Summer of Phoenix: A Holiday in Greece

Throwback to the test roll

Technically I have actually shot Phoenix in the summer before... But that was a pre-launch test roll in 2023. The emulsion was still being worked on by Harman scientists, it wasn't in the right canister, and there were some open questions about layer stability.

Despite these challenges the film created some really special images. The grain is prominent, the contrast powerful, and I was still learning how to control the halation in bright light but it was easy to see the promise.

Harman Phoenix in 2024

For this trip I was using a roll of Phoenix delivered fresh from Harman and perfect for a holiday adventure 👌🏼 I'd successfully navigated the perils of flying with film by packing a roll of Delta 3200 to wave at security, and I was ready to capture some light.

I loaded it in my trusty Lomography LC-A film camera so that I could play with multiple exposures, and headed out to the swimming pool.

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The results

When I got back into the office on Tuesday I dropped off the roll at the WonderLab - alongside a good six or seven others! - and waited nervously for the text to say they were ready...

...I was not disappointed!

I told you I'd shoot double exposures!

My reflections

I was blessed with exceptional weather - and very picturesque surroundings - but even taking those factors into account I spy ~20 photos from the roll that I LOVE. That is a noticeably higher hit-rate than my average roll of film.

So there is definitely something about Harman Phoenix in the summer that clicks for me. I love the slightly unusual colours, I adore the way the film renders blues, and now that I've learned how to bring subtle halation into the shot - without it being overwhelming - I think it can add a real visual interest to the scene.

But it didn't all go perfectly. For example with this photo I deliberately shot towards a strong silhouette, aiming for an interesting effect as the sun shone through the branches. But in reality the film couldn't cope with the super-strong contrast and (apart from the stepped gradient in the sky!) there's nothing visually striking here at all.

#SummerofPhoenix top tips

Looking at the entire length of the roll I can spot some common themes that seem to bring out the best of the film:

1. Shoot with the light behind you. Allow the reflected sunlight to bounce off the subject and fill your camera with strong shapes and colours.

2. Include lots of lovely blues. Sky, pools, sea....blueberries? Whatever you can find, from cobalt to ultramarine, they will sing.

3. Avoid shadows and silhouettes. The emulsion doesn't seem to cope well with darker tones - in truth I could have probably rated it at 100 for some of these scenarios - so stay in the light as much as possible.

4. Play with creative alternatives. Double exposures, reflections and inversions, colour filters - you already know that the tones aren't going to be as true as something like Kodak Portra, so embrace the difference and allow yourself to get all experimental!

Do you like the way these photos look, and has it made you consider adding a roll of Phoenix into your camera bag for summer adventures?!