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

September 19, 2024

(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

Polaroid Impulse 600 Review, How-To and Tips for Getting a Good Polaroid plus Sample Photos!

August 15, 2024

This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking through my links.

I have SO MANY vintage Polaroid 600 cameras. I’m not really sure how it happened, but I’m running out of space to store them! I’ve thought about selling a few but I’m so obsessed with the way they each look that I couldn’t bear to give them away. Polaroid cameras have such a retro look to them and it’s rare that I stumble across one that’s actually broken. They hold up really well and seemingly last forever if you take decent care of them. The Polaroid Impulse that I have actually belonged to my dad. He used it to photograph building sites back in the 80s and 90s for his construction company. It’s strange to think that they actually documented projects that way, but I guess when you don’t have a cell phone or digital camera, you aren’t left with many options! Make sure to scroll to the bottom of the post to see some sample photos I’ve taken with the Polaroid Impulse! I’ve also written a blog post about the Polaroid One-Step, a very similar vintage Polaroid 600 camera.

The Polaroid Impulse was originally produced in 1988. It’s extremely basic and easy to use. It takes 600 film, which you can buy on Polaroid.com now. It’s a long story, but for a few years, Polaroid film actually ceased to exist. Then, a company called The Impossible Project came along and began re-making instant film to fit in the old 600 Polaroid cameras. Eventually, they changed their name to Polaroid Originals, and then finally got the rights to the actual Polaroid name!

The Impulse only has a few adjustable settings so it’s practically a point-and-shoot camera. There is definitely no need to be intimidated by this type of 600 camera. On the front of the camera, there is a light/dark slider that is just for adjusting how bright or dark you’d like your film to be. I typically have mine set slightly to the right for a darker image. I tend to shoot mostly in bright sunlight and I don’t want my images too blown out. The hollow triangle represents a “lighten” setting, while the filled-in triangle represents the “darken” setting.

To turn on the camera, there is a pop-up flash on the top right side. You simply push the flash down and it will pop up, open the shutter, and turn on the light next to the shutter button on the back. If the light is red, the camera is not quite ready to take a photo. If it’s green, you’re ready to shoot!

The only other setting is a distance slider located on the top left of the camera. Your options are 2-4 ft or 4 ft to infinity. The camera automatically is set to the 4ft to infinity setting, but if you’re planning on taking a closer image of your subject, you can use your finger to slide the lever to the left for the 2-4 ft option. You actually have to hold your finger there the whole time or it will snap back to the 4 ft to infinity setting. Or maybe that’s just my camera and the button doesn’t stay. You never know with these old cameras!

The Polaroid Impulse is fully autofocus which makes it super easy to travel with. You don’t have to spend your time focusing on your subject. You just pop up the flash and take your photo!

To load the film, there is a sliding lever on the front right side of the camera. You slide it forward and the mouth of the camera will drop down. If there is film already in the camera, you remove it by pulling the tab and sliding it out. So easy! Then, to add a new pack of film, you just make sure the pack goes in with the tab facing out and on the bottom. Once you close the mouth of the camera back up, a cover with automatically come out of the camera. This cover was protecting your images from light and now the film is correctly loaded and your camera is ready to use!

A FEW TIPS FOR SHOOTING WITH POLAROID CAMERAS

As soon as you take your image, flip the camera upside down so your polaroid is not exposed to direct sunlight. Polaroids are extremely sensitive while they’re developing. As soon as the Polaroid has fully ejected from the camera, use your fingers to carefully grip the edges. DO NOT touch the actual photo while it is developing or you will end up with fingerprints on it! Sometimes the fingerprints can be fun and add a certain aesthetic, but if that’s not what you’re going for, just grip the edges and carefully put the Polaroid somewhere safe.
Keep the Polaroid decently warm while it’s developing. I’ve learned the hard way that in extremely cold weather, a Polaroid will not develop correctly. Now, I just automatically slide the Polaroid into my pocket to develop if it’s not at least 70 degrees outside. If it’s over 75 or 80 degrees, I’ll put the Polaroid in a dark bag to develop because then I know I won’t squish it or bend it if I sit down.
Don’t shoot in extremely dark environments unless you have studio lights or additional fill light. Even in a decently lit house and the flash going off on the camera, it’s still not enough light to get a bright polaroid of your subject if they are more than a few feet away. I typically use a ring light in my studio to light my subject if I’m shooting polaroids. This tends to provide enough light to get a lovely Polaroid portrait!
Hold the camera as still as possible while taking the photo. It’s easy to want to rush to flip the camera upside down so that your Polaroid isn’t exposed to the sunlight if you’re outdoors. But just make sure to be patient and do your best to not shake the camera while pressing the shutter button. If the camera doesn’t have enough light, you’ll notice the shutter is slower. I’ve experienced this if I’m shooting close to sunset and the light is falling from the sky. The shutter will be a bit slower and sometimes my subject will appear blurry. But it’s a fun way to capture beautiful colors in the sky!
Make sure your film is at least room temperature when shooting. Personally, I store my film in the refrigerator so that it lasts longer. I always make sure to let the film warm up before putting it in my camera and shooting. Again, this film is so sensitive to light and temperature changes!
Try not to stand too far away from your subject if you’re creating portraits. I’ve noticed that it’s better to be within at least within 8 feet of your subject so that the on-camera flash can reach them. If you’re further than that, your subject may appear too dark in your image. If you’re outside in bright light though, this probably won’t matter. But if your subject is in the shade, you’ll definitely want that flash to reach them.
HAVE FUN! Polaroids are perfect for party vibes, family portraits, candid moments, album covers, travel memories, and artsy photo shoots. I always take a few polaroids at every photo shoot because I like to collect them! It’s a great way to remember all of the shoots I’ve done and they’re perfect for scrapbooking, journaling and hanging on the wall. It’s just nice to have a physical print from a shoot afterwards and everyone loves sharing them on social media.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Try not to get too stressed out if you take a few polaroids that don’t turn out. It takes some getting used to, but once you get the hang of it, Polaroids are a great way to impress the photography community because some people just don’t have the patience to learn the quirks of these vintage cameras. Yes, they can be frustrating in some ways, but they are also incredibly straightforward in other ways. It’s taken me years to feel like I’ve fully figured out the best way to get a good Polaroid, and even now, I’ll take one that doesn’t turn out the way I’d hoped. Mostly, it’s when the weather outside isn’t cooperating temperature-wise. I’ve photographed a few weddings outside in winter temperatures and the Polaroids have a slightly dark and blue cast to them. That’s why it’s so important to use your body heat from your pockets to keep them warm while developing. But make sure not to put the developing part of the image directly against your skin or you will get oil on the polaroid that will affect the development process. That’s why a pocket is best! It takes about 10-15 minutes for them to fully develop, so after that you can store them in whatever temperature you’d like because they won’t be changing after that point. My absolute favorite 600 film to shoot with is the round frame 600 film. There’s just something so nostalgic and calming about the round Polaroids. It’s almost like they’ve already been framed and are ready for an art gallery.

WHERE TO BUY THE POLAROID IMPULSE CAMERA

Amazon

KEH Camera

eBay

WHERE TO BUY POLAROID 600 FILM

Polaroid.com

Amazon

WHERE TO BUY POLAROID 600 ROUND FRAME FILM

Polaroid.com

If you prefer to buy a NEW Polaroid-style camera (as opposed to vintage), Polaroid.com has the Polaroid I-2, the Polaroid Now +, and the Polaroid Go cameras. They are all super cute and it’s definitely on my list to pick up one of these soon. I just have to decide which one!!!

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! 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

Canon EOS R Review by a Professional Photographer | Is it Worth the Cost? | Canon EOS R vs. Canon 6D vs. Canon 5D Mark IV

June 5, 2024

Is the Canon EOS R Worth the Cost?

Canon EOS R Real World Review by a Professional Photographer

Canon EOS R vs. Canon 6D vs. Canon 5D Mark IV

(This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking through my links.)

I’ve been shooting with the Canon EOS R for about 4 years now and I figured it was about time to share my thoughts! When I originally bought the EOS R, I was thinking it would become my #1 camera, replacing my Canon 6D and 5D Mark II. While yes, it is better than both of these cameras and was my number one camera for about a year and a half, I wanted to share why I eventually ended up getting a Canon 5D Mark IV as my main camera and now use the EOS R as my secondary camera. BUT, don’t get me wrong! The Canon EOS R is an incredible camera and has all of the potential to be a major money-maker for your photography business. I originally purchased mine for $1799 for the body only. You can currently buy an amazing EOS R kit with a 24-105mm lens on Amazon for around $2300, which is not a bad deal at all for such a pro camera! At a photo shoot, I’m typically carrying my Canon 5D Mark IV with my 24-70mm f/2.8L lens and then my Canon EOS R with a 50mm f/1.2L lens. That’s my go-to camera set-up these days and it has been working very well for me for the last few years. It’s hard for me to imagine changing it up because it truly is a great set-up and covers every lighting and photography situation I’ve found myself in. I photograph everything from weddings to food to fashion to corporate events to portrait shoots, and this camera set-up has managed it all gracefully.

(Canon EOS R with Canon 50mm f/1.2 L Lens - click to enlarge images)

Canon has a huge line of mirrorless cameras now, but today I’m going to be focusing on the EOS R specifically because that’s what I personally have a LOT of experience with. Plus, it was their very first full-frame mirrorless camera so it set the standard for the brand. I’ll share some sample photos as well so you can get a good idea of the kinds of photos that this camera is capable of. Keep in mind though that the lens you use also plays a HUGE role in the photos you’ll get. I always recommend L series lenses, or the newer line of Canon RF lenses that are supposed to be incredible. The RF lenses are quite pricey though, but I’ve heard they are absolutely amazing. I’m all about a budget though and the L series lenses have served me well over the years.

So, I’ll talk about the pros and cons of the Canon EOS R and then share a comparison between the Canon EOS R, Canon 6D and the Canon 5D Mark IV.

PROS OF THE CANON EOS R

I think my absolute favorite feature of the EOS R is how sharp the photos are. It has a 30.3 megapixel full-frame sensor so your images are large and dynamic. I’ve used a variety of lenses on my EOS R, but I find it to work best with the Canon 50mm 1.2L lens. For a while, I tried it out with my 24-70mm f/2.8 zoom lens, but it never felt quite right. In order to use EF-mount lenses on a Canon RF Mount (which is what the Canon mirrorless cameras use), you have to use a lens adapter. It’s not really that big of a deal, but with zoom lenses, it can be common to experience distortion, even without a lens adapter. I did notice the distortion quite a bit when using the 24-70 lens with the EOS R since the adapter just adds more length to the lens, so I started using my 50mm lens with the EOS R. You’ll see in some of the sample photos that you almost get a sort of fisheye effect when shooting fully wide. It’s not necessarily a bad thing, but I just don’t find it quite as flattering when doing up-close portraits. With the 50mm f/1.2L lens though, I immediately noticed how beautiful portraits were with this set-up and haven’t been able to go back since! Canon is known for it’s softer and more natural-looking images than some of the other main camera brands. I’ve noticed that the Canon mirrorless cameras tend to produce images that have more of a digital look to them, which I’m not the biggest fan of. This was another reason I didn’t really like the look of the images when using my 24-70mm zoom lens with the EOS R. They looked a bit too sharp and digital and commercial for my taste. BUT. With the dreaminess and softness of the 50mm L lens, I found it to be a perfect combo. The “digital” look disappears and you get that beautiful portrait look, but with just a tad more sharpness than the non-mirrorless DSLRs. I absolutely love using this set-up for food photography as well. And at a wedding, I’ll typically use it for those moments when I’m alone with the couple to get those dreamy wedding portraits.

(Canon EOS R with Canon 24-70mm f/2.8L Lens - click to enlarge images)

Another pro of the EOS R is the ability to personalize the camera to your individual tastes. The EOS R is much more customizable than cameras like the Canon 6D and Canon 5D Mark IV. Because it’s a much more digitized experience, you can set many of the buttons and sliders to your liking. It even has a multi-function bar you can set to pretty much any feature you’d like. Whether you prefer to change the ISO, white balance or exposure compensation consistently when shooting, you can set it up to make those settings more easily accessible for yourself. This enables you to shoot faster and avoid flipping through the setting screens constantly. I personally have ISO set up on the multi-function bar because I end up changing the ISO a lot, especially at weddings because I’m constantly switching lighting conditions.

(Canon EOS R with Canon 50mm f/1.2L Lens - click to enlarge images)

It also has a touch-screen, high quality video features (4K at 30fps and 1080 at 60fps) and fun features like Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity options. It also is quite sturdy, though I wasn’t sure if it was going to hold up when I first got it in the mail. It seemed fragile when I first started using it. But when I dropped it hard on a concrete floor with my 50mm L lens and everything seemed to be still functioning perfectly, I changed my mind on that one. :)

CONS OF THE CANON EOS R

As a zoom lens girlie, the EOS R didn’t quite cut it as becoming my main camera, unfortunately, The distortion and “digital” look I was getting when pairing it with my Canon 24-70mm L lens made me start considering other options. A zoom lens will always be my main lens, it’s just who I am! This fact has caused the EOS R to come into second place in my camera set-up.

I also ended up running into a few glitches when it came to the touch-screen and customizable settings. While it’s great that you can set the buttons and multi-function bar to your liking, I also found the camera to be a bit non-intuitive. What I mean by that is that I never felt quite comfortable using it in high-stress situations like a wedding. I found myself fumbling through the buttons and constantly hitting the wrong settings on the touch-screen with my nose because I’m used to looking through viewfinders. The touchscreen is very sensitive, even when I set it to the “less sensitive” mode. And sometimes my fingers will graze the multi-function bar and end up jacking up my ISO to 25600 or something crazy and my photos will be totally overexposed and ruined, which I won’t find out until later because I’m not always checking my images at a fast-paced event like a wedding. It’s caused me a handful of issues that I never ran into with my Canon 6D or 5D Mark II. But if you’re not in fast-paced shooting situations, then I think it could be a great camera because it does have so many customization options. And while the Canon 5D Mark IV also has a touch-screen, I find it to be much less sensitive. I tend to avoid using the touch-screen at all and just use the buttons to click through the setting options.

I find myself shooting through the viewfinder with my 5D Mark IV, but holding my EOS R out in front of me and using the touch-screen to focus and take photos. If you’re not used to shooting through a viewfinder though, then the EOS R might be an easier switch for you than the 5D Mark IV!

I also just might be too old-school for the modern touch-screen and customization of the EOS R. I get frustrated with it because it’s not like the cameras I “grew up” on. It doesn’t feel intuitive and natural to me. My husband thinks maybe I just haven’t spent enough time attempting to customize it to my liking and he might be right. I’m very impatient when it comes to things like that so perhaps I’ll mess with those settings one more time. BUT, the good news about the EOS R is that I haven’t been able to beat the beauty of the images that it takes with my 50mm L lens, so it’s been impossible to justify getting rid of it.

THE CANON EOS R vs. CANON 6D vs. CANON 5D MARK IV

In comparison to my Canon 6D, which I was using for years as my main camera, the EOS R is significantly sharper and does much, much better in low-light situations. After shooting with the EOS R at a wedding, I would never go back to using the Canon 6D. The 6D is very soft, especially with low-light images, and can work quite slowly when it’s having trouble in a lighting situation. I never upgraded to the Canon 6D Mark II though, so I’m not sure how it compares to that one. However, it does seem that the mirrorless line just produces sharper images overall. Even in comparison to my Canon 5D Mark IV, which is my current main camera, I still find the EOS R images to be sharper. They are pretty incredible, if I’m being honest. However, as I’ve mentioned, I missed the way the Canon 5D Mark II and the Canon 6D felt in my hands, so I ended up upgrading to the Canon 5D Mark IV. You can read more about my thoughts on the Canon 5D Mark IV here, if you’d like!

The Canon 6D is significantly cheaper than any of the cameras on this list though and I’ll always recommend the Canon 6D or Canon 6D Mark II to beginners because they still produce amazing images that will impress your friends and family. Even my very first DSLR, the Canon 5D Mark II which I just recently sold, is a great option for beginners. It’s a pro-level camera that you can get at a super affordable price now because it’s a bit on the older side. I also truly believe that you don’t have to have an incredible camera to be an incredible photographer. I think it’s entirely possible to create award-winning photos with cheaper cameras. There’s no shame in that game. In fact, my favorite camera of all time is the Holga, a $50 toy camera that hardly has any features at all!

FINAL THOUGHTS

Overall, I personally place the Canon 5D Mark IV above the EOS R due to lens pairing and intuitiveness, which makes sense because it is more expensive and you’ll get more bang for your buck. However, the EOS R places above the Canon 6D and Canon 5D Mark II for me. The EOS R could easily be the number one camera in a photographer’s bag, it really just depends on your personal photography style. If you love super sharp images and tend to lean towards Sony & Nikon images, you might LOVE the EOS R. Canon’s mirrorless cameras are definitely fighting for a spot up there with those other brands. Also, it’s important to share that before I bought the 5D Mark IV, I considered selling ALL of my Canon gear and switching entirely to a new brand. I watched YouTube videos for days, comparing pricing, battery life, camera weight, features, video modes and lens options. I was itching for something new in my life and I truly considered this major life change! But at the end of the day, after making massive pro/con lists and considering every option, Canon kept winning for me. I just LOVE how Canon’s images look and it just feels so ME. Many of the other cameras in my price point were much heavier, or the battery life wasn’t as good, or they didn’t do multiple exposures. Some of those things are deal-breakers for me.

I guess I’m just a zoom lens Canon girlie and there’s not much I can do about it! I’ve supported myself entirely on photography for the last 12 years and I definitely attribute some of that success to Canon. They produce cameras that offer professional-quality images and are actually affordable, and it’s always been that way. Some of these other brands have cameras that just seem overpriced to me. The fact that you can buy a Canon 6D Mark II for $1200 is pretty amazing. Pair that with a Canon 50mm f/1.4 lens for only $400, and you’ve got yourself an affordable camera set-up to start a photography business. That’s a much cheaper investment that many other businesses require! And if you’re willing to buy gently used gear from KEH Camera or eBay, you can save quite a bit of money that way too! Just make sure if you’re using eBay that you buy from a reputable sellers with lots of reviews!

So, while the EOS R isn’t my TOP camera, I’d still recommend it to anyone looking for a sharp, modern camera with incredible low-light capabilities, especially if they aren’t willing to shell out the $2300 for the 5D Mark IV body alone. For that same price, you can get a body AND a lens with the EOS R on Amazon. When comparing the EOS R to other Canon cameras within a similar pricepoint like the Canon 6D Mark II, I’d recommend the EOS R. But you will find that the 6D is the cheapest of the bunch. The original 6D was actually my main camera for many years and I photographed dozens of weddings and fashion shoots with it. It’s not a bad camera by any means and is great if you’re working with a tight budget!

I hope that this post has helped you determine which camera to go with! You can also watch my unboxing of the EOS R on my YouTube channel here! You honestly can’t go wrong with any of these cameras and all of them have been majorly helpful for my business over the years.

Feel free to leave any questions/comments below. Thanks so much for stopping by! You can also check out my Amazon storefront for more camera/film recommendations. :) Have a lovely day!

KEH Camera (used)

SAMPLE PHOTOS

(click to enlarge images)

(Canon EOS R with Canon 24-70mm f/2.8L Lens)

(Canon EOS R with Canon 17-40mm f/4 Lens)

(Canon EOS R with Canon 50mm f/1.2L Lens)