When it comes to film, I have a pretty simple palette. My ‘go-to’ film of choice has always been Portra 400. Recently, I’ve had a brief love affair with Fuji Pro 400H but falling in love with a discontinued film is a bad idea!

As you can probably tell from my Vanilla film choices (and Vanilla happens to be my favourite Ice Cream - my middle name is definitely not ‘Danger’!) I tend to keep things simple. Every now and then I might experiment with an expired film if I’m feeling particularly adventurous! However, in my instant hunt for reasonably priced film, I stumbled across Lomography.

If you’ve even stepped foot in the film world, you will have come across Lomography. Their dedication to analogue photography and commitment to quit is pretty much unmatched! Despite having a great range of affordable cameras to explore (I myself had a Dianna-F for many years and in part, it was that camera that got me back into shooting film!) they also have an amazing range of film!

PLEASE NOTE: I WAS SENT THESE ITEMS FOR REVIEW BUT NO OTHER PAYMENT OR CONTROL WAS EXCHANGED FOR PUBLISHING THIS UNBIASED REVIEW

It was their more experimental offerings that got me interested though and after exploring the options, it was time for me to ‘Break Bad’ and ditch the Portra for something a. Little more exciting - I was going full Rum Raisin! 

There were a couple of caveats, I pretty much only shoot Medium Format and it must be C41 development so that I could develop the film myself. Fortunately, Lomography had me covered with a great range of 120 colour negative film. The three I would be shooting with were Metropolis, Lomo Purple and Lomo 800.

The only real stipulation that I put on myself was that I was going to shoot all of the films on the same camera and lens setup. It’s not that I would be drawing a direct comparison between the films, we’’re dealing with three very different beasts here! It was more to keep the process straightforward. So the Bronica GS-1 and 65mm lens were my weapons of choice!

My developing would all be done at home so your results with these films may very, but I tried to be as consistent in my approach as possible! That included editing the images - all images have only had a very light edit and I have tried to keep the colours/tones somewhat representative of how the film looks. The only slight caveat being the Lomo 800 were I did use a Black Pro Mist ¼ filter - just to soften the lights at night. 

LOMOGRAPHY METROPOLIS

Metropolis is probably most famous for its muted, desaturated look with a good kick of contrast. As a Portra shooter, the desaturated look sounds like it should be right up my street. However, this was probably the film I was most suspicious of. I tend to go for warmer, more wholesome tones and this felt like it might be a little, dystopian…

However, when I saw the results, I was pretty impressed! This is probably more a reflection of my shooting style but the film renders a lot different to what I would normally go for. But it was a pleasant surprise and I could certainly see myself using it more often and certainly the kind of film that would be useful for certain projects or even entering photography competitions with a more urban feel!

I personally think it looks better when you have a bit of strong, directional light. If you shoot more urban scenes then this is certainly a great film for you. It has a little punch of colour that pops through and draws the viewer into the image. The contrast is great and gives it a gritty feel, without being too overdone.

As with all films, choosing what speed to shoot it at is really a personal choice. I shot this film at 200 to give the film a little extra light and I’m glad I did. That said, I also think this film would look cool and underexposed a little, it would certainly render shadows deep and black thanks to that strong, contrasty look. 

LOMOGRAPHY LOMOCHROME PURPLE

OK, I’ll admit I had no idea what to expect from this film! I’d done a little bit of Googling to see what it was all about but didn’t think it would be my cup-o-tea! I was wrong, I loved how these images came out! But there was one big problem with this roll of film, me… Let me explain.

I used the same camera/lens combo for all the films I tried - the Bronica GS-1. Whilst I was loading the Purple - I noticed the film leader and distance to the ‘Start’ markers on the backing paper was quite short. As I wound the film on to get to ‘shot 1’ - I was convinced the film was not being collected by the pick-up spool!

I hastily opened the back of the camera (believing the film would still be unwound) only to find the film had been collected correctly and I’d just exposed the first shot - what an idiot… but it gets worse. When I close the film back, it obviously resets the shot counter as if it’s loading a new film!

I quickly applied a bit of logic and switched to multiple exposure mode (thinking this would move the film counter on but not advance the film) - again, I managed to mess that up and what’s the result of all this stupidity - I wasted about half the roll of I’ll! There is a price to pay for this level of stupidity and when you shoot film, that price can quickly add up!

However, I did manage to get a few shots on the roll and I’m glad I did because I love how this film looks! This is the answer to all of my 'Vanilla’ Portra shooting and is so far removed from my normal style! It really did put a smile on my face as I was scanning the negatives and seeing those bright, bold colours shine through! 

I’ll admit, I’m sure this film won’t be for everybody and I certainly preferred the way it renders vegetation/sky rather than what it does in urban environments. However, it was great fun to shoot with and I wouldn’t hesitate in shooting with it again! Sure, you can adjust hue in Lightroom to get a similar look but where’s the fun in that and the one thing this film stuck is, is fun!

LOMOGRAPHY LOMO 800

So on a more serious level, this film is one that I was very excited to shoot with. Not because it has any weird or wonderful quirks but because it is probably most similar to a ‘standard’ colour negative film - albeit an 800 speed film. This film wouldn’t give me anything strange or peculiar, but if it was a decent alternative to Portra 800 then I’m here for it, as the kids say… 

Shooting the film raised one important question - do I shoot in the day, or in the night. Obviously, ISO 800 lends itself to slightly lower light conditions but I thought I’d fire off at least one late afternoon shot, just to see how it does. I wish I’d shot a lot more in the daylight! I think this film looks awesome in a sunset/soft light scenario! The soft pastel tones, beautiful grain structure and slightly warm feel make this film ideal for these kinds of scenarios!

However, I’d banked on it being a film I could use at night and guess what, it excelled in that department too! The 800 speed meant that my exposures didn’t need to be super long! I overexposed by about a stop and the longest exposure I was getting (in normal shooting conditions) was around two seconds. For a couple of shots, I did choose intentionally to stop down a little and get a bit more movement in the light trails.

This film worked wonderfully in the dark and I’m very impressed by the results. My only slight concern is the warmer base tone that comes through - but this is obviously easily corrected in post. If I was to have another, very mild criticism of the film it’s that the negatives themselves felt a little bit thinner than normal and therefore, were prone to curling. I honestly don’t know if this is me being super sensitive or if most 800 speed films are like this, but it’s something to be mindful of.

That said, I would have no problem buying a whole bunch of this film as my go to low light option. More so, I would also buy a load to shoot in the day/dusk as I think this would be a fantastic option. I’ve often heard good things about Lomo 800 and I can say that I am a well paid-up, ticket holding member on that particular band-wagon! 

MY FINAL THOUGHTS…

I had so much fun shooting these films. I have felt for a while that I need a change of speed with my film photography and shooting these stocks has highlighted that there is so much more to film photography than the old favourites! Would I use these films on a daily basis, possibly not but I can argue a good case for projects shot in each of these films and that is something that I’m sure I will do!

Lomography is more than just a retailer though and this is the message that I really wanted to get across. Brands like Lomography are at the heart of film photography and are opening up a world of possibilities to people like me and hopefully, you. From their cameras and films to their absolute enthusiasm about the community, it’s great to see brands not just trying to ‘sell’ us something, but genuinely caring about the people that matter, the creative process and the end results! Long live Lomography…

About the Author - Ross Jukes is a professional Photographer and Videographer with over a decade of experience. Working in both Digital and Analogue formats, Ross has worked with international clients, had his worked published numerous times and exhibited his work extensively. With a passion for all things photographic, Ross combines his experience, enthusiasm and dedication to his art form to create engaging and educational content for the photographic community.

Disclaimer: All links to Amazon UK are affiliated links - you will still pay the same price but I will receive a small commission for providing the link. All information provided in this blog is intended either for educational or entertainment purposes and is accurate to the best knowledge of the author. However, further research/professional advice should be sort before making purchases/implementing any advice given and no responsibility is taken by the author or parties mentioned here within.