
I found it quite fascinating to see the film’s reaction to sun and shadows. The contrast is very punchy in the direct sun and the shadows are so beautiful and rich. On the other side of the road, the poppy colours are beautifully rendered in the shade.
I am never disappointed with the street photography in Exeter. The city is lively enough with capture interesting shots and adequately “English” to get the grit in the photos.
And finally, here is our cat – Fanta 🐈 helping me test the film indoors with his angelic pose. Whilst I could have pushed it to higher ISO to have a deeper DOF, I am still learning the craft of analogue.
📸: Canon AE-1, Canon FD 50mm 1.8
🎞️: LomoChrome Metropolis 35mm 100-400
p.s: All of the photos are unedited ( as developed and scanned by film processing lab ). I do not like to edit the digital scans of film photos, except some basic cropping. Posting the unedited helps me get better at understanding the light and exposure.
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