I recently shot my second ever roll of the new 2019 LomoChrome Purple. After shooting my first roll at EI 400 and being a bit underwhelmed by most of the shots, I decided to go to the other end of the spectrum and shoot at EI 160 at a macro workshop.
Borrowing a Micro-Nikkor 55mm f/3.5 AI lens from a friend, I shot handheld macro shots at the local university’s botanical gardens. Because the light was fading fast, I only got about half the roll off before packing it in. The remainder I shot on a work trip to Monterey Bay, and the seaside town turned out to be a gorgeous setting!
Seeing the end result of this film at EI 160 has taken my breath away. Blues are green, greens are purple, up is down. At the macro workshop, I staked out the desert room, always my favorite part in any greenhouse environment.
The plants were surrounded by stones, lending interesting texture to the background and foreground, and the plants themselves ranged from dusty earth tones to vivid purples even without the experimental film. I wasn’t disappointed – the photos almost seem to depict an alien landscape, similar to our own but just different enough to be unsettling.
When I arrived in Monterey, I went out for a walk with my trusty Nikon F3HP, my usual choice for travel. I roamed up and down Cannery Row, from the aquarium (worth a visit if you’re in town) up to the beaches and piers. At EI 160, the film loved the bright sun, almost as much as I did.
The photos, developed and scanned by Fulltone Photo, came out wonderfully. I have 3 rolls of LomoChrome Purple left, and I intend to shoot them all at EI 160. After my success handholding macro at the workshop, I may return with stronger light and see if I can make a full roll out of the experience.
~ Will
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