Lomography LomoChrome Metropolis 120 Film Review | Sample Photos with a Holga GCFN Toy Camera in Lisbon, Portugal!

(By using the links and/or codes in this blog post it supports Myles Katherine Photography. We may get a small kick back by you doing so.)

Happy New Year! It’s 2025, can you believe it? I was chatting with a friend the other day and realized, that means it’s been five years since the infamous 2020. That revelation makes my insides hurt, but if I think about all of the things I’ve accomplished and survived since then, it makes a lot more sense. It’s never a good idea to look at the big picture, especially when it comes to all of the catastrophes of the world. I’ve learned that life is a little less overwhelming if you just focus on the day to day.

I have a lot of travel plans this year, but also I’ve been feeling a strong urge to be cozy in my house. Maybe it’s the fact that we have a new puppy, or maybe it’s because I’m turning 36 in February and I’m just getting old, or maybe it’s just pure exhaustion from the last five years, but traveling just sounds like a bit much at the moment. I know I’ll plan a trip for my birthday, but for now, I’m going to enjoy these snowstorms and my crazy little puppy, and spend my days catching up on blogging and editing.

I’ve been meaning to share these images from my trip to Portugal for a while because I find Lomography’s LomoChrome Metropolis to be a very unique film stock. I don’t typically go for film that is desaturated in any way, just because I prefer either bright color or black and white. But I have an affinity for Lomography’s LomoChrome film and I’m particularly obsessed with the LomoChrome Purple film. I like the LomoChrome Turquoise as well, but the purple film holds a special place in my heart. I found that the LomoChrome Metropolis actually scans similarly to the LomoChrome Purple. And by that I mean, the film scans I made at my house with my Epson V750 Pro Scanner didn’t look too different than the scans I get with LomoChrome Purple. I find that Metropolis images have a slight purple undertone, which makes me think that it’s the same film as the purple, but just a little less saturated. The Metropolis film also tends to run a little cheaper than the purple film, so if you’re interested in just testing out one of these funky films without breaking the bank, Metropolis is probably your best bet. You’ll find that samples of this film range from golden to greenish to purple-y blue tones, but that’s kind of the fun of this film. You can really adjust the tones during or after scanning to fit your personal style. You can either make it more vintage by embracing the desaturated vibes, or you can add warmth or coolness if you want a different undertone. It’s really a fun film though and I’ll definitely be shooting more of it in the future! For these images, I used a Holga GCFN (my favorite camera in the world). You can read more about the Holga GCFN on my blog here. Or you can watch my full review of the camera on my YouTube channel here! All of these photographs were taken in Lisbon, Portugal and the majority were taken in Jerónimos Monastery, a stunning late Gothic style monastery by the waterfront.

The Metropolis film comes in 35 mm or 120 formats. I just recently finished up a disposable 35 mm camera with Metropolis preloaded inside. You can pick one up on Amazon if you find a disposable camera more approachable. I always love shooting with disposable cameras. There is a special retro vibe that you get with disposable cameras that is just impossihle to replicate.

If you found this post helpful or inspiring, 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.

If you have any questions, I’m always happy to help! You can contact me here, or leave a comment below! Thanks so much for stopping by! You can also check out my Amazon storefront for more camera/film recommendations. :) Have a magical day!

<3 Myles Katherine

WHERE TO BUY:

Lomography LomoChrome Metropolis 120 film

Amazon

Adorama

eBay

Lomography LomoChrome Metropolis 35 mm film

Amazon

Adorama

eBay

Lomography LomoChrome Metropolis Disposable 35 mm Camera

Amazon

Adorama

Holga 120 GCFN Camera (read more about the Holga GCFN on my blog here!)

Amazon

eBay

KEH Camera

Here is a roll of 120 LomoChrome Metropolis that I shot with my Holga GCFN in Portugal!

Shooting Kodak Ektar 100 with a Holga GCFN in Portugal!

(By using the links and/or codes in this blog post it supports Myles Katherine Photography. We may get a small kick back by you doing so.)

I’ve been forcing myself to step outside my box and try out some new film stocks lately. I tend to stick with Lomography film or Kodak Portra 400 and Kodak Gold 200, but Kodak Ektar 100 is one of those films I always hear about but just never got around to trying. I decided to take a roll with me to Portugal and test it with my Holga GCFN. After getting my film back and scanning it, I’ve definitely learned a few things about it. It has an overall blue undertone, that particularly shows up if you’re shooting in lower light (like a cloudy day or shadowed setting). It definitely favors bright lighting and sunshine. The next time I shoot with it, I’ll be sure to take it with me to the beach on a sunny day. However, the blue undertones add a nice moodiness that is unlike any other film I’ve shot with. It has a dreary graininess that is endearing and calming in a way. In general though, it’s a good rule of thumb to shoot in bright light with any film under 200 ISO. Sometimes, I forget what kind of film I put in my Holga so I end up being surprised by the results. Next time I load my Holga, I’m planning to tape a piece of paper on the back of my camera with the film stock I put inside just so I don’t forget!

I also posted a YouTube video about shooting with Ektar 100 with the Holga in Portugal, so if you’d like to see the making behind these photos, make sure to give my video a watch here!

If you found this post helpful or inspiring, 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.

If you have any questions, I’m always happy to help! You can contact me here, or leave a comment below! Thanks so much for stopping by! You can also check out my Amazon storefront for more camera/film recommendations. :) Have a magical day!

<3 Myles Katherine

WHERE TO BUY:

Kodak Ektar 100 - 120 film

Amazon

Adorama

eBay

Kodak Ektar 100 - 35 mm film

Amazon

Adorama

eBay

Holga 120 GCFN Camera (read more about the Holga GCFN on my blog here!)

Amazon

eBay

KEH Camera

My book is finally out! TEMPORARY BEAUTY: A Memoir about Panic Disorder and Finding Purpose through Art & Meditation

 

TEMPORARY BEAUTY: A Memoir about Panic Disorder and Finding Purpose through Art & Meditation

I can’t believe the day has finally arrived! My book, Temporary Beauty, is officially available on Amazon. This book has been a long time coming and I’m so ready for the world to read it.

You can watch my YouTube video discussing my book release here!

I honestly can’t believe I got up to the courage to actually share this book. It’s essentially all of my deepest, darkest secrets tied up in a nice little bow. There have been moments where my stomach has dropped, knowing that people might read these stories. But I keep reminding myself that if I’m nervous, then I’m doing something right. I’m pushing myself out of my comfort zone and testing my limits. I’m living my life to the fullest. When I was growing up and going through the dark moments of my mental health journey, I was constantly searching for books that would validate my thoughts and feelings so I could feel less alone. I loved angsty coming-of age novels and books like It’s Kind of a Funny Story and The Bell Jar. I like to think that I would have loved stumbling across Temporary Beauty during that time. In my more adult years, I fell in love with books like The Collected Schizophrenias, Educated and World of Wonders - creative memoirs and honest accounts of personal struggle. While I’ve never really been the kind of artist to be majorly creatively influenced by the work of others, I do think Temporary Beauty falls somewhere in the vein of these books. I’ve always marched to the beat of my own drum, which lends to a lot of loneliness and insecurity, but I think has also allowed me a lot of room to grow as an artist. Ultimately though, if I’m able to help even just one person to feel some comaraderie with this book, then it was all worth it. We’re all just searching for community and understanding, especially as we’re navigating difficult times.

Temporary Beauty is a collection of memories, poetic ponderings, travel adventures, journal entries, nightmares, and love stories, following Myles through her picturesque childhood in the Blue Ridge Mountains and on to her adventure-filled twenties as a photographer in the Pacific Northwest, discovering herself as an artist. After her diagnosis of panic disorder and generalized anxiety disorder in high school, she spent her college years struggling to find her footing, finding solace in art, meditation, and travel. Temporary Beauty is a reflection of what it means to be a career-driven woman in modern society, an honest and unapologetic account of the darkness that mental illness can bring, and a conscious reminder of the fragility and beauty of human existence.

"And regardless of my mental illness, deep down I do believe that the day will come where I can walk through the woods, alone, and feel not an ounce of sadness or crippling fear. The grass will be filled with neon-green four-leaf clovers, and delicate pink blossoms will hang silently from the perfectly silhouetted fog-lined trees. I will smile to myself about all that I’ve accomplished. I’ll be proud of myself for defeating my unhinged mind. But that would mean that I’d have to have won the ultimate battle. The one between me and my anxiety. The one battle that never seems to end." — From Temporary Beauty

 If this book sounds like something you could relate to, I’d love for you to read it.

 And if you feel inclined, please leave a review on my Amazon page when you finish reading it! It will help others to be able to find my book too! And make sure to follow my author page on Amazon for future releases.

Purchase Temporary Beauty!

Thank you all for your support as I’ve been navigating this journey of becoming an author!

- Myles Katherine

(By using the links and/or codes above it supports Myles Katherine Photography. We may get a small kick back by you doing so.)