Lomography LomoChrome Turquoise 35 mm ISO 100-400 Film Sample Photos in Porto, Portugal!

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

You guys know I love LomoChrome Purple film in both 35 mm and medium format), but in the past I had only tried the LomoChrome Turquoise in 120 format. I finally purchased a roll of 35 mm Turquoise film and took it with me to Portugal! I used my trusty Minolta Maxxum STsi (one of my favorite 35 mm travel cameras) and took photos on our all-day bus tour in the Douro Valley and all throughout Porto. I’m kind of obsessed with the results! I love any film that adds a surreal atmosphere to my images and this film definitely does that. Plus, the Minolta Maxxum STsi has a panorama setting, which is perfect for traveling and allows me to capture wide landscapes and unusual compositions. You can read more about that camera on my blog here!

As you’ll see in the sample photos below, skin tones typically show up as blue, which is super unique and strange. If you’re looking for a film to push you out of your comfort zone and create an alien world, this is it! I love the way it looks with architecture, particularly. It’s very moody and cinematic, with quite a bit of grain, especially with multiple exposures. It also seemed to do decently well in low light situations. I probably wouldn’t use this film for a typical wedding or portrait client, but I would definitely consider it for a musician or artist who are looking for stand-out portraits.

I still think I might like the LomoChrome purple film better, but it’s always fun to try something new. One of the reasons I love Lomography so much is because of their fearlessness when it comes to creating new and unique films. I haven’t really found anything out there on the market that resembles the LomoChrome Purple or Turquoise films. They are truly unique.

If you’re feeling bold and adventurous, here are a few of my favorite unique Lomography films! Make sure to scroll to the bottom of this post to see the rest of the images I took with the LomoChrome Turquoise film in Portugal!

LOMOCHROME PURPLE ISO 100-400 FILM


Purple 35mm on Amazon

Purple Reloadable 35 mm camera on Amazon

Purple 120 film on eBay

Purple 110 on Adorama

LOMOCHROME TURQUOISE ISO 100-400 FILM

Turquoise Reloadable 35 mm camera on Amazon

Turquoise 35mm on eBay

Turquoise 120 film on eBay

LOMOCHROME REDSCALE FILM

Redscale XR 50-200 120mm on Amazon

Redscale XR 50-200 35mm film on eBay

LOMOCHROME METROPOLIS FILM

Metropolis 35 mm on Amazon

Metropolis Reloadable 35 mm camera on Amazon

Metropolis 120 film on Amazon

UNIQUE LOMOGRAPHY BLACK AND WHITE FILMS:

Earl Grey 120 film on Amazon

Earl Grey 35 mm film on Amazon

Lady Grey 120 film on Amazon

Lady Grey 35 mm on Amazon

Berlin Kino 400 35mm film on eBay

Berlin Kino 400 120 film on eBay

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. Find out more here!

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! Have a magical day!

<3 Myles Katherine

Kodak Duaflex 620 Camera Review with Sample Photos in Portugal | How to Use a 620 Film Camera and Where to Buy Film

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

The Kodak Duaflex is so CUTE. It’s one of those cameras that deserves to be displayed on a shelf and is a definite conversation-starter. It is a 620 medium format camera, originally produced in 1947 with continued production into the early 1960s. It’s a Twin-Lens Reflex camera, meaning it works off of two lenses — one for the viewfinder and one for taking the photograph. One of the key features of the Kodak Duaflex is the waist-level viewfinder, so you look down into the top of the camera to take a photograph. This type of camera takes some getting used to, but once you get the hang of it, it’s such a fun and unique experience. Plus, it just feels good to reconnect with the old-school style of photography.

To be honest, I have no idea where my Kodak Duaflex came from. As a photographer for over a decade, I’ve become the friend and family member that everyone donates their cameras to, but I’m more than okay with that! My collection is constantly growing and it allows me to bring different cameras with me on every trip I take!

For my recent trip to Portugal, I grabbed the Kodak Duaflex off my shelf, tested the shutter, made sure I could open it up to put film in, and then tossed it in my suitcase! I had never used this camera before, so it was a bit of a risk hauling it all the way to Portugal. But at this point, I’ve realized these old, vintage cameras are surprisingly resilient. The more simple the camera, the longer they seem to last without issues. As long as the shutter works, you’re pretty much golden!

I’m so excited that my first roll of film actually turned out! I wanted to share a few of the pros and cons that I’ve experienced so far with this camera, and if you’d like to see how my photographs turned out, you can check out my YouTube video about the Kodak Duaflex, or you can scroll down to the bottom of this post!

PROS

I know how intimidating these cameras can be because of their age. They almost seem foreign to us because of how used to the digital age we are. But what’s hilarious about that is that these cameras are SO BASIC. They are about as simple as you can get. They are essentially a box with a hole in it. There are absolutely no settings other than the “I” or the “B” mode, which stands for “instantaneous” and “bulb”. The Instantaneous mode is about 1/30th of a second shutter speed, and the Bulb mode is for as long as you hold the shutter open. The Bulb mode is typically used for low-light situations or for capturing light trails and things of that nature. For this type of camera, I mostly stick to the “I” mode because the 1/30th of a second is slow enough for me! Personally, the simplicity of this camera is definitely a pro for me. There are no complicated settings or confusing buttons.

Another pro of this camera is the affordability. You can find them for about $15-35 on eBay or KEH Camera, or you might just happen to stumble across one in a thrift store if you’re lucky! They also tend to be in relatively good condition for their age because there is no battery compartment or anything for corrosion to occur.

I’m also pleasantly surprised by the sharpness of this camera! Not too long ago, I reviewed the Kodak Brownie Hawkeye. While I loved the images, they weren’t as sharp as I’d hoped they’d be. But I think my lens was also a little foggy. My images from the Kodak Duaflex though, were crisp and stunning! I truly couldn’t believe it. Especially with such a slow shutter speed. I was expecting them to be blurry and show some motion. It is definitely important to stand as still as possible when shooting with this camera though to avoid shaking the camera!

CONS

One of the main disadvantages of this camera is that 620 film isn’t produced anymore. However, you can purchase any 120 film, a few old 620 film spools and roll it onto the 620 film spool yourself! The film is the same size but the spools are different. If you don’t want to take the risk though, you can also purchase pre-spooled 620 film from the Film Photography Project. They have a really fun starter pack that I purchased, which contained the Kodak 100 TMAX black and white film that I used for my first roll of film with the Duaflex.

The slow shutter speed (1/30th of a second) can be a bit of a pain to work with. It’s nearly impossible to stand still enough for a crystal clear photo, but I literally just hold my breath as I take the photo to avoid motion blur! I will also set the camera on a hard surface and push the shutter gently, which also helps with steadiness. There’s also a tripod socket on the bottom of the camera if you just don’t trust yourself!

Another thing I noticed from this first roll of film is that the focusing distance is quite large. Apparently it is about 3 feet to infinity, which is much further than the majority of my cameras. So I was a little surprised by the portraits we took. In the moment. I felt that it was far enough away that it would be in focus, but when I got the images back, you’ll see that your subject has to be pretty far away for them to be in focus. This isn’t a huge deal and I don’t really mind it, but it will take some time to get used to that!

FINAL THOUGHTS

I’m so incredibly happy that I took this camera with me to Portugal. I know I’ll treasure these photos forever. The first roll of film with each of my cameras is very special to me because I’m truly just having fun trying to figure out if the camera even works. It’s an experiment that keeps me interested in photography. And getting my film back from the lab is always such an exciting day! I’ll definitely be taking this camera with me on future trips, especially if we’re comparing it to the Kodak Brownie Hawkeye. This camera is much sharper and I’m just thrilled with the images. I want to try out more multiple exposures and portraits with it in the future, too. Now that I’m aware of the focusing distance, I’ll be able to get a bit more creative.

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!

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


WHERE TO BUY THE KODAK DUAFLEX CAMERA:

Amazon

eBay

KEH Camera


FILM I USED:

Kodak TMAX 100 by the Film Photography Project


620 take-up spools if you want to spool your 120 film onto a 620 spool yourself:

Amazon


120 film I recommend if you’re pre-spooling yourself:

Kodak 100 TMax 120 Film (what I used for the images below)

Kodak Portra 160 120 Film

Fujifilm Neopan Acros 100 120 Film

Lomography Color 400 120 Film


<3 Myles Katherine


(click to enlarge images)




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

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

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