i sometimes feel that mobile phone photographers take for granted the "retro" filters provided to them. in reality, most of the filters are not retro at all...but are traits characteristic of toy cameras. toy cameras have weird like leaks and bokeh effects...and are thought to be "old school" mainly because they use film.
the "X-Pro filter...refers to "Cross Processed"...a method where film is developed in the incorrect chemicals. slide film and color print take different chemicals....e-6 and c-41 respectively....developing slide film in c-41 is cross processing...resulting in color distortion.
Here are examples of photos put through the "X-Pro" filter in instagram:
Here are examples of slide film cross-processed in c-41 chemicals:
I was hanging out with a group of strangers the other day, when the topic of instagram came up. I hid the fact that I'm "instafamous"[not my description of myself], because I was curious about what they thought of the platform. It turns out, to them...using non-phone cameras is a form of cheating, because the point is to post as life happens. I can definitely see their point. I personally try to post as close as I can with my film photos, and generally post right away when it comes to phone photos. [I don't believe in over-editing...which is another topic]
But that brings me to the point of the post....I don't think its cheating. I know tons of extremely talented phone photographers, and even more people that own DSLRs that seem to mainly use it to photograph their food. Below I have posted examples of bad and good photos I've taken throughout the years. Not all my film photos are magnificient...the moral being anybody can use a camera....but it really takes somebody with a good eye to take a good photo, regardless of what they are using to take it with. Mannn....I've even seen good photographers take good photos with reeally reeeally bad cameras...
top row: "eh" film photos
middle row: unedited iPhone 4S photos [yes, even the blue horse]
bottom row: Hipstamatic photos on a 3GS or iPod Touch 4G [with less than 1mpx resolution!]
I just got a roll of film processed at a lab...first time I've been to a lab since January. This is also possibly the last roll I will be shooting using the Hanimex Amphibian 35mm Underwater camera. I really miss the Minolta Weathermatic, and am taking steps to make sure I get another one in my possession by the time the sharks come. I am also near the end of the shelf life of my E-6 chemicals...so I miiiiight switch a different chemistry for film development to allow me to develop regular color film and cross process color slide film at home....we'll see though....as of now, here are the photos:
Here some of the photos I captured on the Hi-matic AF2 during my 27 hour trip to Las Vegas...I left for Vegas packing extremely light. The pennsylvania-native cab driver that picked me up from the airport was a little confused when he opened the trunk for my luggage to realize I didn't have any. Did I feel dirty and exhausted by the time I returned to San Diego? Absolutely. Would I do it again? Probably. It's always refreshing dancing with, and sneaking photos of strangers in a different city.
I was playing with rubber cement...and had some left over, so I figure it would be a good idea to add a tripod mount to an old Polaroid Timer that The Impossible Project sent me. I use the timer for when I develop my film...and I guess putting it on top of a gorillapod improves it? Oh well, it looks cool...and is functional.
