Random Film - Lomography Redscale 100

First, I would like to apologize for not keeping up with the new features of the blog that I planned on implementing awhile back.  I briefly discussed some photo news in one post, but I've yet to launch the photographer profile section.  I was busy with a few other things in my life at the time and I haven't been able to keep it as updated as I would like.  I still plan on launching that section and providing some additional photo news, I just don't have a timeline for it. 

I recently blogged about my trip to the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum.  In preparation for that trip, I had to finish shooting a number of started rolls in various cameras.  I recently finished all of those rolls and just received them back from processing.  My next few posts will be dedicated to talking about the film used, the cameras they were shot with and the images.  The first film that I'm going to discuss is Lomography Redscale 100.

When I purchased my Hasselblad 500 c/m, the only roll of film I currently had lying around to test it out was the redscale film.  Two items that are on opposite ends of the spectrum; one of the sharpest medium format cameras made and a film that is shot on the opposite side of the emulsion and sold by a company that embraces the flaws, light leaks, the imperfections and the accidents in analog photography. 

According to Lomography, the redscale film is the world's first preloaded and ready to shoot redscale film.  In fact, the redscale effect can actually be achieved by simply loading 35mm in a camera backwards.  The back of the film has a semi-transparent layer to protect the emulsion from extra light hitting it and when the film is flipped, shooting through this layer produces red, orange and yellow tones.  This effect is very similar to shooting through a red or orange filter with unpredictability thrown in.

The key word for this film is unpredictable, because that's exactly what shooting Lomography Redscale film is.  It's rated at a speed of 100 and I took it out on a very sunny day.  I was armed with the Hasselblad and a light meter.  I took my time setting up shots and tried to get the correct exposure.  When I received my processed film, I wasn't that happy with the final results.  They lacked the range of reds, oranges and yellows that i saw in the Lomography gallery.  Some of my shots were dark, bluish and green.  In addition to that, the film was prone to heavy scratches.  One roll wasn't enough to make a solid judgement, so I felt I needed to give the film another chance.  Below are a few examples of the Hasselblad red scale images.

Shot at F5.6 @ 1/60 second

Shot at F5.6 @ 1/250 second

Shot at F5.6 @ 1/125 second

The next time around, I decided to shoot redscale through my Holga.  I felt that I might get better results using a "lo-fi" camera with a "lo-fi" film.  This particular roll of film took awhile for me to finish up; I shot it in a number of different locations, but I tried to use it in as much light as possible.  The results were better this time around, but I still received dark and muddy results in a few of the frames.  In addition to that, there was an odd bluish-green fogging that appeared on the film during processing.  Now, I use a highly professional lab, so I don't chalk that up to the technicians that processed the film.  I think the film is highly unpredictable, which can be expected by basically shooting through its' backside. 

In my opinion, to achieve the best possible results from the film, one should shoot this film on a bright and sunny day and overexpose by about two stops to achieve the best possible tonal range the Lomography Redscale film has to offer.  It's an interesting film; one that I probably won't use too often.  When exposed properly, it produces a distinctive, enjoyable result.  Results that can be quite stunning.  But, if you're not into Lomography and unpredictable flaws, this film is not for you.  Here are a few images from the second roll of redscale that I shot on my Holga:

Hasselblad 500 c/m!

I've had a bad case of Gear Acquisition Syndrome (GAS) this year.  It started in January when my wife purchased a Polaroid SX-70 for my birthday.  From there, I've accumulated numerous film cameras and I'm up to a total of 15 different makes and models.  Some of them I haven't even shot yet.  It's somewhat of an addiction.  When you began diving into the world of film photography, you become aware of so many combinations to achieve your artistic vision.  Cameras manufactured decades earlier are still relevant and in good condition.  Most of them are in perfect working order or may need a simple CLA, but film can still be purchased and wonderful images can be created; all at a fraction of the cost of shooting digitally. 

I'm in my infancy of using 120 medium format film; mostly shooting the roll film through my Lomography cameras, the Holga and the Diana F+.  I've had great results, but I've been wanting to upgrade to a professional medium format camera.  There are a number of great models out there, but there was just something about the iconic Hasselblad 500 c/m camera that I couldn't resist.  Hasselblad is a name that's synonymous with quality and the 500 c/m was a completely interchangeable machine.  The iconic box shape is not the only thing intriguing about this camera. It's truly a professional kit with a variety of interchangeable options.  In addition to the lenses, if you don't like the focusing screen, you can change it.  You don't like the viewfinder, change it; you want to switch from black and white film to color film mid roll, change it.  It's a highly flexible system that produces gorgeously sharp 6x6 "square" negatives.  So, after seeing some of the results on Flickr and reading about this camera and it's surprisingly cheap price point compared to today's digital standards, I just had to get one.  I saved some money and perused eBay until I found a great deal from Columbus Camera Group.  I couldn't resist and I ended up winning the auction. 

It arrived a couple days later and actually handling this camera in person is better than I expected.  It's well built; it's definitely not like holding a Holga in your hand.  The camera is very particular and there are functions that I simply wasn't used to.  A great deal of reading and researching was required before I could actually take this camera on a test run.  After getting a good handle on the basic functions of my new Hasselblad, I was ready to take it for a spin.  Unfortunately, for such a great camera, the only roll of film I had to run through it at the time was a roll of Lomography Red Scale.  Not the ideal roll, but at least I was going to go shooting with this new toy.  I had to pick up a few of my images that were hanging in the Gateway Arts Council Spring Fling Exhibit, so I thought I would swing by Tawawa Park afterwards and run that first roll through.  I spent a couple hours wandering down paths and setting up shots.  This was only the second time that I used a light meter and I had to get used to seeing the image reversed in the viewfinder.  Regardless, it was a good time and I really enjoyed using the camera.  The sound of shutter is magnificent and to hear it is simply enough to convince me to continue using the camera.  After a couple of hours, I had finished the roll of film and I sent it off to my lab for processing.  I received it back within a week and I was a little disappointed.  While my exposures were pretty close, my shots weren't great and I just didn't get anything of outstanding quality.  My negatives also came back heavily scratched.  I had a bit of a freak out moment and thought something was wrong with my A12 back.  I searched all over the Internet and found that Lomography Redscale film scratches easily.  I couldn't be 100 percent certain that my film back was functioning properly until I ran another roll through.  The FPP Midwest Meet Up was coming up in a few weeks, which made for the perfect opportunity to shoot the Hasselblad again.

This time I was armed with a roll of Adox 50 ISO black and white film.  After the photo walk portion of the meet up, I ventured back out alone to do some additional shooting.  I shot the entire roll, focusing mainly on urban and rural decay type shots.  The roll came back from my lab without scratching and I was happy with some of the results.  While I have a lot to learn and I still have to get used to this camera, I know I'm going to love it.  I have a project that I'm going to be working on in August and I'll be using the same Adox film and the Hasselblad to complete it.  If the results are as promising as I know they can be, I can't wait to share it with all of you.  In the mean time, check out a few images from my second roll.  Enjoy!