Everyday Renegades' Portraits on LomoChrome Purple 2021 Pétillant

We recently sent our LomoAmigo Benjamin O'Dea (a.k.a Everyday Renegades) a roll of our newly reformulated LomoChrome Purple 2021 Pétillant film to test out. Let's take a look at his surreal portraits and hear about his impression of the 35 mm film stock.

Hello, could you tell us about yourself and your work?

I'd consider myself to be a documentary, street and portrait photographer. The majority of what I shoot are strangers I approach on the street in various neighborhoods or cities. From there I do my best to humanize the person in that frame in a way anybody from any walk of life may relate.

Could you share your experience using the LomoChrome Purple 2021 Pétillant Film? How was it compared to shooting other regular Color Negative films?

When you shoot LomoChrome purple you're guaranteed something unique regardless of the subject, the same can't be said for other color negative films. I know I can capture a casual portrait, a wild landscape or run wild and shoot something that looks like it's out of the Jimi Hendrix Experience.

Did you experiment with the extended ISO range of this film?

I believe I shot the roll at 200. What surprised me was its range indoors at this speed as well. My favorite frame from the roll came from the lower light conditions.

How did you come up with your subjects and settings with the color shift in the film in mind?

On this particular roll it was more a fight against time but for previous rolls on my medium format camera, sunny conditions and deep greens are what I look for. I like the landscape that surrounds the subject to look as naturally purple as possible, almost if it's supposed to be that way in a manner you wouldn't even initially notice or question.

Is your process of shooting with LomoChrome Purple any different than your process of shooting with regular color negative or black and white film?

Yes. When I take a portrait in purple I do it with the intention of transporting them somewhere that doesn't exist – a utopia within the world we're living in almost. This film has the ability to pull someone out of their surroundings and to place them somewhere never before seen because of its qualities; a unique feature you won't get on any other film.

Is there a specific picture that you like most from this test roll? Can you explain why?

There's a shot of a guy lying on the floor playing his guitar. The image is slightly flat and grainy but it has a calm nostalgic feel to it with a purple hue that I feel wouldn't have felt the same in black in white or in full color.

If you could sum up your Purple experience in three words, what would they be?

Dope as fuck. Cool as hell. Purple Pentax Portraits. Purp for Pres.

Have you shot with LomoChrome Purple before? How do you like this formula compared to the previous LomoChrome Purple film?

I have but in medium format so the detail, contrast and range differ. It'd be difficult to compare.

If you were to shoot another roll of LomoChrome Purple 2021 Pétillant, would you do anything different?

Yes, I wish I had more time with the initial roll I had. The turnaround time was fairly immediate and I was in between moving so I wasn't able to capture what I normally would have. Given another opportunity under the right circumstances there are a few projects I have in mind for it, merging subjects and landscapes together to tell a story.

Any advice you’d like to share with future LomoChrome Purple users?

Yeah, one of my favorite portraits ever taken is on LomoChrome Purple film and I hope one day to have it displayed in a gallery. You can't be scared to take a risk, the world of color film is too small not to.

If you want to see more of Benjamin's work make sure to check out his Instagram and website.

written by eloffreno on 2023-01-11 #gear #film-review #purple #new-formula #psychedlic