LomoChrome Turquoise

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a shot of the armadillo building in glasgow in the background, with the gardens of the science centre in the foreground. due to the colour shifting nature of the film, the sky is orange and the foliage is a deep teal green.

the beauty of film photography, to me, is that unlike digital, every film you use has different properties. some are good in low light, some in bright sunshine. some accentuate specific colours like reds or greens, some are great for skin tones.

and then other films get really creative with it.

lomography, the company, have been making films for years, and are not afraid to get weird with it. they have a range called LomoChrome, currently made up of three films: Purple, Turquoise, and Metropolis.

this, folks, is LomoChrome Turquoise.

a photo of two rounded shiny buildings, not entirely unlike woodlice, stand at the banks of the river. due to the colour shifts of this film, the cloudy sky is orange and the foliage a rich teal green.

a photo of a crow wandering on some grass. due to the colour shifting nature of the film, the grass is a deep teal green and the sky is orange.

a photo of the horizon, with a silhouetted grand ornate building peeking out from behind equally silhouetted trees. due to the colour shifts of this film, the cloudy sky and river reflection is orange.

i don't know the science behind it, but what this film does is shift colours. greens become turquoisey, hence the name, blues become oranges as you can see with the sky in these images, and skin tones shift to blue. 

you might think "ok, that's cool and everything, but what can i use that for?" and the answer is "everything, kinda." 

i'll do another post about the other LomoChrome films soon, but to me, Turquoise excels when you're looking at weird buildings and sparse, barren landscapes. given the blue skies, it's hard not to imagine you're looking at alien worlds when you shoot this film, complete with blue people. think about strange angles, think about cloudy orange skies, think about reflections in buildings and interesting poses if you're going for portraits.

the top of the glasgow tower peers out from behind some trees. due to the colour shifts of this film, the trees are a deep forest green and the sky is a light orange.

a photo of a bald man in a t-shirt looking through a telescope in front of some buildings. notably, the film has rendered the man's skin in bright blue.

the glasgow tower stands next to its reflection in the science centre windows. due to the colour shifts of this film, the sky is a light orange.

so that's all i have to say. goes without saying that even in a cheap point and shoot, this film is going to sing if you expose it to the right conditions. it's pricier than other more basic films but if you've got a subject in mind, it can produce some truly fantastic results. 

so, if you've got a few spare pennies and are looking for something outside the norm, all i can suggest is that you give it a go. you'll be amazed at some of the shots you get back.

a photo of some foliage, now rendered teal green below an orange sky, featuring the shadows of three figures.

a photo of a small shuttered white square building below an orange sky.

a photo of a landscape where the orange sky is reflected in a pond surrounded by teal green foliage.

a blue tinged old building stands below an orange sky.

if you're buying film in the uk, i can't recommend Analogue Wonderland enough. they sell all sorts of weird and wonderful film, including Turquoise in 35mm and 120, and if you follow that link and buy literally anything you'll get a coupon for a FREE roll of Kentmere Pan 400, a decent quality black and white film. and when you've finished a roll, send it off to Gulabi - they're cheap, provide high quality scans, and they're super fast too. 


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