2023 - Another great year for film users

Millbrook Diner, Kodak Aerocolor.

Here it is, almost the end of December, and it’s a good time to review some events of 2023, both good and bad, that involve film-based photography.  In the digital world, it’s all about mirrorless wonders from Nikon, Canon, Leica, Fuji, etc., but over here in film land, we rarely get new film cameras, so we get excited by new film stocks, right?  Of course, there was the announcement by Ricoh/Pentax about a new film camera project, and we will have to wait to see where that goes. The release of the Polaroid I-2 advanced instant camera was met with enthusiasm by many, and jeers by a few. I’m never going back to any instant cameras, but if I was looking for  one, the I-2 certainly has all the bells and whistles that makes it stand out apart from any others currently on the market.  

I can’t really get excited by any of the simple-use cameras that arrived in 2023.  I get that they are designed to attract a different segment of the market, and anything new and shiny that takes 35mm film is at least better than nothing at all.  The Kodak Ektar H35N doesn’t do it for me, as I’ve had my fling with GOOD half-frame cameras, and I’m not about to use another one.  But if you are looking to maximize your picture-taking on a single roll of film, the H-35N could be a good choice for you.  Take a look at Dave Mihaly’s YouTube videos and make your decision from them.  Yes, I have done a lot of photography with cheap plastic cameras, and I have my favorites.  But, I don’t need to buy any of these “new” plastic cameras currently being sold.  

That brings me to Lomography, which as long been the home of the plastic fantastic (and not necessarily cheap).  Some models that were out of stock are now back in production, such as the Lomo Kino (at $60, a bargain), and the Spinner 360 (less than $50).  Say what you want, but Lomo has been innovative, interesting, and has been a big booster for analog photography.  

I’m sure there have been some interesting introductions of other film cameras this year, and I apologize for not covering some of the boutique offerings in the pinhole and large-format world.  As the saying goes, “if you know, you know.”

FILMS

The year started out with the stock of color films being low, and price hikes had a lot of folks bitching about that. I get it, and for some people, finding that they’d spent over $15 for a roll of film, $30 for processing and prints or scans, it was a bridge too far.  It wasn’t the best for anyone wanting to get started, especially with their $50 simple-use camera, and getting back a bunch of underexposed shots.  For us old-timers (since I’m not a 30-something YouTuber - I’m twice their age, so I’m probably a film dinosaur) film prices haven’t been the limiting factor in the avocation.  But  yes, color film was definitely more expensive in the beginning of the year than at the end, when Kodak and Lomography were discounting their 120 film stocks.  

The rising prices and scarcity of C-41 films definitely drove up the interest in using ECN-2 films, especially from sellers that were removing the remjet so that the films could be developed by any C-41 lab.  That lead us to the Cinestill 800T shit show, and enough has already been said about that on social media, YouTube, and blogs.  My opinion, for what it’s worth, is that Cinestill was improperly granted a license to trademark 800T.  Second, they don’t want competition from sellers like Reflx Labs in China.  Third, we all want a bargain, so vote with your wallet.  Rem-jet removed films such as Amber (from RETO), Reflx Labs, and others are definitely cheaper than the Cinestill versions — and they are the same emulsions. 

Lomography’s introduction of Lomochrome Color ’92 added another unique film stock to an already interesting array of films.  I reviewed that film (https://randomphoto.blogspot.com/2023/08/one-roll-review-lomochrome-color-92.html) in August.  With Metropolis, Turquoise, and Purple, you can do some fun stuff.  Lomochrome Purple in particular, gives results somewhat akin to a color IR film.  

The winner for the least-hyped color film is Kodak Aerocolor, which is being repackaged under various names, such as Elektra 100, Santa Color 100, Reflx Lab Pro 100, and Karmir 160.  Aerocolor is a fine-grained aerial photography film with great latitude, and a lot of people are just discovering it.  If Kodak/Alaris could get their shit together, they’d be offering Aerocolor  as a Kodak product in 35mm and 120.  Instead, they have siloed the different divisions and that’s to their detriment.  

 

The winner for the most-hyped color film is obviously Harman Phoenix.  I’ve never seen a film rollout like this one, and love it or hate it, Phoenix is a unique emulsion. Lens caps off to Harman for their foray into the world of color.  I’ve shot one roll so far, and I’ll wait for a day with light clouds and no bright sun for the next one.   

I believe that the Kentmere Pan 100 and 400 are two of the least-expensive b&w films out there, and in my experience, give outstanding results.  I’ve used them for years, when they were only sold as Ultrafine Extreme by Photo Warehouse, in California. Now, in their own branding, the Kentmere films are an excellent value in 35mm and 120.

Reflx Lab in China has been doing a great job with their branding and selling of various film stocks, and their recent introductions of several ECN-2 films with the remjet removed so that they can be developed as C-41 is a great thing.  In my local camera store - Ball Photo, in Asheville, I’m seeing more variety of films than ever before.  Sure, some of them are just rebranded stocks, but if that gets someone to try one out, all the better.

The Film Photography Project just keeps rolling along with their films for still and cine cameras.  Their catalogue of FPP-branded film stocks is impressive, and while it’s the place to go for the unusual, they also sell the major brands at the best prices.  

Another very positive development (the photo puns write themselves) is the production of Kodak-branded photochemistry coming back to the USA.  Photo Systems, Inc. in Dexter, MI which used to be known as Unicolor, will be producing Kodak-branded photo chemistry.  I toured that facility a number of years ago, and it looks like Dexter, MI will be seeing ever more semi-trucks coming and going from that factory.  In case anyone forgets, Kingsport, TN is the home of Eastman Chemical, which used to make photo chemistry there.  That’s about an hour from my home.

Deaths (certainly not comprehensive)

The permanence of great photography is exemplified by Elliot Erwitt, who died at the age of 95. His images have appeared in various books and monographs.  He left us with many indelible images of the every-day that were never ordinary.  https://www.elliotterwitt.com/

John Fielder, a well-known photographer of the natural scenes in Colorado, died at 73. 

https://www.cpr.org/2023/08/13/john-fielder-photographer-colorado-outdoors-died-at-73-years-old/

Frank Borman, astronaut, died in November, at the age of  95 - took the first photograph on the Apollo 8 mission of the earth from the moon - that image is lesser known than the one taken by William Anders - Earth Rise- which inspired a consciousness  of Earth being our home, alone in the cosmos.  Those Hasselblad cameras were instrumental in the Apollo program, and the quality of the images from them are unsurpassed, especially when you consider the environment in which they were used.

Frank Borman's photo

Larry Fink, well-known for his photography in Greenwich Village, and chronicling the Beat generation, died at 72.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qt9M2aQAFT0

Lawrence McFarland, photographer and educator, died at 81.  Known for his landscapes, he was a respected professor of photography at the University of Texas, Austin. https://www.lawrencemcfarlandphoto.com/home

John Benton-Harris, photographer/visual sociologist, died at 83.  An American in the UK, he was renowned for his photo essays of the British people. https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2023/oct/23/john-benton-harris-obituary

Helen Marcus, a noted photographer of the famous in New York, died at 97. Her career started late - at age 50.  Her black and white portraits of famous writers such as Tom Wolfe and Toni Morrison are iconic.  https://www.shelf-awareness.com/issue.html?issue=4601#m61893

Georgia M. Coxe, died at 92.  She was known both for her poetry and her photography, which in my mind, is an ideal combination. https://provincetownindependent.org/obituaries/2023/09/20/poet-and-photographer-georgia-coxe-dies-at-92/

North Carolinian photographer, Bruce Roberts, died at 93.  He pioneered the use of 35mm in newspaper reportage, and photographed a LOT of North Carolina for Southern Living and Our State magazines.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruce_Roberts_(photographer)

Cary Wolinsky, who often photographed for National Geographic magazine, died at 75. He was an astute photographer whose creativity with the camera is well-known. https://thephotosociety.org/cary-wolinsky-1948-2023/

Lisl Steiner, a photojournalist, documentarian, and film-maker, died t 95.  https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/18/arts/lisl-steiner-dead.html

There are a lot of photographers that have lived into their 90s, so I guess there’s hope for me yet.

What else to say about 2023?  I published 4 zines, which was pretty good. All of them were well-received.  I shot well over 100 rolls of film, developed most of it myself.  The nascent Asheville Camera Club published a zine, and is now meeting monthly. For once, I am just a participant, not an organizer.   I didn’t go on any lengthy road trips, which I hope to make up for in 2024.  However, I did pretty well with trips to Michigan, Ohio, New York, and South Carolina.

I hope 2024 goes well for everyone (well, almost everyone - democracy has to survive). 

How did 2023 work out for you?