5 Unique Films to Try to Make Your Photos More Interesting | 35 mm & 120 Gift Ideas for Film Photographers

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If you know me, you know I get bored easily when it comes to photography. I’m always trying out new filters, weird films, different cameras and tons of tricks to make my photos more unique. I guess you could say I’m a huge proponent of creativity and I don’t believe in creating the same photo twice. The first time I accidentally shot a double exposure with my Holga camera, it inspired me to keep going and to keep challenging myself to make work that truly stood out. When it comes to film photography, an easy way to push yourself out of your comfort zone is to try a film that’s unique in its own right. So, here are 5 different films that I love for those who want to try something new!

LOMOGRAPHY LOMOCHROME PURPLE

This is my absolute favorite of the bunch. Some photographers like to hate on this film, but I think its just because they’re scared of it. Personally, I think it makes for beautiful, surreal landscapes and whimsical portraits. I probably also love it because purple is my favorite color so its as if this film was created just for me. I love it so much. :) You can find this film in 35mm and 120 formats. It’s somewhat pricey so if you’re new to this film, you might want to start with the 35mm version to get more bang for your buck, since you’ll end up getting more frames per roll over the 120 version.

Purchase:
Lomography LomoChrome Puprle 35mm on Amazon

Lomography LomoChrome Purple 120 film on eBay

Lomography LomoChrome Purple on Adorama

2. LOMOGRAPHY LOMOCHROME TURQUOISE

If you love the LomoChrome Purple, but are looking to expand to something else, the turquoise is another fun option. I don’t love it quite as much as the purple, mostly because I feel that the skin tones are strange when it comes to portraiture with this film. It gives more of an “avatar” vibe, which could be fun if you have a plan! I still love landscapes with this film though. I haven’t used this one quite as much either, so maybe I just need to give it more of a chance. :)

Purchase:

Lomography LomoChrome Turquoise 35mm on eBay

Lomography LomoChrome Turquoise 120 film on eBay

KODAK GOLD 200

If you love warm color tones and sunset hues, you should try out Kodak Gold 200. It’s perfect for any sort of beach or tropical vacation because it adds a nice, golden glow to the images. I always bring a few rolls with me on vacation because it’s flattering on skin tones and great for architecture. It’s also pretty affordable, which is another reason you can always find it in my camera bag. Sometimes, it just makes the most sense simply because of the price point. It’s a very sharp film too with a speed of 200, but might not work as well in low light as some of the other films on this list. However, it is the most subtle on the list, so if you’re trying to branch out but don’t want to get too crazy, this would be a good one to start with!

Purchase on Amazon:

Kodak Gold 200 35mm film

Kodak Gold 200 120 film

Lomography Berlin Kino 400 ISO

I’m sure by now you’re realizing that I love Lomography film. But they offer so many unique options! If you’re looking for a vintage-y, vibe-y black and white film, Lomography has a handful of options that vary in tone, warmth and grain. There’s Earl Grey 120 film or 35 mm film or Lady Grey 120 or 35 mm. For these sample photos, I used Berlin B&W 400, a warm-toned, extra grainy film that really gives that old school film vibe. It’s quite noisy for a 400 film but it adds to the overall aesthetic of the images.

Purchase:

Lomography Earl Grey 120 film on Amazon

Lomography Earl Grey 35 mm film on Amazon

Lomography Lady Grey 120 film on Amazon

Lomography Lady Grey 35 mm on Amazon

Lomography Berlin Kino 400 35mm film on eBay

Lomography Berlin Kino 400 120 film on eBay

LOMOGRAPHY 35MM REDSCALE XR 50-200

Lomography Redscale is definitely a very extreme film to try out. You have to be ready for some crazy results! However, I love how surreal and unusual the images are. I’ve even had some of these photos in art galleries! It’s a great option for getting creative, especially if your client is a musician or artist and are looking for one-of-a-kind photographs.

Purchase on Amazon:

Lomography Redscale XR 50-200 120mm

Purchase on eBay:

Lomography Redscale XR 50-200 35mm film

Or…TRY FILM SOUP!

If you want to get REALLY crazy, you can always try soaking your film in things like vinegar, lemon juice, tea, etc. I have a blog post and YouTube video all about film soup so if this sounds fun to you, check it out here!

I hope these fun and unique films inspired you to step outside the box and try something new! I absolutely love trying out new film because I never know what I’m going to get. Plus, I think it takes my photos to a whole new level. It’s an easy way to make your photos stand out amongst the sea of photographers out there in the world.

Thanks so much for stopping by! Feel free to leave any questions and comments below. And don’t forget to check out my Amazon storefront for more camera/film recommendations. :) Have a lovely day!

<3 Myles Katherine

How to Make Film Soup - 8 Easy Steps with Results and Film Soaking Tips

 

I FINALLY made Film Soup! Film Soup is just another way of describing a “film soak” and it really means just that - soaking your film rolls in some sort of liquid to get unique results. I’ve been wanting to try this for years but I somehow never got around to it (and was mostly just terrified that I’d ruin my film)! During COVID-19 though, I was able to find some free time to shoot a few rolls of film for fun and was willing to risk their lives for a film soaking experiment. One of my favorite film photographers, Wendy Laurel, is a film soaking QUEEN and I’ve been paying attention over the years to how she soaks her film. It’s not hard at all, until you get to the point that you have to drop your film into the liquid and hope that it turns out! Luckily, you can’t REALLY mess it up. And in my opinion, the more colorful and strange your photos turn out, the better! It’s a super exciting way to create unique and completely original images, and I’m all about that.

Step 1: Shoot your Film!

Some people soak their film BEFORE they run it through their camera, but I decided not to do this simply because it made me nervous to risk having any sort of chemical or liquid mess up the inside of my camera. Personally, I think it’s much safer to soak your film after you shoot the roll. Plus, if you shoot the roll and decide you DON’T want to risk soaking it, then you’re good to go!

Step 2: Prepare your concoctions

The opportunities are endless when it comes to choosing the liquids to soak your film in. Some of the classic choices are lemon juice, tea, vinegar and salt water. But you can try any kind of liquid you’d like, though it’s probably going to turn out best if it’s something acidic. For each liquid, you just pour a little bit in the bottom of a bowl. There’s no “correct” measurement here - just trust your intuition! A quick lemon squeeze, a few tablespoons of vinegar, etc. It’s totally up to you! That’s the fun of it. :)

Step 3: Pour (almost) boiling water over the liquids

You’ll want to dilute the liquids you chose in Step 2 with hot water. I used boiling water that had cooled down a little bit. Hot water tends to work better than cold water in terms of getting a reaction out of your film. So just pour hot water in each bowl until there’s enough liquid to cover your film roll when you drop it in.

Step 4: Get up the courage to drop your film rolls in the water!

This was the hardest part for me! But it’s also just so thrilling because you have no idea how it’s going to turn out. Drop your film roll into the liquid mixture and let it sit for AT LEAST 15 minutes. My fav photographer I mentioned above, Wendy, usually soaks hers for about an hour. Some people soak their film up to 24 or 48 hours! Again, there are no rules really, but I think 15 minutes at minimum, just to make sure you get some type of result at the end of it all.

Step 5: Rinse the Film

After your film has soaked, you’ll want to rinse the film rolls as best you can to get off any excess chemicals or acid that might continue to dissolve the film. We don’t want the film to disappear into thin air! I rinsed mine with cold water for a good 30 seconds each and then let them each soak in a bowl of clean, cold water for 15 minutes.

Step 6: Let the Film Dry!

You did it! Now, just set the film somewhere safe to dry for at least a week before sending it off to the lab to get developed.

Step 7: Send the film off to get processed (or process it yourself if you’re lucky enough to have a darkroom in your home)!

After a week of drying, you can send off your film to get processed so that you can finally witness your masterpieces! IMPORTANT TIP: Check with your film lab BEFORE you send your film in, to make sure they are able to process soaked film. Some labs aren’t willing to do it, as the chemicals that might still be lingering on the film can alter their chemicals and ruin other people’s film. We DEFINITELY don’t want this to happen. The film lab I usually use actually wasn’t able to do it, so I ended up sending my film to Blue Moon Camera in Portland, Oregon. I made sure to individually label each film roll with what kind of solution I soaked it in so that they could determine the best way to process it in their lab.

Step 8: Obsess over your images!

You did it! I scan my film myself so I had the film sent back to me and then I used my Epson V750 scanner to finally view my images. It was a long wait but TOTALLY worth it. I can’t wait to do it again! And next time, I think I’ll try a 24 hour soak. :)

Let me know how your Film Soup turned out! Feel free to leave any thoughts, comments or questions below! You can also check out my full youtube video showing my first Film Soup experience! Or scroll down to see how my images turned out!

If you found this post helpful or if you’d like to see more of my work, I’d love it if you considered signing up for my Patreon! For as little as $1 a month, you’ll get early access to all of my YouTube videos, plus tons of photos that I don’t post anywhere else. Depending on which tier you choose, you could also receive seasonal prints and/or discounts! I always use all of the proceeds towards cameras, film & processing. Find out more here!

Thanks so much for stopping by! Have a lovely day!

<3 Myles Katherine