unveiling experimental photography
Exploring uncharted territory in photography using Washi & Redscale Film
Discover how you can push the boundaries of traditional techniques with experimentation. This new technique transformed POPOUT’s creative process while constructing our latest collector’s print.
Written & Shot by photographer Aris Theotokatos
THE CONTEXT
At some point in early 2022, our team at POPOUT was just beginning to lay the foundation for what would become our third issue. POPOUT’s editor & chief, Aalyiah Heath, contacted me with some ideas for a photoshoot to go along with her letter-from-the-editor.
The theme of issue three was perspective. In her letter, Aalyiah wanted to examine herself from different perspectives: the self and shadow-self. From there it became about how we translate that idea into a series of images.
I’m a big believer in working with what you got, and what I had at that particular moment was two rolls of film: Lomography Redscale and Washi “F”. Our idea was simple, one roll of film would represent the self, the other would represent the shadow-self.
THE FILM
Washi is a company that specializes in, well, specialty films. The “F” in Washi “F” stands for Fluorographic. This roll is made out of an x-ray film that was typically used to diagnose lung disease. The images are black and white and provide a sort of supernatural glow. The texture of the grain is also more pronounced. This would represent the self.
Lomography is a well-known photography brand. Aside from cameras and accessories, they also have their own stock of film. One of these options is Redscale XR 50-200, and the images look exactly the way you’d expect: a range of reds, oranges, and yellows. This would represent the shadow-self.
This is an oversimplification. There are many other technical aspects to consider, such as camera settings and processing methods. But generally speaking, it’s important to know when working with these kinds of film stocks that the results can be a bit unpredictable.
the RESULTS
The results were better than I imagined; especially considering that this was our first time using these 2 types of films. I don’t remember feeling more thrilled at the way a roll turned out than these two. Some of the Redscale images contain accidental light leaks because I was changing film on the go. Yet, the streaks of purple actually adds another layer to the images.
