Today’s Post by Joe Farace
From last month: Joe’s Film Box is different from other subscription boxes because you don’t have to subscribe and it’s free. Each month I plan to select two different rolls of 35mm film from a single dealer/vendor. So far, it’s been fun but there will be no Film Box in July. I’m hoping it comes back in August. Here’s why…
When shooting Lomography’s Lomochrome Metropolis 35mm film at the June Exhaust & Espresso event at Parker, CO’s Vehicle Vault, I had some camera battery problems. It’s been detailed in a post on my car photography; click here for the sad details explaining what happened. I was looking forward to shooting this film that supposedly features “punchy contrast and muted tones with intense color pops.” It’s noted for having a “color film noir” look with muted, unsaturated colors with deep shadows and high contrast.
There’s no July Film Box but I want to do a couple of things for August:
1. Try Again. I want to get another roll of Lomochrome Metropolis, which is a little harder to do than you might think. Although you can order a roll directly from Lomo, what I would prefer is to order Lomo’s Analogue Duet Mixed 35mm Film Pack ($28.90) but it’s “out of stock” as I write this.The package includes “Lomography’s coolest, color-shifting 35mm films”— LomoChrome Metropolis and new Purple—and includes a free keychain. Each C-41 film comes in an “irresistible, individual tin can.” I’ll save that can when I send it in for processing. I have a large container of (plastic) film containers to use if I decide ship it out-of-state. (Look for a video, sort-of about this topic soon.)
2. Go Kodak. Kodak’s ColorMax 400 and ColorPlus 200 are films I would like to try. As I write this, they are hard to find. although some 24-exposure rolls of ColorPlus 200 are available from some unlikely sources.
You can, of course, get both of these films by paying Amazon’s usurious prices. On Amazon, a roll of ColorMax 400 costs $22.99 in their “Kodak Store.” They will sell you ColorPlus 200 for $15.99 a roll and advertise it as “KODAK 6031470 Color Plus 200 135/36 Film, Black/White-Negative Film.” I wonder what kind of film Amazon actually ships Prime members for their sixteen bucks? I’ll pass Jeff, you will need to find somebody else to pay for your $500 million yacht and bridge relocation project. Update: As reported in the New York Times, Rotterdam is no longer going to take apart a nearly century-old bridge to allow Bezos’ new half-billion-dollar boat to leave its shipyard. When sanity and supplies of both of these films resume, I really, really want to try both of these film stocks.
Meanwhile I hope that all of you have a pleasant July Fourth
PS: Just a reminder: My video Why Film, Why Now is live now on my YouTube channel, Joe Farace’s Videos, featuring a look at a my reasons and philosophy about why I’m a film photographer. Also Podcast #5 is now available as well.
If you would like to send me another kind of film to review or any other stuff that could be used for these posts and my videos you can mail it to: Joe Farace, PO BOX 2081, PARKER, CO 80134