LomoChrome Color '92 Sun-Kissed 35 mm Film: First Impressions by Riccardo Montanini

LomoAmigo Riccardo Montanini is a photographer and videographer based in Italy. He recently tested our brand new LomoChrome Color '92 Sun-Kissed Edition film and in this interview he talks about the results and shows us his photo series inspired by Luca Guadagnino's film Bones and All.

Hi Riccardo, welcome back! Tell us about your latest photo news since we last spoke.

Hi! This has been a pretty busy year between workshops, TV series and films I've been working on - I've been spinning like a top! Unfortunately I didn't have as much time as I would have liked to shoot, but I did get out and about. Great news on the photographic side, I could tell you about the gradual expansion of the Cinema meets Fashion workshop series that I hold periodically with my partner Elisa Bonafè. We also organized one in Iceland in October.

I also bought a Hasselblad Xpan a few months ago, which has always been my dream camera and is giving me incredible satisfaction.

Tell us about the concept behind this photo shoot. What and where did you shoot this wonderful series?

This series of photographs is largely inspired by a film that I personally love, Luca Guadagnino's Bones and All, a film strongly characterised by its setting with the boundless spaces of the American Midwest in the late 80s. Obviously, I don't have the Midwest on my doorstep, so we had to make do and went to shoot in a field between Milan and Como with a late 1960s car I rented, then took it to a nearby gas station and in front of a wall of a military zone. We then left the car and went to a diner where we finished the film roll.

What were your first impressions when you saw the results?

Not knowing exactly what I was shooting I have to say I was impressed, it is definitely an interesting film. First of all, the dynamic range is not bad and I really like the color fidelity. It gives a nice vintage effect to the photos without having to get involved with post production. It is also a look that in my opinion went well with this series specifically and with the aesthetics it was intended to evoke.

How would you describe the look of the new LomoChrome Color '92 Sun-Kissed film ?

If we want to compare it with other films of the LomoChrome series like the Purple or the Turquoise certainly this emulsion is characterized by a less punchy look, without any particular color shift. It could lend itself to everyday use as well as to more detailed shooting. It may be similar in appearance to the Metropolis, although I have to say that the '92 Sun-Kissed does not have such incisive green tones and on first inspection seems to be less grainy especially in the shadows; but this may also depend on the Noritsu scanner with which it was scanned. Overall it is as balanced a film as a color negative could be but with a more defined stylistic impression.

What do you think is the ideal situation to use it in?

Pointing out that I actually did a very partial first test and found myself in a rather favorable lighting condition, I would say that daylight is definitely its element. In general, I would have it work in a light situation that is not too contrasty, so as to keep the highlights and shadows of the image in a range that is not too wide. I can't speak from direct experience but at a first glance it could be an interesting film even to shoot with flash in the studio, plus at 400 ASA it is fast enough not to be prohibitive for night situations.

Do you have a favorite photo from this series?

There are several that I like in this series. If I had to pick a couple out of all of them I would say the one with the two models with their backs turned and leaning against the bonnet of the car looking at the tree line, and the one with them leaning back-to-back in the grass.

Did you find any major differences in this film compared to the previous formula?

Certainly as an emulsion this one has warmer tones and less pronounced grain. It is also characterised by a nice softness, perhaps not 100% attributable to the film because other factors come into play when making these assessments. But having shot the Color '92 'standard' film with the same camera and lens in the past, this emulsion seems to have a built-in 1/8 Black Promist that works mainly in the blur of the image, whereas I only shot it with a polarising filter in the shots with the car to avoid reflections on glass and bodywork.

What song would you choose to accompany this photo shoot?

I would probably take the soundtrack from the film I mentioned earlier, Bones and All. On the way home after the set I was listening to Joy Division's Atmosphere for example, which could work well with this photo shoot.

What advice would you give to those shooting with the LomoChrome Color '92 Sun-Kissed for the first time?

In my opinion, you don't need to take the same shooting approach that you have with other films from the LomoChrome series, with particular color shifts, always being careful about what you are capturing in the image and how it might tint the colors. It is enough, in this case, to point, expose and shoot. In fact it is a film that could also lend itself, as I said, to a casual shooting approach. Personally it is one of the recently released films that I have enjoyed the most. It brought out the perfect look for the situation I went to photograph.

To see more of Riccardo's work, visit his Instagram page.

The LomoChrome Color '92 Sun-Kissed film is now available in our online shop.

written by melissaperitore on 2024-07-08 #gear #news #people #35-mm #lomoamigo #first-impressions #lomochrome-color-92-sun-kissed