I Had to Use this Stuff for Work…
My coworkers and I all had to shoot rolls of Harman Phoenix 200 for work to “test” the film for a review book we’re working on. I’m not a fan of gimmick film at all, I think effects and color casts can be added in post if that’s your style, but it should be a choice, not the base result. I shot the roll anyway, and here are some results.
Right away, I didn’t really know what or when to shoot. Phoenix is 200ISO color film which is usually meant for daylight. That said, some reviews suggested it performed best when overexposed and shot at high-sun midday. Other reviews recommended photographing with Phoenix at sunrise and sunset, capitalizing on it’s orange cast. At first, I tried to photograph with a plan, but quickly decided to treat this roll like any other and compare the results as a standard stock.
Oh no! Right off the bat I was massively disappointed. This situation (morning light with blue skies and bright highlights) should be no problem for 200ISO color film. Look how terribly deep that blue became. I think the white of the wall was just too much for the meter.
I found this F600 in the same parking lot and tried to capture a vignette of the vehicle. A lot of my photos are of whole subjects (I’m very particular about framing) so I thought it might be interesting to only partially photograph the truck. I think it lends to a more inviting narrative. The lack of surrounding information allows for more questions.
I found these material barriers behind my building and was interested in the forms they made.
Welcome to my lunch setup! I enjoy some time in the sun very much, especially on a summer day spent mostly inside. I found this chair at the Job Lot for six dollars, and I spend my lunches with headphones in, eyes closed, soaking it in. It’s been Black Sabbath lately, rest in peace Ozzy Osbourne.
A few more photos from my lunch break. I like the grunginess of the colors on this stuff, I’m just not sure if that’s something I’d want to commit a full roll of film to in today’s economy.
I think this is a nice portrait of Mike Pacheco.
Some shots from around Waltham, MA.
I finished the roll up and down Comm Ave around Allston.
Overall I had a good time shooting. My distaste for experimental film allowed me to disconnect from expectations of quality or reliability, so I ended up with some fun photos. Would I pay for this? I’m not sure. Phoenix II just came out and this one is now discontinued, so maybe I’ll try the new stuff.