Although photographers who never stopped using it will decry this statement, it's safe to say that photochemical film is back, or at the very least, having a moment. Lomography, a company that never stopped making film (or film cameras for that matter), is reviving one of its trippier experimental emulsions, LomoChrome Turquoise XR 100-400, with a slightly refreshed formula.
The new film is just starting to ship out to customers, though you might notice a 2021 date on its packaging. The company announced it late last year and customers who pre-ordered the film are just starting to receive rolls now. Lomo sent me a roll to try and I loaded it up in one of my favorite vintage cameras, a Leica M3 with a custom blue leather wrap.
LomoChrome Bends Reality
As part of the LomoChrome line, Turquoise XR 100-400 film draws the world more artistically than realistically. It lives side-by-side with LomoChrome Purple and LomoChrome Metropolis in the catalog. Each emulsion offers a unique approach to color shifts—LomoChrome Purple shifts greens and yellows into purplish hues, but leaves reds, blues, and neutrals alone. Metropolis mutes colors and pushes contrast for a punchier view of the world.
Turquoise is another thing entirely. Warm colors—reds, yellows, and oranges—shift to hues of blue. Blue tones change to shades of orange and brown. Greens take on a hint of blue but are still recognizable. Shades of gray, white, and black are relatively true to life. The mix makes for surreal visuals. I liken some of my Turquoise photos to the alien landscapes in No Man's Sky. Otherworldly is putting it lightly.
This was my first time trying the Turquoise film. I used the LomoChrome Purple on a couple of occasions and found its infrared-inspired rendering to be a good fit for landscape scenes. In particular, I liked the juxtaposition of purple grass set against stark gray stones for cemetery photography.
I tried some nature, landscape, and cemetery shots with the Turquoise film as well. The color shift effect isn't extreme for these scenes, but photos are palpably different than regular color film. Tree leaves, for example, aren't that far off from reality, at least when they're lush and green. Fall foliage pops out with different hues of blue with the film.
Your choice of ISO comes into play for these types of photos too; greens show a bit bluer and more pastel-like if you expose the film at ISO 100, or render with more saturation and contrast at ISO 400. That's true of color response in general for the film, too.
The M3 doesn't have a light meter and, to be candid, it's been a good fifteen years since I sent mine in for service, so I'm not sure if my shutter speeds are spot-on. I targeted ISO 200 for a photo walk around the streets of Baltimore. In the midpoint of its exposure range, LomoChrome isn't quite as pastel-like as it is at ISO 100 or as darkly saturated as it is at ISO 400. It's a pleasing middle ground.
The look of the film really worked for my aesthetic in the urban setting. Mid-20th-century signage, stickers, and other forms of street art, as well as architecture all drew my eye. If you're walking through a neighborhood full of red brick buildings, the Turquoise film really does a number on reality.
Develops In C41 Chemistry
The LomoChrome Turquoise look also has some things in common with cross-processing color negative film (C41) in slide film (E6) chemistry, an artistic technique that can give photos a blue cast. LomoChrome Turquoise doesn't require any sort of special handling—it develops with C41 color negative chemistry.
You still have to find a photo lab to handle your film, however, because the days of one-hour drug store labs are over. Local photo stores are a good resource for processing in your area. In my case, a quick call to my local camera shop was invaluable; the person I spoke with pointed me to a lab about a half-hour drive from my house, not bad considering I live in suburbia.
Development prices vary widely, though. I lucked out and found a lab with a reasonable $5-per-roll rate, but that doesn't include prints or digital scans. I'm enough of a photo nerd to have a film scanner, but if you don't, you should let them handle the process. Using a dedicated camera and macro lens is also an option, as is scanning via your smartphone camera. If you go that route, think about adding a film holder like the Pixl-Latr to make the process easier.
Try It for Yourself
I admit, I'm a sucker for photo gear that strives for imperfection. Vintage lenses, film-look filters, modern-day Polaroid instant film, and the surreal chemistry of LomoChrome all tug at my heartstrings. I really enjoyed trying the LomoChrome Turquoise film and wouldn't hesitate to reach for it on my next bit of urban exploration. I'm even thinking about picking up some in 120 to try with an old Rolleiflex.
This film is not for everyone, of course. Photographers who strive for realism likely won't appreciate the dystopian palette, for instance. But if you dig the look of LomoChrome Turquoise XR 100-400, the film is available for order now with delivery in November.
Pricing varies on format: 36-exposure rolls of 135 format (35mm) film and medium format 120 rolls cost $12.90 each, with a minimum of three rolls per order. The Turquoise film is also available for tiny 110 cameras, with 24-exposure rolls coming in at $8.90 each (again with a minimum of three rolls).
For more, check out my interview with Lomography's founders and my review of the LomoChrome Purple XR 100-400 film.